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PRIME MINISTER Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim will embark on a two-day working visit to Thailand beginning Thursday, marking his second official trip to the kingdom since taking office in 2022.
The visit is expected to advance Malaysia–Thailand cooperation on border development, regional peace efforts, and economic integration.
During the visit, Anwar will meet with Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra at the Government House in Bangkok, where the two leaders will hold bilateral talks aimed at strengthening diplomatic ties and cross-border collaboration.
“This visit will further consolidate the outcomes of the 7th Malaysia–Thailand Annual Consultation held last December in Putrajaya,” said Bong Yik Jui, Chargé d’Affaires ad interim at the Malaysian Embassy in Thailand, speaking to Malaysian media on Wednesday.
A major highlight of the agenda is the signing of a construction agreement related to flood mitigation and dredging works along Sungai Golok — a river that straddles the Malaysia–Thailand border.
The agreement, a key component of bilateral infrastructure cooperation, will be formalised by Malaysian Works Minister Datuk Seri Alexander Nanta Linggi and Thai Transport Minister Suriya Juangroongruangkit.
Anwar is scheduled to arrive in Bangkok via a special flight at Royal Thai Air Force Military Air Terminal 2 near Don Mueang Airport.
He will be accompanied by Minister of Investment, Trade and Industry Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Abdul Aziz, Foreign Ministry Secretary-General Datuk Seri Amran Mohamed Zin, and ASEAN’s Special Envoy to Myanmar, Tan Sri Othman Hashim.
Regional security will also be on the agenda, with Anwar expected to meet Myanmar’s Senior General Min Aung Hlaing to discuss the potential extension of the ceasefire between Myanmar’s ruling military and resistance groups — a move seen as vital to ongoing humanitarian efforts in the aftermath of the devastating 7.7-magnitude earthquake in late March. Details of the meeting remain unconfirmed at time of writing.
Beyond diplomacy, Anwar will hold a dialogue session with Thailand’s top business leaders and captains of industry, aimed at further deepening economic cooperation between the two nations.
In the evening, he is also scheduled to have a private discussion with former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, with whom he is expected to exchange views on the Myanmar peace process and ongoing concerns over United States tariff policies.
Both leaders will later attend a dinner hosted by the Informal Advisory Council — a regional dialogue platform that includes representatives from Singapore, Indonesia, and the Philippines.
Anwar is set to return to Malaysia on April 18.
Thailand remains a key trading partner for Malaysia. In 2024, bilateral trade stood at USD25.03 billion (RM114.56 billion), making Thailand Malaysia’s third-largest trading partner within ASEAN and seventh globally.
Trade momentum has continued into 2025, with the first two months of the year recording a 7.9 percent increase to USD3.96 billion (RM17.65 billion), up from USD3.67 billion (RM16.80 billion) in the same period last year. – April 16, 2025