Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha has wrapped up a one-day visit to Saudi Arabia on Wednesday with a vow that a Thai-Saudi joint committee will be set up to restore diplomatic ties and promote economic cooperation and people-to-people contact.
Speaking before flying to Saudi Arabia, Gen Prayut told reporters that the visit will be a great opportunity to normalise the strained ties between the countries.
"It must be better than the last 32 years. I have received the honour of being invited to discuss ways to restore ties," Gen Prayut said.
Asked if Thai workers will have a chance to return to work in Saudi Arabia, Gen Prayut said that all issues will be discussed during the visit.
Gen Prayut was visiting Saudi Arabia at the invitation of Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman, who is considered the kingdom's de facto ruler.
"A joint committee must be set up to lay the groundwork for bilateral cooperation. I will also have an audience [with Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman] on behalf of the government. Let's wait for further details that will be released afterwards," Gen Prayut said before departing for Riyadh.
Saudi Arabia decided to downgrade diplomatic ties with Thailand and adopt a number of measures after the murder of Saudi diplomats and the disappearance of a Saudi businessman in Bangkok following the theft of Saudi state gems in 1989.
These included replacing the head of its diplomatic mission with a charge d'affaires, prohibiting Saudi Arabian nationals from travelling to Thailand and stopping Thai workers from being employed in the Middle Eastern nation.
These measures consequently hit travel between Thailand and Saudi Arabia and bilateral cooperation on labour, trade and investments.
Tanee Sangrat, the Foreign Ministry spokesman, announced that there will be a press conference held to give more details of the visit and accompanying talks on Wednesday at the ministry at 11am.
There have been a number of attempts to repair relations between the two countries over the years. One of them was in 2005, when Kantathi Suphamongkhon, then foreign minister, visited as an envoy of His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej The Great to attend King Fahd's state funeral during which he was granted an audience with King Abdullah.
In embargoed comments given to media prior to his departure, Foreign Minister Don Pramudwinai said the PM's visit was the result of six years of preparations that began at the second Asia Cooperation Dialogue summit in Bangkok in 2016 which was attended by Saudi Foreign Minister Adel bin Ahmed Al-Jubeir.
Gen Prayut has since built on that groundwork, and the culmination was this week's historic trip, Mr Don said.
"Without the PM's attention, the visit would have never happened. This is no easy task considering relations have been strained for more than 30 years. Therefore, Jan 25 marks a new dawn for the relations and the prime minister played a key role," Mr Don said.
Asked if Saudi Arabia is prepared to end the dispute, Mr Don said: "We will move on and will not talk about the past any more."
Manoch Aree, a political science lecturer at Srinakharinwirot University, told the Bangkok Post that if and when the conflict between the two countries is solved, this will usher in a new dawn of bilateral cooperation.
He said the Middle Eastern kingdom has come up with "Saudi 2030 Vision" -- a blueprint pushing for economic and social reform while trying to reduce reliance on oil, diversify the economy and promote new industries, tourism, manufacturing and financial services.
"It is necessary for Saudi Arabia to make their economic development varied and attractive ... and no one knows whether the US will impose sanctions on them. "In light of this, it is time for them to seek new friends in Asia ... Both sides can mutually benefit in a number of ways," Mr Manoch said.
