The government needs to make the most of improvements in diplomatic ties with Saudi Arabia and cement the relationship between the two countries, a Middle East studies expert said yesterday.
Prof Jaran Maluleem, lecturer on Middle East studies at Thammasat University, said Thailand used to send around 200,000 workers to Saudi Arabia.
"So, imagine how much this will contribute to economic growth if we can reinstate that kind of bilateral cooperation again," Prof Jaran said.
Saudi Arabia may not need that many Thai workers now, he said, adding that over the past 30 years they have used migrant workers from other parts of Asia such as Bangladesh, Pakistan, India and the Philippines.
But Thai workers were well thought of by many Saudi Arabian employers due to their work skills plus their hard-working and service-minded attitude, Prof Jaran said.
As Saudi Arabia shifts from an oil-dependent economy to trade and investment, the country will need more workers for construction projects, he said.
"Improved relations with Saudi Arabia will also mean an opportunity for Thailand to benefit from their Vision 2030 trade and investment framework, while also creating further convenience for Thai Muslims on pilgrimage to Mecca," he said.
Saudi Vision 2030 is a strategic framework aimed at reducing Saudi Arabia's dependence on oil, diversifying its economy, and developing sectors such as health, education, infrastructure, recreation, and tourism.
"Thailand should not miss this important opportunity, especially the chance to become an observer in the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation that will come with a good opportunity to gain access to Islamic Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture and so on," Prof Jaran said.
Citing information from a Saudi source before Riyadh downgraded diplomatic relations with Thailand, Prof Jaran said the country no longer doubts Thailand on its handling of the 1989 theft of Saudi state gems, but that of the related murders.