RIYADH, 5 May 2008 — Saudi Arabia and Thailand are discussing a proposal to set up a joint business council to boost trade and investment relations. The Kingdom is willing to see progress in Saudi-Thai relations, but any improvement in diplomatic ties is linked to how fast the Bangkok government solves cases relating to the murder of a number of Saudi diplomats and businessmen in the southeast Asian country almost two decades ago.
“Thailand is very thankful to the Saudi Foreign Ministry, which granted visas to 17 members of a Thai business mission,” Phairush Burapachaisri, secretary-general of the Thai Chamber of Commerce, said.
Burapachaaisri was speaking at a reception hosted by Al-Hokair Group in honor of the delegation. Dr. Charn Jullamon, Thai charge d’affaires, and Anirut Smuthkchorn, director of the Board of Trade of Thailand, also attended the press briefing.
Referring to the proposal to set up the business council, which was discussed at the Council of Saudi Chambers of Commerce and Industry, Burapachaisri said such a body would help boost business relations.
“We have a huge trade gap because Saudi exports to Thailand exceed $4.5 billion, while our imports have been just in the region of $1.5 billion annually,” he said, adding that the visit, which comes after a several-year gap, is a major breakthrough.
Relations between Riyadh and Bangkok soured when a Thai worker stole valuable jewelry from the house of a Saudi royal in 1989. Since then, Saudi Arabia’s diplomatic ties with Thailand have been very shaky.
The murders of Saudi diplomats Abdullah Al-Maliki, gunned down in Bangkok in 1989, and Abdullah A. Al-Besri, Fahad A.Z. Al-Bahli and Ahmed A. Al-Saif, assassinated in January 1990, have also remained unsolved so far.
Smuthkochorn said during their three-day stay in Riyadh, the delegation members held talks with Saudi businessmen and officials from the Saudi Arabian Standards Organization (SASO).
Smuthkochorn said he had invited SASO officials to visit halal food facilities in his country and called on Saudi government agencies to facilitate exports of Thai products since commodities from Thailand end up in Saudi Arabia via third countries, such as the UAE. “Direct exports will help both sides as prices will go down by about 15 percent,” said Smuthkochorn, adding that the Thai chamber was also planning to hold a single country exhibition in the Kingdom later this year.
The Thai business mission, which will conclude their visit on May 8, is showcasing a wide range of products and services, including the country’s construction and cement industries, building materials, and food and beverages.
