Following Anwar’s visit of the original Thai Prime Minister as a special adviser to Asean, the meeting took place.
PUBLISHED: 27 Dec 2024 at 15: 20
UPDATED: 27 Dec 2024 at 20: 47
On a luxury yacht, the former prime minister met Indonesian prime secretary Anwar Ibrahim for a meeting where they discussed a variety of problems, including boosting bilateral ties, resolving the Myanmar fight, and restoring harmony in the deep north.
The meeting took place shortly after Thaksin was chosen to lead Mr. Anwar’s affairs at the Association of Southeast Asian Nations ( Asean ).
After attending an event on Friday to celebrate the 75th anniversary of Thai Rath news, Thaksin announced to reporters that he had boarded a sailboat in Phuket and that he had traveled to Koh Lipe, Thailand, with previous agriculture minister Thamanat Prompow, on Wednesday.
He and Thamanat were seen having a long brunch at the island’s Bulow Casa Grand View Resort the following day. The meeting with Mr. Anwar took place at lake close to the Thai-Malaysian sea border, and Thasin next boarded a yacht for the meeting.
Thaksin said the gathering offered an opportunity to discuss problems, including the condition in Thailand’s strong South, the Thai market, the Myanmar problems, and Asean and world affairs. He claimed that he emphasized the need for the Asean member states to work together to build a stronger group.
More than 700 million people in the area may unite to become a force to reckon with, he said.
Mr. Anwar claimed to have met with his “dear buddy” Thaksin to talk bilateral and regional problems, including efforts to bring about the restoration of peace in southern Thailand and the Myanmar problems, in a message posted on X.
” It was a pleasure to meet past Thai Prime Minister, and a dear colleague, Dr Thaksin Shinawatra, for an interesting, wide-ranging and successful conversation, including in his ability as an unofficial adviser to Malaysia’s Asean chairmanship”, he wrote.
” Our talk centred on important regional objectives: revitalising markets, leveraging emerging technology, fostering serenity in southern Thailand, and addressing the Myanmar problems.
” Malaysia and Asean will have a lot of opportunities to address these issues with greater trust and effectiveness thanks to Thaksin’s unmatched network of relationships across the area, combined with his unique experience.
We even discussed ways to improve Malaysia and Thailand’s now strong diplomatic relations, keeping them in line with the local unity and sustainable development goals I share with Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra.
Thaksin and I have believed that Malaysia and Thailand could achieve much more up, both for our individual countries and the entire region. We are dedicated to bringing that vision into reality.
Next month, Mr. Anwar will form a loose advisory group with members to support Malaysia’s Asian presidency.
The Indonesian leading revealed the program during a combined press conference on Dec 16 in Putrajaya, where he met with Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra, Thaksin’s child. From 2001 to 2006, Thaksin served as prime minister.
Experts see the appointment as Mr. Anwar’s deliberate attempt to touch the expertise of important regional figures.
Mr Anwar aims to promote Asean cohesion and even boost Malaysia’s authority in the region, said Panitan Wattanayagorn, a former foreign relations professor at Chulalongkorn University.
Malaysia may benefit from Thailand’s role in addressing the Myanmar problems, which could boost its position as the Asean head, he said.
According to Mr. Panitan, on a bilateral level, Mr. Anwar is thought to have a thorough understanding of the challenges facing southern Thailand.
The Malaysian prime minister’s meeting with Thaksin took place in Phuket in May 2024.