Thailand and Saudi Arabia have agreed to normalize diplomatic ties and work toward mending a decades-old rift, with analysts and officials saying the thaw will benefit the Thais economically and allow Riyadh to cultivate new non-Muslim allies.
In a joint statement released by the Thai foreign ministry Wednesday, the two countries announced the breakthrough. It happened as Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-o-cha became the first Thai leader to visit Saudi Arabia in more than 30 years. The bilateral relationship froze after a Thai janitor stole millions of dollars’ worth of jewels from a Riyadh place in 1989, and a string of unsolved murders followed within months of the heist.
“[T]he two sides agreed to fully normalize their diplomatic relations,” according to the joint statement, which also said that “they reaffirmed their mutual determination to resolve all pending issues…
