First high-level visit since relations soured in the wake of a 1989 theft of $20m worth of jewels from a Saudi prince by a Thai janitor.
Thailand’s prime minister will visit Saudi Arabia next week in what will be the first high-level meeting between the two countries since a diplomatic row over a jewellery theft nearly 30 years ago.
Saudi Arabia downgraded its diplomatic relations with Bangkok following the theft in 1989 of about $20m worth of jewels by a Thai janitor working in the palace of a Saudi prince. The theft triggered a feud between the countries dubbed the “Blue Diamond Affair” that has yet to be resolved.
Thai police later returned some of the jewels but Saudi officials claimed most were fake, while the whereabouts of the most precious gem – a rare 50-carat blue diamond – remains unknown.
The invitation to Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha for a two-day visit…
