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Thailand and Saudi Arabia seek to move on from 30-year row over diamond heist

The visit by Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha to Saudi Arabia signals the kingdoms are seeking to thaw relations.

Uncredited/AP

The visit by Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha to Saudi Arabia signals the kingdoms are seeking to thaw relations.

Thailand’s prime minister arrived in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday for the first high-level meeting since relations between the nations soured three decades ago over a sensational jewellery heist that led to a diplomatic row and string of mysterious killings.

The official visit by Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha to the kingdom signals the nations are seeking to thaw relations, long chilled by the 1989 scandal. Saudi Arabia downgraded its diplomatic ties with Thailand over the theft that became known as the Blue Diamond affair.

While Prayuth’s visit marked a major breakthrough, his discreet arrival hinted at lingering tension.

A notably low-ranking official, the deputy governor of Riyadh, received the prime minister at the airport. There was no live TV…

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