The invitation from the Saudi Minister of Investment, Khalid Abdulaziz-Falih, to Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Don Pramudwinai to visit Saudi Arabia came just a few hours after the provisional results of the May 14 election were made known. With equal speed, the Thai side responded positively and gathered a 40-member high-level delegation composed of officials and private sector representatives. The caretaker government did not want to let go the momentum which began when Saudi-Thai relations resumed in January 2022.
Riyadh's move was a big surprise, considering the current government is limited to a caretaker role until the next government is formed. Nonetheless, Thailand wanted to seize the unique opportunity to enhance the partnership between both nations' state agencies as well as the private sector. Both nations are eager to strengthen economic and investment relations with each other. After 32 years of frozen ties, a total of 30 bilateral memorandums of understanding, agreements were signed between the two governments and private sectors, and their leaders exchanged visits within a short period after ties were normalised. Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha visited in January last year. In return, Thailand also hosted Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman as the guest of honour at the last Asia-Pacific Economic Community Leaders' Meeting.
Indeed, Riyadh's invitation showed they have a good understanding of the latest political developments in Thailand following the triumph of the Move Forward Party (MFP) at the polls. To say the least, the MFP does not have a favourable view of the oil-rich kingdom, as widely reported by the Thai media. A well-seasoned observer of Thai diplomacy, who was among the Thai delegation in Riyadh, commented that the MFP's views on Thailand's overall conditions do not resonate very well over there. "Don't forget, Saudi Arabia is also a kingdom," the observer pinpointed.
Until a new prime minister is named, the trajectory of the Thai-Saudi relationship, which is being promoted with turbocharged enthusiasm, could stall as a result of the foreign policy ambiguities of the incoming government. Therefore, the Saudi decision was very well calculated and essentially aimed at cementing the ongoing cooperation optimally so that joint projects and investment plans which have been agreed on could proceed without a hitch.
The five-day hush-hush trip last week turned out to be an extraordinary one for Thai investors, who found themselves wanted by Saudi official and business circles. Sanan Angubolkul, chairman of the board of the Thai Chamber of Commerce and the Board of Trade of Thailand, praised the trip, saying it allowed Thai representatives from various sectors -- green energy, food, agriculture, horticulture, packaging, tourism, healthcare and wellness, and sport, among others -- to enter into hundreds of new joint ventures with the Saudis.
He said that from Dec 13-16, the Thai embassy in Riyadh will host "Thailand Mega Fair", an event that would showcase Thai products, culture and other aspects of Thai culture to boost the nation's soft power, in an effort to further attract trade and investment opportunities.
After the thaw in ties with the Saudis, big Thai conglomerates which have already invested in Saudi include the Minor Group, PTT, Cafe Amazon, Gulf Energy, Indorama and Siam Cement. In addition, Thailand will also benefit from the country's plan to import massive numbers of live trees and plants worth billions of baht.
Upon closer scrutiny, Thai-Saudi ties have a significant impact on the region's geopolitical dynamics. Since ties were normalised, the overall progress of Thai-Saudi friendship and cooperation has been phenomenal, as both sides have literally opened up to each other in all areas of engagement. Obviously, in the months to come, there could also be issues relating to strategic matters as well, as they continue to navigate the uncertain strategic terrain in the post-Covid-19 pandemic world.
Regionally, Saudi Arabia has already also reached out to Southeast Asia. Most importantly, after years of recalcitrance, Riyadh will accede to the 1976 Asean Treaty of Amity and Cooperation under the Indonesian chairmanship next month at the Asean annual ministerial meeting. This is a welcome move, as the country has been quite cautious in signing up for foreign treaties, apart from those related to the Middle East. In the past five years, Iran, Qatar, Oman and the United Arab Emirates have already acceded to the TAC.
As a TAC signatory, Saudi Arabia's role in promoting regional cooperation with Asean on all three pillars will be bolstered. In addition, Riyadh's accession augurs well with the trajectory of Asean ties with the Middle East. In recent years, the region enjoyed strong economic growth due to rising energy demand worldwide. Asean is scheduled to have its first summit with the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) in September in Jakarta. During the visit to Riyadh, where the GCC Secretariat is located, Mr Don also met with Jassim al-Budaiwi, secretary-general of the GCC, who is expected to attend the upcoming Asean-GCC summit to be held in October. Thailand is ready to serve as a bridge to strengthen partnerships between the two regional organisations.
Although both blocs began their cooperation in 1990 with annual meetings mainly on the sidelines of the annual UN General Assembly in New York, their ties lacked the stamina as well as economic and strategic imperatives of the present, which is the result of the changed security ecosystem and a seismic shift in regional alliances. With Saudi's accession, the prospect of closer Asean-GCC cooperation in all areas will be higher. It would not be surprising, given the proactive nature of Saudi Arabia's diplomacy, if it became a sectoral dialogue partner of Asean sooner rather than later.
Interestingly, Asean and the GCC also share common visions enshrined in their charters. Apart from the usual universal principles, they also respect peaceful coexistence, good neighbourliness, and non-interference in internal affairs. In addition, they both have also pledged to promote new partnerships in economic, social, and cultural affairs, including people-to-people ties between the Gulf and Southeast Asia.
Given Thailand's location, Saudi Arabia sees Thailand as a connectivity and energy hub that enables it to reach out to wider Southeast and East Asia. Although Riyadh has close ties with oil-producing countries as well as the region's Islamic countries, namely Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei, its diplomatic endeavours and attention to Thailand are vastly different in nature as they are more focused on economic progress and on ramping up Saudi's strategic ties with the region.
Under the leadership of Prince Salman, Saudi Arabia wants to modernise the country further and raise its diplomatic profile in the Middle East and the world at large. More specifically, Riyadh is now pursuing a more independent foreign policy, different from the past, which often followed the American way from top to bottom. Prince Salman has been developing new ties and conducting rapprochement with such former foes, including Iran and others. Noticeably, these days there are more contacts, activities and news emanating from Asia relating to Saudi Arabia. Furthermore, Riyadh would like to be perceived as a peacemaker in the Middle East.
Evaluating the substance and speed of their bilateral engagement in the past 18 months, "the sky is the limit" would be a fitting description of this new bilateral friendship. Whether by default or by design, Thailand has already become a valuable economic and strategic partner of Saudi Arabia.
