Without any diplomatic pleasantries, Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha kicked off bilateral talks last week with his Malaysian counterpart, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, by stating clearly that Thai-Malaysian ties have not been progressing very well. The opening remarks drew a big smile from Mr Anwar as a sign of appreciation. It immediately set the tone of his two-day visit.
PM s Singapore visit to take economic cooperation to new heights english.vov.vn - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from english.vov.vn Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Last week, the new Asean chair, Indonesia, convened the first two important meetings the Asean Coordinating Council and Asean Foreign Ministers' Retreat to discuss and follow up on ongoing and emerging issues that have to do with the relevancy of Asean and its centrality.
Last week Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-cha issued a new soft power policy to promote Thai culture as part of efforts to attract international visitors. Upon close scrutiny, what the government is trying to do is actually raise revenue. In a nutshell, it is a sales pitch, nothing more.
'So close and yet so far" is a popular description of the current state of ties between Thailand and Malaysia. It could have been better in the past, but now both countries can make a difference. Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim is visiting Thailand next month to advance bilateral ties to another level, but several elements are needed.