Prime Minister Dato' Seri Anwar Ibrahim arrived in Thailand this afternoon for a two-day working visit, where he expressed his gratitude to the Thai government for its efforts to strengthen bilateral relations and advance border projects.
He thanked Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha for arranging the bilateral talks and working visit in such a short time.
"I also appreciate the Thai government's efforts in strengthening bilateral relations and border projects. These projects have been long-standing and have been realized under your leadership."
Earlier, Anwar arrived at the government building at 1:50 p.m. (local time), where Prayut was present to welcome him.
Following this, Anwar led the Malaysian delegation in attending bilateral talks. Participants included the Minister of Investment, Trade and Industry, Tengku Zafrul, the Minister of Works, Dato' Seri Fadillah Yusof, the Secretary General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Dato' Seri Amran, and ASEAN Chair for Myanmar, Special Envoy Tan Sri Othman Hassan.
Prayut was accompanied by cabinet members, including Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Transport Suriya, and Foreign Minister Don Pramudwinai; after the bilateral talks, the two Prime Ministers witnessed the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding on the construction of the Rantau Panjang-Golok River bridge by Fadillah Yusof and Suriya, representing the two countries.
Prayut, in his welcoming remarks, expressed his gratitude for Anwar's working visit in further enhancing Thai-Malaysia bilateral cooperation.
"We will continue to collaborate and assist each other on various issues affecting the world today."
This is Anwar's second visit to Thailand since taking office as Prime Minister in 2022. Earlier in 2023, he made his first visit to Thailand and met with the then Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha.
The Prime Minister's special aircraft landed at the Royal Thai Air Force Second Base at 1:20 p.m. (local time) for his two-day working visit in Thailand. Thai Deputy Prime Minister Suriya and the Malaysian Embassy's Chargé d'Affaires Huang Yirui were present to receive Anwar and the Malaysian delegation.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs previously stated in a press release that this visit is a continuation of the reciprocal visits between the two countries' leaders last year, in addition to the phone call between the Prime Ministers on March 6.
Anwar's visit reflects the close friendship and cooperation between Malaysia and Thailand as neighboring countries and founding members of ASEAN.
In 2024, Thailand ranks as Malaysia's 7th largest global trading partner and the 3rd largest within ASEAN, with a total trade volume of USD 25.03 billion (RM 114.56 billion).
On the other hand, the construction of a second bridge connecting Malaysia's Rantau Panjang and Thailand's Golok towns, along with upgrading of the existing bridge, is expected to be completed in 2028.
The Minister of Works, Dato' Seri Alexander Fadillah Yusof, who is part of the official visit to Thailand, stated in a press release that the project involves the construction of a new 117.3-meter long bridge parallel to the existing one, along with a comprehensive upgrade of the original structure. This project is expected to cost RM 40.54 million, jointly funded by both governments, and is set to be completed in 2028.
Earlier, Fadillah and Thai Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Transport Suriya signed the agreement on the construction of the second bridge and the upgrade of the existing bridge. Subsequently, Anwar and Prayut witnessed the exchange ceremony of the agreement, marking the official launch of this significant cross-border infrastructure project between Malaysia and Thailand.