PM meeting Anwar to push border connectivity project with Malaysia
Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin is meeting his Malaysian counterpart Anwar Ibrahim at the Sadao checkpoint in Songkhla province on Monday (November 27) to oversee the border connectivity project between the two countries.
Srettha is scheduled to visit the Thai-Malaysian border at the Sadao checkpoint on Monday to inspect the progress of the Thai-Malaysian border area development. A meeting has also been scheduled with Malaysian PM Anwar to push forward the discussions between the two leaders, according to government spokesman Chai Watcharong.
The visit to the Thai-Malaysian border is a continuation of Srettha’s official trip to Malaysia on October 11 this year, Chai said. During that visit, the two leaders had agreed to promote border trade, address congestion issues at the Sadao checkpoint, construct new border links between the Sadao checkpoint and Malaysia's Bukit Kayu Hitam checkpoint, and collaborate on other areas for more substantial progress.
Both parties aim to strengthen cooperation in all aspects, particularly in trade, investment, and people-to-people relations, Chai said.
Malaysia is Thailand’s fourth largest trade partner and the largest trading partner within ASEAN.
The two leaders are targeting bilateral trade valued at US$30 billion by 2025. Border trade between Thailand and Malaysia accounted for 31.76% of Thailand's total border trade in 2022, with a value of 336.12 billion baht. Most of this trade passes through the customs checkpoints of Sadao, Padang Besar, Betong, and Sungai Kolok. Additionally, in 2022, Malaysia had the highest number of tourists visiting Thailand, totalling over 2.9 million visitors, the highest among foreign tourists, solidifying Malaysia's significant and multifaceted relationship with Thailand, Chai said.
The meeting of the Thai and Malaysian prime ministers at the Sadao border checkpoint reflects the mutual agreement of both governments to prioritise the development of the Thai-Malaysian border area, facilitating convenience, enhancing connectivity in travel, and making border trade between the two more efficient, Chai said.
This would directly benefit the people in terms of trade, investment, tourism, economy, and various socio-cultural exchanges, Chai added.
