Thai PM To Visit Malaysia, Jointly Officiate New Road With Anwar

KUALA LUMPUR, July 8 (NNN) -- Thailand’s Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul will undertake a two-day official visit to Malaysia beginning Thursday, with border connectivity and agriculture among the key areas of discussion to advance bilateral cooperation.

The visit, Anutin's first since his reappointment as prime minister in March 2026, is at the invitation of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

Anutin will be accompanied by his spouse Thananon Charnvirakul as well as ministers and senior government officials.

The Malaysian Foreign Ministry said that upon his arrival on Thursday, Anutin will be accorded an official welcoming ceremony at the Bunga Raya Complex, followed by a bilateral meeting with Anwar at the Perdana Putra, during which the two leaders are expected to review the progress of Malaysia-Thailand bilateral relations.

“During the bilateral meeting, the two leaders are expected to discuss ways to further strengthen cooperation across a broad range of areas, including trade and investment, border connectivity, security, agriculture, tourism, education, and people-to-people exchanges,” the ministry said in a statement on Wednesday.

The leaders will also exchange views on regional and international developments of mutual interest, particularly within the framework of ASEAN and other regional mechanisms.

The two leaders will also witness the signing and exchange of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on agricultural cooperation highlighting a commitment by both countries to tighten collaboration in agriculture.

Anwar will also host a luncheon in honour of Anutin and his delegation at the Seri Perdana Complex.

On Friday, Anwar and Anutin are scheduled to officiate the opening of a road linking the Immigration, Customs, Quarantine, and Security (ICQS) Complex in Bukit Kayu Hitam, Malaysia, and the Customs, Immigration, and Quarantine (CIQ) Complex in Sadao, Thailand. They will be accompanied by Cabinet ministers, deputy ministers, and senior government officials of both countries. 

Anutin’s visit is part of an exchange of visits at the leaders’ level between the two countries, following Anwar’s working visit to Bangkok on April 17 last year and former Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra’s visit to Kuala Lumpur on December 16, 2024.

“This visit further reflects the warm and enduring friendship between the two nations as close neighbours and fellow member states of ASEAN,” the statement added.

In 2025, Thailand was Malaysia’s sixth largest trading partner globally and second largest among ASEAN member states, with total trade amounting to RM118.57 billion (US$27.73 billion).

From January to March 2026, bilateral trade between the two countries reached RM31.33 billion (US$7.90 billion), compared with RM27.35 billion (US$6.15 billion) during the corresponding period in 2025.

-- NNN-BERNAMA