Bangkok: The Thai Prime Minister held discussions with Malaysia to explore joint water management approaches. The Prime Minister engaged in talks with the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Rural and Regional Development of Malaysia to enhance cooperation in areas where Thailand and Malaysia have potential, particularly in halal products, education, and drug suppression. They also discussed ways to jointly manage water resources efficiently.
According to Thai News Agency, Dato' Seri Dr. Ahmad Zahid bin Hamidi, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Rural and Regional Development of Malaysia, paid a courtesy call on Mr. Anutin Charnvirakul, Prime Minister and Minister of Home Affairs of Thailand, during his visit to Thailand to attend the 14th ASEAN Ministers Meeting on the Rural Development and Poverty Eradication and Related Meetings (AMRDPE).
Following the conclusion of the meeting, Mr. Siripong Angkasakulkiat, Spokesperson for the Prime Minister's Office, revealed the key points of the discussion. The Prime Minister welcomed and expressed his pleasure at meeting the Deputy Prime Minister of Malaysia again during his visit to Thailand to attend the 14th ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Rural Development and Poverty Eradication, which will be held from December 10-12, 2025, hosted by the Ministry of Interior. The Prime Minister expressed confidence that the meeting would be a success.
The Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister thanked the Thai Prime Minister for the warm welcome and also expressed gratitude to the Thai government for taking care of and facilitating the swift return of Malaysian tourists to their country during the flooding in southern Thailand. The Prime Minister expressed his hope that Malaysians would return to Thailand for tourism in the future. The Deputy Prime Minister believes that tourism between the two countries is recovering, with positive signs indicating that the number of flights between the two countries is returning to near-normal levels.
On this occasion, both sides exchanged views on important issues, namely the flooding situation in southern Thailand, which has affected both Thai and Malaysian citizens. The Prime Minister has visited the affected areas several times and emphasized that the government is urgently providing full assistance to all groups of people to mitigate the impact of the flooding. They also agreed that Thailand and Malaysia should enhance cooperation in integrating effective water management, which will help prevent and reduce potential damage in the future.
Furthermore, both sides agreed that Thailand and Malaysia have significant potential to further enhance cooperation, particularly in the export of halal products, where the halal market is currently experiencing continuous growth. In education, discussions were held regarding vocational student exchange programs and the exchange of knowledge and technology. Regarding security, cooperation in combating drug trafficking was discussed to find concrete solutions to the problem together.