A three-decade freeze in inter-realm relations over stolen jewels and an ugly spate of murders appears to have thawed with Thailand and Saudi Arabia formerly resuming diplomatic relations.
Trade and economic alliances are expected to be rebuilt renew, and already Saudi Airlines announced this morning that direct flights to the Land of Smiles would open after Prime Minister Prayuth “Peacemaker” Chan-ocha traveled on a diplomatic mission to the oil-rich kingdom where he concluded two days of VVIP meetings with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman yesterday.
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“The visit comes amid consultations that led to bringing views closer on issues of common interest,” the Saudi Foreign Affairs Ministry said in a highly couched statement.
Saudi state media reported that ambassadors would be appointed as part of the full restoration of ties.
Prayuth used the power of friendship to restore what had been interminable bad feels with the erstwhile royal ally ever since the 1989 theft of gems from the House of Saud.
Known as the Blue Diamond Affair, over USD$20 million worth of jewels including a 50 carat blue diamond were stolen by a Thai janitor working in a Saudi prince’s palace. He shipped them home to Lampang province and tried to sell them. Long story short, after Thai authorities got involved and shipped the jewels back home, the Saudis found many were forged, and the blue diamond missing.
They also noticed a number of very similar looking jewels started appearing in photos worn by Thailand’s most powerful wives. Things turned even uglier after three Saudi diplomats and a friend of its royal family dispatched to investigate were murdered in Thailand.
After three decades of the Saudis freezing out Thailand, perhaps a little murder among friends is more palatable under the crown prince, who the United States says personally orchestrated the 2018 murder of Washington Post writer Jamal Khashoggi.
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