Ministry spokesman Maj-General Thanathip Sawangsaeng said that Phumtham welcomed his Malaysian counterpart, Mohamed Khaled bin Nordin, at the ministry headquarters in Bangkok’s Phra Nakhon district.
Phumtham lauded the development of Thailand-Malaysia diplomatic relationship over the past 68 years.
He thanked Malaysia for welcoming Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra on her visit to Putrajaya on December 16 last year, confirming that Thai public agencies are working on such a meeting outcome to further strengthen ties between two countries.
Among the meeting outcomes is an effort to promote peace in Thai southernmost provinces (Pattani, Yala and Narathiwat), aiming to ensure the quality of life for the people of Thailand and Malaysia.
He added that the outcomes from the PM’s visit to Malaysia were included in the Thailand-Malaysia General Border Committee (GBC) meeting to ensure tangible results, especially in addressing floods on the Thailand-Malaysia border.
Meanwhile, Phumtham told the press after presiding over the Thailand-Malaysia GBC meeting at Royal Orchid Sheraton Hotel in Bang Rak district that the meeting covered bilateral cooperation in many issues, especially on challenges facing ASEAN due to Trump’s policies.
Regarding the impact of Trump cutting off medical treatment assistance to immigrants on the Thai-Myanmar border, he confirmed that discussions on humanitarian assistance should be held.
He affirmed that Thailand and Malaysia still wanted to promote peace in ASEAN, saying all parties in the region had good relationships. The principle of peace and patience should be used to tackle conflicts, he said.
Phumtham added that the Thai and Malaysian defence ministries had discussed several collaborations, such as impact on students due to Malaysia’s border closure.
He lauded Malaysia for its ASEAN chairmanship this year, saying that Thailand is ready to support Malaysia in dealing with regional issues. He also thanked Malaysia for its support in promoting peace in Thai southernmost provinces.
Issues in Thai southernmost provinces is an important topic that two countries should discuss in order to restore peace, he added.