Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has named Thai former premier Thaksin Shinawatra as an informal advisor for the upcoming chairmanship of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.
Mr. Anwar announced the decision during a joint press conference with Thaksin’s daughter, Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra, in Putrajaya on Monday.
Mr. Anwar stated, “I have agreed to appoint Thaksin as my informal advisor on chairing ASEAN, along with a team of members from ASEAN countries in an informal setup,” as reported by the Bernama news agency.
Malaysia is set to take over the ASEAN chairmanship next year, following the conclusion of Laos’ tenure this year.
Prime Minister Paetongtarn is concluding a two-day visit to Malaysia on Monday.
The two nations have committed to exploring ways to link their tourism promotion efforts and have pledged to accelerate actions to enhance border cooperation, as per the joint statement issued post-meeting.
In the coming year, Thailand will launch the “Amazing Thailand Grand Tourism Year” campaign, while Malaysia has earmarked 2026 as the “Visit Malaysia” year.
Despite Deputy Government Spokeswoman Sasikarn Watthanachan noting Malaysian support for Thailand’s “Six Countries, One Destination” initiative, the joint statement indicated that the proposal requires further discussion.
“The two prime ministers welcomed further discussion by officials from both countries on the ‘Six Countries, One Destination’ scheme, proposed by Thailand,” the statement read.
Thailand is advocating for a tourism scheme similar to the Schengen area in Europe, where a single visa allows travel between Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, and Brunei.
The leaders expressed hope for completing a new bridge connecting Sungai Kolok district in Narathiwat with Kelantan’s Rantau Panjang within three years and vowed to enhance cooperation on road, rail, and customs links at their borders to foster development and economic activity.
The countries also agreed to aim for a bilateral trade goal of $30 million by 2027.
Thailand has backed Malaysia’s efforts to manage the crisis in Myanmar, with Malaysia planning to establish the position of a special ASEAN envoy on Myanmar as it takes over the chairmanship from Laos.
