Friendly soccer match – A stepping stone to better Thai-Saudi relations?

Thailand’s national soccer squad coached by former England midfielder Peter Reid left for Saudi Arabia on Thursday to play a friendly match with the Saudis this Saturday. To be known here that downgraded its diplomatic links with Bangkok in 1989 angered by the unresolved killing of diplomats in the Thai capital and stolen royal gems. It even refused to send a member of the royal family to attend the celebrations marking revered Thai King Bhumibol Adulyadej’s 60 years on the throne in 2006. The invitation from Riyadh lights some hope of reviving the lost ties.

“The Saudis have invited us for a warm-up match and we hope this friendship could be expanded into other areas,” Thai FA president Worawi Makudi told Reuters.

“It will be a historic match after our ties were strained nearly 20 years ago,” Worawi, also an adviser to Foreign Minister Sompong Amornvivat, was quoted as saying this week by a Thai newspaper.

“This could be a good basis to build on the relationship in other ways,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Tharit Charungvat said.

Going back to the history four Saudi Arabian embassy employees, including two diplomats, were gunned down in Bangkok in 1989 after which Riyadh called back its ambassador. Days later a Thai worker in the Arab state stole jewellery worth $20 million from the Saudi royal family. Before these cases could be solved, a prominent Saudi businessman went missing in Thailand, prompting the Saudi government to halt issuing visas to Thais wanting to work in Saudi Arabia. When the jewellary was eventually returned, an outraged Saudia Arabia said only 25 percent of it was genuine.

Saudi Arabia is still Bangkok’s top crude oil supplier and Bangkok has continuously tried to improve relations with Riyadh without much response from the latter.