The leader of Thailand’s ruling Pheu Thai Party, Paetongtarn Shinawatra, also known as Ung Ing, paid a two-day visit to Cambodia to meet with her Cambodian counterpart and other leaders, with both sides vowing to strengthen their relationship. 

During her March 18 visit, Paetongtarn met with Prime Minister Hun Manet, National Assembly acting president Cheam Yeap and Senate president Say Chhum, as well as Minister of Civil Service Hun Many and former Prime Minister Hun Sen, now chair of the Supreme Privy Council to the King.

Paetongtarn – the youngest daughter of former embattled Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra – was invited by Hun Sen, who remains president of the ruling Cambodian People’s Party (CPP), as he paid a call on Thaksin at his home in western Bangkok on February 21, following his release from a military hospital where he spent six months in detention after 15 years of self-exile.

“This visit to Cambodia was a meeting at the political party level, which aimed to strengthen the relationship between the Pheu Thai Party and the CPP,” said Pheu Thai via social media. 

It explained that the party is “fully committed to working with the party of Hun Sen and the government of Hun Manet to strengthen Thailand-Cambodia relations even further”.

Paetongtarn discussed guidelines for the use of various mechanisms which exist to promote contact between the peoples of the neighbouring kingdoms, especially in the areas of economy, trade, investment, culture and tourism. 

The post explained that Paetongtarn and Manet also discussed ways to solve the PM2.5 air quality within the ASEAN region, through party-to-party cooperation. 

On cultural cooperation, the statement said: “Thailand and Cambodia have both cultural and historical links that can be combined to make tourism in the region more effective and attractive to Thais, Cambodians and foreigners alike.”

During Paetongtarn’s meeting with the NA’s Yeap, the latter noted that the visit will bring the relationship between the two ruling parties closer, while also strengthening relations between the parliaments of the two ASEAN neighbours, for the mutual benefit of both peoples. 

Paetongtarn updated Yeap on the current situation in Thailand, which is currently governed by a Pheu Thai-led coalition which is preserving peace and improving the economy. She believes the two kingdoms will maintain their peaceful relations, contributing to economic development, said an NA statement. 

“Paetongtarn mentioned the long relations between the CPP and Pheu Thai, noting that it must be nurtured into the future,” it added.

During the meeting, Yeap suggested that Cambodia and Thailand improve the efficiency of the tourism corridor to ease the flow of tourists crossing between the two countries, especially through the “Two Kingdoms, One Destination” initiative. Paetongtarn shared her support for Yeap’s suggestion, the NA reported.

According to Yeap, the leaders of both countries often exchange visits, both for bilateral and multilateral talks.

He added that Thai NA president Wan Muhamad Noor Matha is planning a visit to Cambodia from March 21-23. 

Relations between the two countries have also been made closer through parliament systems such as the Young Parliamentarians of the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly and the Digital Assembly.

Yeap highlighted that the relationship between the two nations has progressed well, with its upgrading to a “strategic partnership” as testament. 

He also noted the mutual support between the CPP and Pheu Thai across various platforms, such as the International Conference of Asian Political Parties (ICAPP) and the International Parliament for Tolerance and Peace (IPTP).

Kin Phea, director of the Royal Academy of Cambodia’s International Relations Institute, opined that both sides need to strengthen relations within the framework of political strategies and the field of security. 

“Their excellent relationship provides mutual benefits and support for countering the activities of [outlawed] opposition forces, especially in terms of strengthening border security and reducing cross-border crimes like human trafficking,” he said.

“The economy and trade are also important. Cambodia imports many products from Thailand, while Thailand employs a lot of Cambodian migrant workers,” he added. 

He believes that when it comes to strategic issues, the two kingdoms need one another. 

“In the face of geopolitical rivalry between superpowers, neither side could take the other as an enemy. When the two faced off militarily in 2008 and 2011, the result was that both sides lost,” he said.

Phea suggested that the leaders of the two nations meet more often to find solutions to any remaining challenges, such as indecisive border issues or “cultural clashes” between the two peoples.