Saudi-Thai relations | 8.06.05

Some of you may have missed this item last week in the Bangkok Post’s business section.

Thailand, Saudi Arabia set to resume direct air link

If you’re surprised there are currently no direct flights between the two countries, be assured that many Thais probably are, too. We have chronically short memories. Let’s read on, then:

Thailand and Saudi Arabia are moving to re-establish the first direct commercial air services between the two countries in more than a decade in an early sign of restoring their relationship severed by the Saudi gems scandal.

Gems scandal? Yes, big time. You’ll find some details about that further down the article:

The affair began when Kriangkrai Techamong, a Thai cleaner, stole jewellery and valuables worth 500 million baht from the palace of Prince Faisal and escaped to his Lampang home. Thai police retrieved most of the stolen valuables and returned them to Saudi Arabia.

But why? It looks like the Thai police performed surprisingly well in this case, doesn’t it? No so fast:

However, the Saudi palace found the main piece of jewellery, the ”Blue Diamond”, was fake.

To be sure, the stone was recovered from the wretched small-time thief. But just then the professionals got busy.

Together with the murders of Saudi diplomats (which are likely even more compelling to the Saudis but are unmentioned in the Post) and the disappearance of a Saudi businessman, this resulted in our diplomatic relations being downgraded to the chargé d’affaires level. Also, Thais are no longer granted work visas to the country that for our low-skilled workers was once synonymous with “abroad”. Three strikes and you’re out. (Ironically, Israel is now a major host to Thai workers — 24,000 of them, according to Thailand’s Foreign Ministry.)

Now that things seem to have finally bottomed out between the two kingdoms, perhaps the Saudis will soon start curbing finance for Wahhabism in Thailand? Hah! I’ll give that as much chance as their getting the Blue Diamond back.

PS This whole episode didn’t hold back our so-called journalists and academics from echoing Bin Laden’s accusation that America and the West (isn’t it the same white folk, anyway?) “steal” oil from Saudi Arabia. The last time I encounter this outrageous meme was in an opinion piece in Matichon by a Chula professor. Crude oil was then trading above 40 dollars a barrel.

12:40 ▪ politics

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1

Killerbee 8.08.05

Thai history seems to have been more accurate decades ago than what we can expect to see in Thai history books 10 years from now. But what I do know that won’t be in Thai history books is the infestation of Thailand with those reject rebels in the Thai media. Hell, most of those people aren’t even Thai and most of the names in the Thai media today don’t sound Thai at all!

2

Killerbee 8.08.05

Oh forgot to shout out that those people are damm ugly too!