DUBAI: Friendships between Saudi Arabia and Thailand, which have been plagued by the Blue Diamond issue since 1989 for the past 30 years, have been renewed by the visit of Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan Oocha to Saudi Arabia. Saudi Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who held talks with Thai Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, has forgotten the old enmity and agreed to promote economic, security and political activities between the two countries, Saudi government officials said in a statement.
Earlier, the Saudi government banned Thai Muslims from coming to Mecca for the Hajj pilgrimage, after a Thai gatekeeper who worked at the Saudi prince’s palace looted a 50-carat blue diamond worth Rs 150 crore from there. Three Saudi government officials have been shot dead in Bangkok for demanding the return of a diamond. So far no one was arrested for the shooting. The Thai government, which has now apologized for the wrongdoing, has promised a proper investigation into the 1989-90 killings.