BANGKOK: Tourism promotion and cross-border pollution were among the topics discussed when Paetongtarn Shinawatra and Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet sat down for a chat on Monday (March 18).

Paetongtarn, leader of the ruling Pheu Thai Party, arrived in the Cambodian capital on Monday afternoon to a warm welcome from Cambodian Minister of Civil Services Hun Many.

Her visit comes two weeks after former Cambodian PM Hun Sen, who is currently the leader of the ruling Cambodian People’s Party, met former PM Thaksin Shinawatra.

Thaksin, whose eight-year sentence was reduced to one year, is now out on parole.

At the meeting, the young politician explained that her aim was to strengthen ties between the ruling parties of both countries, as she congratulated Hun Manet for taking the top job after his father.

Paetongtarn, who also serves as chairperson of the National Soft Power Strategy Committee, brought up mechanisms to boost tourism in both countries, as they are culturally connected.

She also mentioned the Asean Drive Tourism project, initiated by Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin at the Asean Summit in September.

The initiative follows the concept of “6 Countries One Destination”, aiming to boost tourism in Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, Vietnam, and Myanmar.

In addition to this, the two leaders discussed measures to resolve the cross-border pollution problem and agreed to set up a centre devoted to dealing with hot spots.

Thaksin and Hun Sen are reportedly close, with their friendship going back several decades.

In 2009, Hun Sen appointed Thaksin as his government adviser, three years after the Thai leader was ousted in a military coup. Cambodia, under the helm of Hun Sen, also rejected then-PM Abhisit Vejjajiva’s demand for Thaksin’s extradition.

In 2023, Thaksin attended a gala event celebrating Hun Sen’s birthday. Also present was Thaksin’s younger sister Yingluck Shinawatra, whose government was ousted by the military in 2014. - The Nation/ANN