Cambodian leader Hun Sen visits Thailand as tensions thaw

ABC | 18 December 2015

 

Photo: Hun Sen's visit to Thailand is his first in a decade (Reuters, file photo)

Cambodia's Prime Minister Hun Sen arrives in Thailand on Friday for an official visit that marks a thawing in relations between the two neighbours.

Hun Sen will spend two days in Bangkok and is scheduled to meet the leader of Thailand's military government, Prayuth Chan-ocha, for talks on border issues, agriculture, trade and investment, and regional connectivity.

It is Hun Sen's first visit to Thailand in a decade and follows a challenging period for diplomatic relations.

In 2008, 2009 and 2011 the two nations exchanged gunfire and artillery shells over the ownership of Preah Vihear temple on their shared border, with soldiers killed on both sides and the World Heritage-listed temple damaged in the fighting.

Hun Sen's decision to appoint ousted Thai leader Thaksin Shinawatra as an advisor also irked the Thai leadership of the day.

During his official visit, Hun Sen is expected to sign Memorandums of Understanding on labour and border issues. 

Illegal migration and the exploitation of Cambodian workers in Thailand are ongoing problems.

Hun Sen will deliver a keynote address on investment in Cambodia at the Thailand-Cambodia Business Forum.

On Saturday the self-styled "strongman" of Cambodian politics will take part in the second Thailand-Cambodia Joint Cabinet Retreat.

The visit is part of celebrations of 65 years of diplomatic relations between Thailand and Cambodia.