National —
On October 8th, 2024, Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra expressed her satisfaction following her first official visit to the Lao People’s Democratic Republic (Lao PDR).
She was warmly welcomed and held key discussions with top Lao leaders, including Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone, President Thongloun Sisoulith, and National Assembly President Saysomphone Phomvihane.
This was her first foreign trip since becoming Thailand’s 31st Prime Minister.
The talks between Thailand and Laos focused on advancing cooperation in five key areas: drug trafficking, call centers and online scams, human trafficking, cross-border haze pollution, and the management of water resources in the Mekong River, according to Thai national media.
Paetongtarn stressed the need for ongoing collaboration and tasked related agencies to form working groups and hold continuous meetings. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs was assigned to monitor progress on all fronts.
