Relationship dossier
Saudi Arabia
Thailand
Relationship assessment
Saudi Arabia and Thailand restored full diplomatic relations in 2022 after decades of serious strain
Saudi Arabia toward Thailand
+25Saudi Arabia sharply downgraded relations with Thailand and restricted travel and labor ties after the Blue Diamond Affair and the murders of Saudi diplomats in Thailand. In 2022, the Saudi government restored full diplomatic relations and agreed to expand bilateral cooperation.
Thailand toward Saudi Arabia
+25Thailand's government pursued normalization with Saudi Arabia, culminating in the restoration of full diplomatic relations in 2022 and agreements to expand cooperation, including on labor and economic ties. Earlier disputes over the Blue Diamond Affair and the murders of Saudi diplomats had severely strained relations.
Overall relationship
+25The relationship combines a prolonged rupture over unresolved criminal and diplomatic disputes with a significant 2022 normalization and renewed agreements for cooperation. The restoration of full diplomatic relations and planned expansion of ties support a cooperative assessment, while the severity and duration of the earlier breakdown temper it.
How to read these scores
Scores are rough judgments, not objective measurements or current verification. Directional scores describe government policy and conduct, not public opinion. The overall score is an independent estimate, never an average.
- −100
- Extreme sustained hostility
- −50
- Substantially adversarial
- 0
- Mixed or neutral, supported by knowledge
- +50
- Substantially cooperative
- +100
- Exceptionally close sustained partnership
“Not assessed” means there is no recorded score. Pair existence makes no claim about diplomatic recognition or established relations.
Relationship context
Overview
Saudi-Thai relations were severely strained for decades after the Blue Diamond Affair and the murders of Saudi diplomats in Thailand. In 2022, the governments restored full diplomatic relations and agreed to expand cooperation, including on labor and economic ties. The normalization marked a substantial improvement, although the earlier disputes remain a defining feature of the relationship.
Areas of tension
- The Blue Diamond Affair and the return of stolen jewels
- The murders of Saudi diplomats in Thailand and related unresolved investigations
Key developments
Saudi Arabia and Thailand restored full diplomatic relations after decades of strained ties.
The governments agreed to expand cooperation, including on labor and economic ties.
Major uncertainties
- The extent to which the 2022 cooperation agreements have been implemented is unclear.
- The status of unresolved issues stemming from the Blue Diamond Affair and the murders of Saudi diplomats is unclear.