Thai PM to travel to Malaysia for ceasefire deal, but won’t attend Apec summit after royal death 

KUALA LUMPUR - Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul on Oct 25 said he would travel to Malaysia for the

signing of a ceasefire deal

with Cambodia.

He told reporters he would be in Kuala Lumpur to sign the deal on Oct 26 and would return to Thailand afterwards, following the death of the kingdom’s former queen Sirikit on Oct 24.

He also said he would not attend next week’s Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) summit.

Sirikit, mother of King Maha Vajiralongkorn and wife of the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej, Thailand’s longest-reigning monarch who spent 70 years on the throne,

died on Oct 24 at the age of 93.

Asean foreign ministers are meeting on Oct 25 to start a weekend of global diplomacy in the Malaysian capital, with teams from the US and China holding trade talks alongside the summit.

Mr Trump is due to arrive in Kuala Lumpur on the morning of Oct 26, on the first stop of his trip through Asia, and was set to watch Cambodia and Thailand sign a broader ceasefire deal after he

helped broker an end to a deadly five-day border conflict in July.

A Thai government spokesperson had initially said there would be a discussion on how to proceed with the ceasefire ceremony and whether another official would sign the agreement after Mr Anutin cancelled his trip on Oct 25.

Thai news outlet The Nation reported sources as indicating that Mr Anutin will now attend the Asean Summit on Oct 26.

Another Thai news outlet, the Bangkok Post, reported that requests have been made to reschedule the signing ceremony. However, if the US is unable to accommodate the change, Foreign Minister Sihasak Phuangketkeow will be tasked with signing the peace deal on Mr Anutin’s behalf. REUTERS, THE NATION/ASIA NEWS NETWORK