On 11 September 2026, H.E. Ms. Lada Phumas, Ambassador of Thailand to Malaysia, led the Malaysian parliamentary delegation on a courtesy call on Assoc. Prof. Dr. Pakorn Priyakorn, Academic Dignitary Commission to the Sheikhul Islam of Thailand, representing H.E. Mr. Arun Boonchom, Sheikhul Islam of Thailand. Both sides exchanged information and views on the role of Islam and Muslim communities in the multicultural societies of Thailand and Malaysia, the application of Islamic law, economic development and connectivity between Southern Thailand and Northern Malaysia, as well as ways to promote interfaith understanding and peaceful coexistence. The discussion contributed to a better understanding of Thailand’s multicultural society and the longstanding bonds between the peoples of Thailand and Malaysia, underpinned by religious and cultural ties.

The delegation then visited the Baan Paklad Muslim Community in Samut Prakan Province and the Chalerm Raj Muslim-Malay Cultural Centre of Baan Paklad, where they received briefings from Mr. Banchong Bingasan, Chairman of the Islamic Education Programme for Interested Persons, Santichon Foundation; Mr. Sumit Arjhan, Chairman of the Cultural Centre; and Mr. Musoddik Sasananan, Imam of Daros-aadah Mosque. The briefings covered the history of the community, traces of Muslim-Malay settlement, and the preservation of identity and culture through longstanding family ties connecting communities in Thailand and Malaysia. These linkages reflect the people-to-people dimension of Thailand - Malaysia relations, rooted in shared historical, religious, and cultural ties, which continue to connect the peoples of both countries today.

The delegation also undertook a study visit to Ton Son Mosque (Kudi Yai), a historic mosque situated along Bangkok Yai Canal in the Thonburi area and founded during the Ayutthaya period. The delegation received briefings from Mr. Sarawut Sriwannayot, Imam of Ton Son Mosque, and Mr. Sorayut Chuenpakdee, Khatib of the Mosque, on the history of the mosque; the Muslim community’s relations with the royal court and its role in the development of the country from the Ayutthaya and Thonburi periods to the Rattanakosin era; the coexistence of communities of diverse religious and cultural backgrounds; and the mosque’s architecture, which incorporates Thai artistic influences. The visit provided the delegation with a deeper understanding of the longstanding roots of Muslim communities in Thai society, as well as the diversity and peaceful coexistence within Thailand’s multicultural society, which have formed an integral part of the country’s historical development.

In the evening, Mrs. Patsee Permvongsenee, Executive Director of ASEAN, South Asia and South Pacific Region, Tourism Authority of Thailand, hosted a dinner reception in honour of the delegation. Both sides exchanged information and views on ways to promote tourism between Thailand and Malaysia with a view to strengthening people-to-people relations.