Malaysia to continue facilitating peace talks in Thai far South

KUALA LUMPUR, December 1 (TNA) - Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-ocha has confirmed that Thailand wants Malaysia to continue facilitating peace talks with insurgency movements in the Thai far South. Thai Government Spokesman Dr. Yongyuth Maiyalarp told journalists on Monday that the Thai prime minister made the confirmation during his talks with his Malaysian counterpart Najib Razak in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia's capital, earlier in the day. The spokesman stated both countries will, thus, discuss details of the peace process soon to ensure that it will really make progress. The spokesman said the visiting Thai prime minister also urged the acceleration of the joint border economic development zone with Malaysia, linking Sadao in Thailand's southern Songkhla Province with Padang Besar in Malaysia's Perlis State. Besides, the Thai premier stressed on Thailand's support for Malaysia's roles as the chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council (UNSC) in 2015. According to the spokesman, the Thai prime minister also suggested that both countries exchange their investment in each other's land, while both sides also agreed to increase the value of bilateral trade from 800 billion baht in 2013 to 1 trillion baht in 2015 and to cooperate on their tourism promotion. The spokesman quoted the Malaysian prime minister as saying to support the special economic zone idea and railway and road connectivity, which may later be extended to India and China. Accompanied by his entourage, the Thai prime minister is scheduled to return home on Monday evening, ending his one-day official visit to neighboring Malaysia. (TNA)