On 27 June 2019, Mr. Damrong Kraikruan, Deputy Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, handed over the contribution of THB 600,000 from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to Mr. Sutham Boonmalert, representative of the Sheikhul Islam of Thailand. The contribution will be used to support the work of the Sheikhul Islam of Thailand, in his capacity as the Amirul Hajj of Thailand for the year 2019 (A.H. 1440).  

On this occasion, the Deputy Permanent Secretary inquired about the Thai pilgrims who will be traveling to Saudi Arabia to prepare for the Hajj at the beginning of July 2019. He also reaffirmed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ support not only to the Hajj related activities, which the Ministry has been contributing since 2009, but also other activities of Muslim communities in Thailand. Representative of the Sheikhul Islam of Thailand expressed appreciation for the continued support rendered by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs including assistance and facilitation provided to Thai pilgrims traveling to perform Hajj in Saudi Arabia.

The Secretary of the Sheikhul Islam of Thailand expressed concern over the welfare and safety of Thai students in Sudan amidst the unrest situation in Sudan. In this regard, the Deputy Permanent Secretary informed the Secretary of the Sheikhul Islam of Thailand that the Royal Thai Embassy in Cairo, which covers Sudan, has been closely monitoring the situation. The Thai Ambassador to Egypt traveled to Khartoum, Sudan, to assess the severity of the situation and held discussions with relevant agencies such as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Sudan, Universities, and Thai Honorary Consulate in Sudan to prepare for an emergency evacuation. The Thai Ambassador also held a meeting with Thai students to establish a networking group between the students and the Thai Honorary Consulate in Sudan.

Both sides have agreed to support Thai Muslim students who are studying abroad, especially in the Middle East, to acquire additional skills such as third language and vocational training.

As member in the Committee on the Promotion of Hajj Affairs of Thailand, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has been coordinating with relevant authorities from both the Thai and Saudi sides to facilitate visa applications of Thai pilgrims. The Royal Thai Consulate in Jeddah has also been tasked to liaise with local authorities to facilitate Thai pilgrims taking part in the annual Hajj in 2019 (A.H. 1440). This year, there are a total of 8,462 Thai pilgrims traveling to perform Hajj in Saudi Arabia.