Permanent Secretary held a virtual meeting with Secretary-General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Malaysia to discuss ways to advance bilateral cooperation amidst COVID-19 including border connectivity and consular assistance for Thai and Malaysian nationals affected by COVID-19, as well as to strengthen cooperation within ASEAN.

On 22 January 2021, H.E. Mr. Thani Thongphakdi, Permanent Secretary for Foreign Affairs of Thailand, held a virtual introductory call with H.E. Dato' Sri Muhammad Shahrul Ikram Yaakob, Secretary General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Malaysia.

The two sides discussed ways to maintain momentum in the bilateral relations and further enhance bilateral cooperation in the face of the COVID-19 challenges. The Thai side reaffirmed its readiness to host the 14th Meeting of the Thailand - Malaysia Joint Commission for Bilateral Cooperation (JC) and the 5th Ministerial Meeting of the Joint Development Strategy for Border Areas (JDS) this year. The two sides agreed to work towards achieving progress in pending cross-border connectivity projects in order to stimulate economic activities between both countries, and in border security cooperation, while continuing to assist each other in the repatriation of nationals affected by the COVID-19 situation. They also discussed cooperation between Thailand and Malaysia within ASEAN and other international fora.