A Beatles classic and a Bob Dylan anthem set the tone for a diplomatic moment in Bangkok as Thailand’s Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul and Singapore’s Prime Minister Lawrence Wong shared the stage for a performance during the Singapore-Thailand Leaders’ Retreat.
“Prime Minister Anutin and I had very candid and productive discussions today. The video of the leaders’ performance drew a warm response online, with users viewing the moment as a positive display of diplomacy. During their discussions, the leaders reviewed bilateral relations and explored cooperation in areas including food and energy security, artificial intelligence, emerging technologies, connectivity, fintech and the digital economy. Our bilateral relations are in excellent shape.
The two countries also agreed to coordinate more closely as they prepare to hold the ASEAN chairmanship in 2027 and 2028 respectively.
Another commented, “This is what diplomacy looks like,” while another said they were excited to see “musical politicians. And it is underpinned by a high degree of trust and rapport at the leadership level as well as strong institutional ties between our two countries,” Wong said. The leaders said they would work together on a multi-year agenda aimed at maintaining continuity between the two chairmanships.
