On Wednesday, Thailand and Saudi Arabia announced they are resuming diplomatic relations after more than three decades. In a joint statement, Thailand’s Prime Minister and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman called it a ‘historic step’, as the two countries agreed to appoint ambassadors. The breakdown in diplomatic relations dates back to the 1989 precious gems robbery which triggered a crisis between the two countries. It was dubbed the ‘blue diamond affair’.
The ‘blue diamond affair’
Thailand’s police bungled a case in which a cleaner stole gems worth $20 million from the house of a Saudi prince in which Saudi officials accused Thai authorities of bungling the case. Saudi Arabia reportedly sent an investigator to dig up the case in 1990, but the man mysteriously vanished even when three Saudi diplomats were shot dead a year later. As a result of a lack of evidence, the murder case against the person who visited Bangkok in 2014 was dropped. The five men, including a Thai police officer, were cleared of all charges.
Where did the jewels go?
Thai authorities returned some of the jewels, but they were dismissed by Saudi authorities as fakes, so the missing jewels were never found despite allegations that Thai officers grabbed them. There was reportedly a rare 50-carat blue diamond in the gems, but it was never found.
The man who stole the gems…
The Thai national Kriangkrai Techamong who stole the jewel was sentenced to five years in prison. The jewels were sold before he was arrested. In 2016, Techamong became a monk.
Post Your Comments