Laos feels no resentment about the visit to Vientiane tomorrow of Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, which breaks with the tradition of selecting the northeastern neighbour as the first stop in an Asean sojourn.
Thai government leaders have, since the 1990s, picked Laos as the first visit for self-introduction, to send the message to Vientiane that the country is at the top of Thailand's foreign policy agenda. The strategy is in line with Thailand's attempts to strengthen diplomatic and economic ties with a country that remains culturally close to the kingdom. Most foreign aid from Thailand has been funnelled into Laos for its development, and Laos is projected to become a main electricity supplier to Thailand to help the latter cope with rising demand for electricity in the long term.
Ms Yingluck's predecessor, Abhisit Vejjajiva, broke with tradition by going to Cambodia first. But that was understandable, as soured relations over ex-premier Thaksin Shinawatra and the Preah Vihear temple issue forced Mr Abhisit to try unsuccessfully to mend fences with the Cambodian government led by Prime Minister Hun Sen.
The visit to Laos comes on the fourth leg of Ms Yingluck's Southeast Asian trip, following Brunei last Saturday, Indonesia on Monday and Cambodia today, to introduce herself as Thailand's new leader to colleagues in the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations. Her alphabetical pick over the traditional schedule led her to Brunei in what was a coincidence, as the oil-rich country had hosted Thaksin on some occasions ahead of the general election in July, from where he sent his political messages to Pheu Thai Party members and supporters in Thailand.
Placing Laos fourth instead of the first stop cannot be interpreted as Thailand's focus on foreign policy shifting from the immediate neighbour to other countries in the region. "Laos understands the political situation in Thailand," a Lao government official said when asked about Ms Yingluck's trip to Brunei.
Laos closely follows what happens in Thailand and makes careful diplomatic moves in order not to see its national interests jeopardised by internal political conflicts in the kingdom. The country adopted a cautious position by strictly following the stance of Asean _ by neither taking sides with Thailand nor Cambodia, despite its close relations with Phnom Penh.
"One thing which makes Laos different from Cambodia is that all policies are not directed by one person. They are mapped out in a collective effort [by the inner circle of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party]," said Adisorn Semyaem, an analyst at the Institute of Asian Studies in Bangkok.
Vientiane was not happy when the People's Alliance for Democracy seized Suvarnabhumi Airport in 2008 as it directly affected the tourism industry in Laos, since the Thai airport is a gateway to Laos, Cambodia and Burma. But leaders in Vientiane kept that feeling to themselves.
That strategy was reflected even in the Pheu Thai-led government. Laos did not allow 500 Thaksin supporters wearing red from entering the country from Nong Khai province on Aug 31, until all of them changed their shirts to other colours. The incident illustrated Laos' intention not to be dragged into political problems with Thailand _ especially when the political feud has not been settled between Thaksin and Pheu Thai in one camp and their opponents in another.
Yet, one aspect that could still keep relations close between the two countries is the connection of Thaksin supporters and banned politicians who are moving behind the scenes in Pheu Thai, such as Adisorn Piangket and Jaturon Chaisaeng. These people have built relations with Laos dating back to the 1970s, when they fled the Thai government's crackdown on political activists and hid in the northeastern jungle. They also had the chance to meet Laotian communist comrades. Informal relations and personal connections will play a part in keeping Thai-Lao relations close in the government under Ms Yingluck, Mr Adisorn noted.
But the reality is that Laos' main attention is not on building closer ties with Thailand. The Lao government is concentrating on fostering closer ties with China and Vietnam. The relations are built by close political ties between the Lao Communist Party and its colleagues in the two countries and business interests. The Chinese are the top investors in Laos, followed by the Vietnamese and Thai.
Lao Prime Minister Thongsing Thammavong has yet to visit Thailand after taking the helm as government leader last December, which illustrates the policy direction of that country. "From my reading, Laos' interest is not on Thailand," Mr Adisorn said. Leaders in Vientiane are focusing their policy on China and Vietnam, the analyst added.
