KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 23 — Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim today congratulated real estate mogul Srettha Thavisin on being elected the new prime minister of Thailand.

Anwar said he also invited Srettha to visit the country in the near future to strengthen ties between Malaysia and Thailand in various fields.

"Hopefully the relationship between Malaysia and Thailand will continue to be strengthened for mutual benefit,” he posted on his Facebook page today, which was accompanied by a video clip showing Anwar’s conversation with Srettha.

In the video clip, Srettha also expressed hope to further strengthen bilateral ties between the two countries and hoped to meet Anwar soon.

"We look forward to a much stronger relationship between the two countries,” he said.

Yesterday, the 60-year-old Srettha was elected as Thailand’s new prime minister, the first civilian prime minister in over nine years.

His victory also put an end to the three-month political impasse, opening the door for a new coalition government. — Bernama