IRAK DIE WIEGE DER ZIVILISATION

LE MONDE THAILAND
Arthayudh Srisamoot
“We’re aiming to strengthen our
position as the connectivity hub of South-East Asia”
Interview: Petra Stix
INFO
Ambassador Arthayudh Srisamoot about his government’s plans for the economic
future of Thailand and the potential synergies between Austria and Thailand from
a business point of view.
Thailand is South-East Asia’s second-largest economy.
In 2012 it was described by the World Bank as “one of the
great development success stories”. After the political
turmoil of the past few years, what are the prospects for the
future from a business viewpoint?
Thailand has long been one of the widely-cited
development success stories, with its strategic location
at the heart of South-East Asia and strong economic
fundamentals in the agriculture, industrial
and service sectors, and an impressive record of poverty
reduction. The country’s economy has also experienced
a number of setbacks, however, including
the severe flooding in 2011 and the political turmoil
of the recent years. Despite these factors, the Thai
economy is fundamentally strong, based on a range
of agricultural products, extensive manufacturing
capacity in the automotive, electronics and chemicals,
and petro-chemical sectors, and health services
and tourism sectors. The Thai economy is projected
to grow by 3.0-3.5 percent in 2015, underpinned by
factors such as improved exports, revival in tourism,
increasing private investment, a stable political environment,
and forecast improvement of the global
economy.
How would you define Thailand’s role in the global arena?
Thailand has always been an active and responsible
member of the global community. The Association
of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) was
established by the “Bangkok Declaration” in 1967.
In 1996 Thailand convened the first Asia-Europe
Summit –ASEM. Thailand has placed great
emphasis on all aspects of the work of the United
Nations – peace and security, human rights and
development. Since 1950 over 20.000 Thai military
and police personnel have proudly served in more
than 20 peacekeeping and related missions of the
UN. Regarding human rights, we have worked
tirelessly with the international community to
protect and promote human rights both at home
and worldwide. We served in the Human Rights
Council from 2010-2013, where we were entrusted
with the Presidency of the Council in 2010-2011.
Thailand is also chairing the Commission on
Narcotics Drugs (CND) in 2015. Concerning development,
we have actively participated in the
global discussion on the Post-2015 Development
Agenda and sustainable development goals
through hosting a number of regional and
PHOTOS: UNAMID, TOURISM AUTHORITY OF THAILAND
FOTOS: XYXXYXYXY
international meetings. At present, we are actively
campaigning for our candidature for non-permanent
membership in the UN Security Council for the
term 2017-2018. We believe that our experiences
and track record in the UN can demonstrate that we
are able to make positive contributions in strengthening
global peace and security. Our candidature has
been endorsed by all ASEAN Member States.
How would you describe the current relationship between
Thailand and Austria?
Thailand and Austria have long enjoyed close and
cordial relations. The relationship between the two
countries began 150 years ago, when consular relations
were formally established in 1865 and the
Treaty of Friendship, Commerce and Navigation was
signed in 1869. Thailand and Austria have developed
close and mutually beneficial cooperation in the intervening
years, in a wide range of political, economic,
social and cultural fields, as well as through
tools such as academic cooperation. Most importantly,
Thailand cherishes the close ties that have developed
between the two countries through tourism
and business relations.
What are the most promising economic relations between
the two countries?
Austria is an important trading partner for
Thailand, ranking 10th among all European Union
Member States. Trading volume between the two
countries is gradually increasing, but there remains
plenty of potential for further growth. I hope that
Austrian companies will invest more in Thailand in
areas such as health and medical technologies,
waste water management, alternative and renewable
energies and infrastructure - Austria is an acknowledged
expert in all these areas. Tourism is another
growth area which deserves to be explored further.
Thailand is one of the world’s top 10 tourist destinations;
Austria is one of Europe’s top 10 destinations.
What potential synergies do you think the countries could
have in the area of tourism?
More than 24 million tourists visited Thailand in
2014, a fact of which the country is immensely
proud. Over 100,000 of these visitors were from
Austria. Austria and Thailand can definitely create
synergies in health and eco-tourism, develop strong
medical networks and services, and exploit their respective
cultural heritages.
Thai Peacekeeping operation with the United Nations Mission
in Dafur: a Thai Military doctor performing an eye examination
for children.
Something else that Thailand and Austria share is
their strategic location. Both countries have the potential
to become logistical and tourist hubs for
South-East Asia and Central Europe respectively. To
promote this, Austrians should be encouraged not
just to travel to Thailand, but to use the country as a
springboard for visiting Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia,
Myanmar and other destinations. At the same time,
Thai visitors to Vienna should be encouraged to travel
on to Germany, Italy and Switzerland, as well as
the Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovakia, Slovenia or
Croatia. This connectivity hub role could easily be a
means for Thailand and Austria to stimulate tourism
in both countries.
What Austrian companies are currently investing in
Thailand?
In total, some 100 Austrian companies have investments
in Thailand. Their investments amount to
approximately EUR 500 million, and are responsible
for employing over 20,000 people in Thailand. These
companies include Semperit, Swarovski, Tyrolit,
MAM baby products, Mosdorfer GmbH, Greiner
Bio-One, iSi Automotive, Anita and Cargo-Partner.
Their products range from rubber gloves to technical
rubber and plastic products, costume jewellery and
medical supplies. Without doubt, the most famous
joint venture is the energy drink Red Bull – originally
an energy drink used by Bangkok taxi drivers
to stay awake at night, which was spotted by an Austrian
entrepreneur and developed into a JV for both
countries. Its original name, ‘Krating Daeng‘, is Thai
for ’Red Bull‘.
Did you know
that ...
… Thailand is one of the
world’s Top 10 car
producers?
... Thailand is the world‘s
largest producer of rice?
… Thailand is a top
exporter of preserved fish?
… Thailand is the world’s
second-largest manufacturer
of hard drives?
… Thailand is the world’s
biggest exporter of farmed
shrimps?
… Thailand is the world’s
biggest producer of optical
lenses?
… Thailand is the world‘s
second-largest producer of
cane sugar after Brazil?
PERSONAL DETAILS
Arthayudh Srisamoot was
born on 29th December, 1962.
He is the current Ambassador
of Thailand to Austria,
Slovakia and Slovenia.
42 Cercle Diplomatique 1/2015
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