Interview with Thailand’s Ambassador to Hungary – Tradition and progress

According to GLOBS Magazine, a decades-long good relationship was strengthened further when the Hungarian Trade & Cultural Centre opened its office in the capital of Thailand. (Hungary has run an Embassy in Thailand for decades.) Thanks to the new representation, it will be much easier for Hungarian entrepreneurs to get a footing in the market of 67 million people in the future. Bilateral trade amounted to roughly half a billion US dollar per year in the last period. To celebrate this achievement, we interviewed the Kingdom of Thailand’s Ambassador to Hungary, Jakkrit Srivali, who was accredited in Budapest a year ago.

Even though the Thai diplomat has worked in international organisations like the UN, his current job is the one closest to his heart. For instance, being an amateur composer, he is very much inspired by Hungarian composers.

First of all, I only compose piano pieces for the entertainment of my family and myself, but I like Hungarian music. I’ve been inspired a lot by Ferenc Liszt. And Budapest is one of the best spots for the lovers of classical music, and I hope that I will spend enough time here to get to know the Hungarian music, songs better.

GLOBS: Why do you find Hungary to be a special country and what role does it play in the foreign affair strategy of the government in Bangkok?
Jakkrit Srivali: Europe has always been a privileged partner for Thailand. And in the Cold War period, we realised that Hungary is the gate of the continent, especially Eastern-Central Europe. So one of its main strengths is its geographic location. Moreover, it also stands out in the knowledge-based sectors. Several great minds and inventions come from Hungary. Therefore, we would like to encourage to realise more and more exchange programmes, so that we can learn from Hungarians. Thailand is in need of the most modern technologies in the fields of education and agriculture.

GLOBS: Currently, 40 Thai students study in Hungary with scholarships. Which fields are the most popular and what do the Southeast Asian needs call for?
Jakkrit Srivali: To be honest, almost everything. Hungarian universities are excellent and they offer very practicable knowledge. There are more and more programmes that encourage sustainable development. Unfortunately, it took us a long time to realise how important it is that we don’t exhaust our natural environment. In Hungary, great emphasis is laid on the cleanness of waters and environmental protection. There’s a lot we could learn about sustainable agriculture and organic farming.

GLOBS: Thailand welcomes 35 million tourists every year, so tourism is one of the main sources of income for the country. How do you try to seduce Hungarians?
Jakkrit Srivali: We don’t have to introduce Thailand to Hungarians. More and more Thai restaurants, massage salons and Thai box halls can be found all over the country. Last September, we organised a Thai festival in the City Park. Everyone could learn our traditional dance, taste our most delicious meals and enjoy several performances. We hope the festival will continue next year. We also had an online cooking competition, which was visited by many. I believe that the more someone knows a country, the more he/she will want to visit it.