By Roy Lie Atjam
On March 6, 2024, H.E. Mr. Asi Mamanee, the Ambassador of the Royal Kingdom of Thailand, presented his letter of credence to HM King Willem Alexander of the Kingdom of the Netherlands at an elegant ceremony held at the Noordeinde Palace in The Hague.
The ceremony of credentials perpetuates the historic diplomatic alliance between Thailand and the Netherlands. It holds immense significance, both symbolically and substantively.
Ambassador Asi Mamanee is no novice to the Diplomatic Community in The Hague he has previously served here.
After the Presentation of Credentials ceremony, a Vin d’Honneur was held at The Vault, Hotel Indigo in The Hague to celebrate H.E. Mr. Asi Mamanee’s appointment, where Ambassador Asi Mamanee delivered the following speech, “Just an hour ago, I had the immense privilege and great honour to present to His Majesty King Willem –Alexander of the Netherlands the letter of Credence by which His Majesty King Maha Vajiralongkorn of the Kingdom of Thailand accredits me as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Kingdom of Thailand to the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
The cordial relations between Thailand and the Netherlands is founded on strong bond between the two Royal Families. This year 2024 marks a special year as Thailand and the Netherlands are commemorating the 420 th anniversary of our diplomatic relations which has begun in 1604, when the Dutch envoys who were the representatives of the Dutch East India Company or VOC were sent to the royal court of Ayuttaya, at that time, the capital of Siam and had an audience with King Naresuan.
This historic encounter was deemed an official establishment of the ties between Thailand and the Netherlands. Later in 1608, the Siamese diplomatic mission visited the Netherlands and received by Prince Maurits of Nassau, Stadholder of the Dutch Republic which is the first ever visit of the Siamese envoys to Europe.
You can see that the relationship between Thailand and the Netherlands has come a long way. Nowadays, both countries have shared common values and we also share a strong commitment to contribute to the emergence of a freer, more secure and more prosperous world. We enjoy geographical similarities. We are both leading food exporters, and are hybrid nations of being in the mainland with maritime connectivity, which contributes to our countries’ strength in regional connectivity. Both also play progressive role in multilateral cooperation.
As Ambassador of the Kingdom of Thailand to the Kingdom of the Netherlands, I will tirelessly endeavor to further deepen and widen all facets of existing cooperation between the two countries, including strengthening economic partnership, advancing sustainable development cooperation, promoting initiatives geared towards mitigating climate change and enhancing the friendly ties between our two people.
I also look forward to working closely with my ASEAN colleagues to raise awareness about ASEAN in the Netherlands and to continuing our outstanding relations with the diplomatic corps, international organizations, business community, academia and other sectors during my tenure here. I sincerely hope that I can continue to count on your generous support in the months and years ahead.”
Images by Jeroen van der Meyde are a courtesy of the Royal Thai Embassy in The Hague
