By Roy Lie Atjam
The 5th of December is a significant occasion in Thailand, celebrated as both the National Day and the birthday anniversary of His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej The Great. This day also serves as “Father’s Day” in the country.
On December 5, 2024, Thailand proudly hosted a series of celebrations to honor these important events. To commemorate this day, His Excellency Mr. Asi Mamanee, the Ambassador of Thailand in the Netherlands, successfully organized a National Day reception in The Hague. Prior to addressing his esteemed guests, Ambassador Mamanee respectfully paid homage to His Majesty the King of Thailand.
Below is the complete address delivered by H.E. Ambassador Asi Mamanee.
“For the people of Thailand, the 5th of December is an important day as it represents many auspicious occasions. It is the National Day of Thailand, and Birthday Anniversary of His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej The Great. With over 70 years of the late King’s devotion to the development of our country, the day also marks as “the Father’s Day” in Thailand.
As we gather to celebrate Thailand’s National day here today, the year 2024 is also a special year which marks a few other causes for celebration.
First, this year, the people of Thailand celebrate the 6th Cycle Birthday Anniversary of His Majesty King Maha Vajiralongkorn. Throughout this year, the Royal Thai Government, including the Thai Embassies around the world, organized series of events to commemorate the 72nd birthday anniversary of His Majesty the King of Thailand.
The year 2024 also marks 420th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Thailand and the Netherlands, which commenced in 1604, when the Dutch VOC or the Dutch East India Company began its trade with Ayutthaya, capital of Siam which is present day Thailand. The VOC sent the Dutch envoys to the royal court of Ayutthaya to have an audience with the Siamese king. This historic encounter was deemed an official establishment of the ties between Thailand and the Netherlands. It is the longest formal diplomatic friendship Thailand has with any country in the world.
On this important milestone, the Royal Thai Embassy organized a number of activities throughout the year to celebrate this special occasion. To name just a few example, the 15th Thailand Grand Festival, our flagship event to showcase a variety of Thai soft power through Thai cuisine and culture was organized at the Lange Voorhout, in the past summer. The event was well attended by over twenty thousand people on a one day festivity.
On the historical side, the Thai Embassy commissioned an academic research on the first Siamese diplomatic mission to the Netherlands in 1608. You can learn more about this adventurous journey of the Siamese delegation, which was graciously received by Prince Maurits, the Stadholder, from the QR code on the souvenir postcards you will receive upon your departure.
At the end of this month, a year-long major renovation of our chancery building at the beautiful Archipelbuurt will be completed, and will resume its function. The refurbishment has preserved the original aesthetics of this monumental building while enhancing its functionality. It is a testament of Thailand’s cherishment and heartfelt investment towards this over 4 centuries of Thai-Dutch relations.
For more than 4 centuries, Thailand and the Netherlands have maintained strong and cordial bonds. We share the same values, particularly in our aspiration to promote sustainable development. We boast vibrant and open societies. Both countries are leading food exporters, and are hybrid nations firmly situated in the mainland with maritime linkage, which contributes to the strength we maintain in regional connectivity.
At a bilateral level, water management cooperation between Thailand and the Netherlands remains robust as ever as both face common challenges of sea-level rises. We strive to effectively implement Thailand-the Netherlands MoU on the cooperation in the field of integrated water resources management and climate change adaptation which was signed in 2021. We jointly organized many activities this year including the seminar on “Water Diplomacy” and the co-signing of the Letter of Intent (LOI) for research and development of innovations in sustainable water resource management between Chulalongkorn University of Thailand, and Deltares Institute.
On an economic front, the Netherlands is the biggest EU source of foreign direct investment in Thailand, and has recently become no. 4 globally, with investment in areas ranging from agriculture to petrochemicals. The Netherlands is also the largest EU destination for Thai Direct Investment (TDI) overseas and no. 3 globally.
Our people-to-people ties are vibrant and strong. Over 200,000 Dutch tourists visited Thailand last year. On the other hand, there are more than 20,000 Thais living here in the Netherlands, making it one of the largest Thai community in Europe.
I am also pleased to note that Thailand and the Netherlands play progressive role in multilateral cooperation. Thailand is pleased that the ASEAN-Netherlands Development Partnership is gaining strong momentum. Thailand looks forward to joining the Netherlands in being the Members of the United Nations Human Rights Council next year to advance the cause of human rights. We will also work closely together in many areas of our mutual interest, including advancing sustainable development cooperation.
We have varieties of Thai food for you to try during the reception today, including our famous Tom Yum Koong or Thai Hot and Sour Shrimp Soup. We are proud to share with you that Tom Yum Goong will be inscribed on the UNESCO list of ‘Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity’ during the nineteenth session of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage which will take place later today in Asunción, Republic of Paraguay. So I hope you would enjoy it.
May I now kindly invite you to join me in a toast to the good health and happiness of His Majesty King Maha Vajiralongkorn of Thailand and His Majesty King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands.”
More than 250 attendees participated in the celebration, including notable figures from the Netherlands, such as H.E. Mrs. Dominique Kurhling, Director of the Department of Asia and Oceania.The event also attracted key friends of Thailand, with members of the Diplomatic Corps, leaders from the private sector, academia, the media, and the Thai community all in attendance.
