“Army Strives to Keep Alive the Soul of Democracy,” States Thailand’s Ambassador.

Following the coup conducted by the Army of Thailand in December, the government assigned a council to prepare a draft for the new constitution for the country, and the initial stages of the bill indicate a number of limitations for some political factions and parties therein. Some IR analysts believe the Army has begun trying to use the new Constitution to gradually leave the wealthy family of “Shinawatra” and its opposite party out of politics and governance in Thailand. While Thailand’s tourism, as a powerful wing to its economy, needs stabilization and peace more than ever, the country is undergoing various political arrangements. To delve deeper into the bilateral ties between Iran and Thailand and also into better understanding the interior developments of his country, we held an interview with Mr. Adisorndej Sukhasvasti, the Ambassador of Thailand who is here with us in Tehran from Bangkok.

AVA Diplomatic’s Exclusive Interview with

Mr. Adisorndej Sukhasvasti, Thailand’s Ambassador in Iran

Interview by Mohammadreza Nazari

What major did you graduate in?

I studied international relations, received my B.A. at Thammasat University and my M.A. at Tokyo’s Metropolitan University.

Why did you choose to study this field?

As a point of fact, I did a lot of research but found no specific field of study to my interests. The truth is I very much liked the field of agriculture, but my educational background didn’t allow me to pursue it and that kind of drove me to choose international relations as the closest major to my interests. I, however, had no idea of becoming a diplomat one day. I even spent some time being a banker, but as I hated calculations and preferred a little pitch of adventure in my line of work, I quit it.

Didn’t your family object your decision to study international relations?

I come from a royal family and my great grandfather was Rama IV whose reputation tells the world about Thailand’s foreign policies at the time.

Does the present King of Thailand share any consanguinity with Rama IV?

Just like me, he is a grandchild of Rama IV. Such connections and classifications are very tender and sensitive, and I can’t simply relate myself to the King or say I’m his relative.

So does it mean you can be a King one day?

Your answer is absolutely not, because becoming a King is the right of those sons who have been the fruit of the marriage between the King and the Queen. My grandmother was one of the laywomen of Rama IV and so, in accordance with our royal laws and regulations, I cannot become a King.

How has the King become the King in Thailand?

Rama V was the son of Rama IV, but Rama VI and Rama VII were both sons of Rama V and succeeded each other consecutively. In Thailand, until Rama VII, the government was in the form of a monarchy and at the end of his stint, the thought of preparing a constitution came into existence and the monarchy became constitutional. Presently, Mr. Bhumibol Adulyadej is the King and has been ruling now for 62 years in Thailand.

Who will become the next King?

Undoubtedly, his crown prince.

Can a woman become the King should a royal family have no crown prince in it?

At the moment, the laws regarding the succession of the King don’t allow women to do so.

Is the position of a King merely ceremonial in Thailand or it has executive power, too?

The King’s power treads beyond the constitution and the people of Thailand love their King very much. Because the King has arisen from among the people and that’s why his power is substantial.

Do you have any children?

I have to daughters, one of whom is employed.

When did you first begin your diplomatic service?

I started in 1980. Between 2002 and 2006, I served as the third counselor at the Royal Embassy of Thailand in Berlin. Between 2009 and 2013, I served as Charge d’Affaires, as the second post after the Ambassador, in London, and in 2013, I was appointed Thailand’s ambassador to Iran.

Did any of Thailand’s officials give you any advice before coming to Iran?

Many things have been told to me, actually. They said Iran has exceptional culture, history and civilization, and this chance should be used to develop the ties between the two countries.

Given the changes which have taken place in Thailand, was your service in Iran affected in any way?

Almost none. Thailand and Iran have kept their ties friendly for years and my coming to Iran was not a difficulty at all. In fact, the friendly background of the two countries made it easier for me.

Many discussions have been held regarding the assumption that Iranian merchants use Thailand to go around the sanctions. How do you view this notion?

As a matter of fact, there are plenty of ways to do that; not just through Thailand or using a third party, but via many other ways. As a mentioned earlier, it is the interaction and ties which form the foundations of long-term relations between the two countries and that should be further looked into.

In what way have the sanctions affected the economic ties between Iran and Thailand?

The sanctions have negatively influenced the ties between the two countries, esp. the economic relations. But I think we can use the strong connections between Iranians and Thais, which I referred to before, and urge both sides to more visit each other’s countries. We should give them the chance to evaluate what they can do and that way, the economic ties between the two countries can be strengthened. The important point for the Thai side is to use the remaining span before the achievement of a comprehensive deal by Iran and P5+1. We, of course, hope for a final agreement to come. That accord can develop the profitable ties between the two countries even more.

That means you are optimistic toward the agreements, right?

It’s not just me, but the whole world is optimistic, for it can benefit every single one of us.

Considering the vested interests of foreign and Iranian tourists to visit Thailand, the public much likes to know what political developments are taking place inside Thailand.

I believe the whole world knows of what occurred before May 22, 2014. They all bore witness to the vast range of political turbulences over the years. What happened, from both a political and a social point of a view, was surprisingly impossible to compromise and put Thailand in on a political cliff. Those developments affected not only Thailand but also all those countries who had friendly and economic links. So that being said, the turn of events fecundated the grounds for military forces to intervene.

Are you implying politics had hit the buffers in Thailand and that’s way military forces came to act?

Yes. The Army has been refraining to engage in such matters for years and allowing them to be democratically engineered. But the political mechanisms reached a point where not only was Thailand’s stability marred in every aspect, but the country’s ties were getting negatively influenced with other neighboring and regional partners.

The truth is everything turned out in a way which could jeopardize people’s lives and many were killed. All those brought the Army to the conclusion that before it was too late, they had to act. But aside from every intervention, it should be meticulously noted and paid attention to that the soul of democracy should stay alive and not damaged.

The National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) took the power shortly after the coup to bring back everything to its own place through political mechanisms. This council has the support of the majority of people and has firmly trodden on a path to revitalize democracy in Thailand using a three-step solution.

The first step being national reconciliation, the second being reforms and the third being a public election. Currently, the second phase is underway and the Council is strongly trying to achieve its final goal, which is holding a public election. I like to emphasize that the National Council for Peace and Order, along with making those three steps happen, is wholeheartedly striving to observe human rights to the full.

Since 1932, Thailand has seen 18 coups, the last of which took place in 2006. Has the occurrence of military coups become a usual trend to practice in Thailand?

The characteristic feature of Thailand, which I want to point finger at, is the fact that it has experienced such conditions a lot, because our people become very happy when it is the talk of freedom. The freedom enjoyed by the Thais, of course, brings them some responsibility, too. The other side of the coin to freedom is responsibility, to tell you the truth. A country like Iran, of course, has a rich history in terms of democracy and stands among the most democratic states in the world, and thus do many other countries, and we are following their patterns.

Every year, many Iranians travel to Thailand. Haven’t the political developments there led to further restrictions toward tourists?

I can guarantee that tourism is as prosperous and continuous in Thailand as before, esp. those recreational centers and places where they go for enjoying their times. But the security matters are quite the exception here. I haven’t heard any news regarding them, either. If my ears caught the wind about such matters, I’ll most definitely keep you posted.

I’m certain that there are more places and potentials for the two countries to develop their tourism industries. I also believe that Thailand is well capable of providing a Muslim tourist will all he needs including halal foods, appropriate places to say prayers, five-star hotels serving halal foods and so on, all of which can be found both inside and outside of Bangkok.

There are plenty of enjoyable natural sceneries such as green lands or beautiful waterfalls which families can enjoy. There are as well a lot of malls inside and outside of Bangkok. I stress again that we are ready to extend our ties with Iran in tourism and receive Iranian tourists there.

I recently met with Iran’s officials of tourism industry. Mr. Gholam Hossein Shafe’ei, the head of Iran’s Chamber of Commerce visited Thailand and met with a number of Thailand’s Ministers, including the Minister of Tourism. During that time, both sides agreed that Thailand can help Iran with its experiences regarding infrastructures, hotel management, aerial and ground transportation to enhance its tourism industry. One of the ways to practice such perspectives is for example the participation of a Thai Committee in Iran’s Tourism Exhibition.

Such ties should be promoted to the level of Ministers. All these can help increase the number of tourists bilaterally and I hope a medium such as yourself can make this objective happen. With further investments made in this field, the people of Thailand will, too, come to understand what a lovely country Iran is. Moreover, they can figure out the value and greatness of Iran’s cultural heritage, for it has deep connections with the minds and hearts of the Thais. I hope for all these to take place in a near future.

How many Iranians travel to Thailand each year?

Before 2012, around 200 thousand Iranians would go to Thailand. Back then, the airlines such as Iran Air, Mahan and the Thai company of Thai Air were carrying out direct flights between the two countries. But after, 2012, Iran Air halted its flights and currently, only Mahan continues the flights. We are trying to increase the number of direct flights with the help of Iran, and our objective is for the flights to not be restricted between Tehran and Bangkok but to happen from other cities like Isfahan.

To your question, I must say that the number of Iranian visitors to Thailand has plummeted a great deal and is now around 100 thousand a year. But the political developments inside of Thailand indicate that the country intends to improve this number again.

Although the drop in the number of tourists has nothing to do with the tendency of Iranian visitors, the main problem lies with the perfunctory number of flights between the two of them. On the other side of the story, hinging on President Rouhani’s current policies, Iran can prove to the world that it has a pivotal role in the global peace and is a secure, peaceful and beautiful place, not only for Thai tourists, but also for those from other countries. Just like the last 6 months during which the number of tourists have been doubled or even tripled, I hope the number of Thai tourists to Iran rises as much.

Is it also possible to ease the visa issuance process between the two countries?

Visa is an important matter for the two countries and should be dealt with seriously. It can be possible to discuss this topic at a bilateral consular meeting.

Isn’t it possible to remove the visa process between the two countries?

It might be, but we should take present situations into consideration. At the moment, in the case that applicants have their documents completed, their visas shall be issued within one to three days and they have no more problem afterwards. In the case of emergencies, it will take even less.

How much can the historic backgrounds between Iran and Thailand lead to the development of their cultural ties? Which cities in the two countries have more potentials to make interactions and so on?

The city of Laguri has strong bonding with Iran. Its importance relates to the fact that around 400 years ago, one of Thailand’s great Kings, King Narai was very much impressed by Iran and Sheikh Ahmad and his offspring had fine positions in Thailand.

Despite being a prince, he couldn’t become a King and that’s why he spent most of his time with Iranians and loved their culture very much. Later, he coincidentally became the King of Thailand and because of his long-term interactions with Iranians, his royal palace was filled with Iranian clothing and architecture as well as their rituals prevalent all over the country.

Those who were mostly in contact with the King were from Khorasan. When the King decided to renovate Laguri and its infrastructures, he implemented the common drinking water and sewage systems of Khorasan there.

One of my concerns have always been to know why Iranians only know of Pattaya and Phuket, while there are places in Thailand where Iranians have left lots of influences. But unfortunately, Iranian tourists have no familiarity with them, whatsoever.

If you were to take an archeologist, scientist or university professors from Tehran to Thailand, which place would you show them?

Except for Bangkok, which is the capital and prominent, I would choose Ayothaya, for it was Thailand’s capital nearly 250 years ago. Back in centuries, your royal ancestors came to Ayothaya, and because it was surrounded with water and due to its development in shipping, they called it “Shahr-e-Nav” (City of Navy) and were very much impressed by its beauty.

One of them, who was from Qom, named Sheikh Ahmad Qomi, was a merchant who was impressed so much that decided to stay there and later, managed to obtain high rankings in Thailand as high as premiership. Back there, at the time of the Safavid Dynasty, the exchange of diplomats began.

I heard that Iran’s Khorasan played a hefty role in Thailand’s culture and civilization. Is that right?

It is, but their influence was more about construction, city buildings and architecture. These are undeniable facts and not only true about Ayothaya, but also include Laguri which is only half an hour away from Ayothaya.

What documents are there in this regard?

The traces of such influences can be found in the architecture of King Narai which is affected by Khorasani architecture. The system of drinking water and sewage goes back to that time, too, and resembles the places built in Khorasan in the past. The cities of Laguri and Ayothaya are symbols of the influence of Iranian culture in Thailand. The historic mansion of King Narai, too, shows his interests in Iranian culture and Khorasani architecture.

As our interview proceeds, I’d like to put cultural discussions behind and get to the economic ties between the two countries. How different has the economic trades been between Iran and Thailand over the past few years?

Unfortunately, over the recent years, we saw the drop in the volume of trades. The major reason for it was the sanctions imposed on Iran.

Which products are exported from Iran to Thailand?

Thailand imports chemical products, iron, stones, mineral metals, fish and natural gas from Iran. There are other products, of course, but what I referred to were the most important.

The interesting thing in your words is that despite its access to free waters and its proximity to Japan as one of the world’s biggest fish exporters, Thailand imports fish from Iran. Why is that?

Iran’s waters are very rich in terms of fishery sources. Thailand, too, is one of the world’s three strongest countries in the field of fishery. But we would like to use Iran’s sources in this area and hope to be able to invest in Iran’s piscary. In Iran, there are products such as octopus, crabs and shellfish which, owing to the religious beliefs Muslims hold dear, are not usable. But these are desirable food sources in many parts of the world.

What are Thailand’s most important exporting goods to Iran?

What Thailand exports to Iran include agricultural products, ornamental products, construction materials, electronic products, esp. in air conditioning systems, valuable jewelry and stones.

Please elaborate on the matter of halal food and valuable stones and their export to Iran, for Iran, itself, is an exporter of these stones.

For you to have a specific look at this area, you should discuss with the Economic Counselor of the Embassy who is now in Thailand, and I hope we can make use of his presence the next time we meet. But in general, I must say that by halal foods, I mean canned foods Thailand exports.

As you may know, Thailand is the world’s no. 1 country which has established a technologically advanced center for this purpose and you should note that it has been working now for 50 years. Of what this center is capable of doing, I can refer to its ability to provide and supply food in accordance with Islamic standards and values. To make certain about the standards, we have maintained close ties with Iran and other Asian countries and Oceania, just to make sure these foods are consumable there.

Apart from food, hospital equipment which can be used for Muslim patients is included as well. In terms of jewels and stones, I must say that Iran is very famous and perhaps we don’t have them with as much purity and value as Iran does, but when it comes to forming and shaping such stones, Thailand has a lot to offer.

Thailand is striving to increase its rice production inside the country and even export the extra. Do you have any plans to export some to Iran?

We believe Iran has the best quality of rice in the world, but it needs sometimes to import some rice to make up for the demand inside of it, and Thailand is ready to take care of that. Currently, both countries are studying this possibility and we want to see if Iran can import rice from Thailand, the best kind of which is Jasmine Rice. The next step is to evaluate the market of Iran. A committee from Iran is scheduled to visit Thailand to see about the quality and parameters of Thai rice. The other thing is the confidence Thailand places in the quality of the rice it produces, and that should be verified by Iranian authorities.

How much is the trade value between the two countries?

Before 2012, it was about $1bn, but unfortunately, after that, it descended to one third and is now at the point of $300mn.

Have private and governmental sectors of Thailand made any investments in Iran?

Yes, there have been some joint activities between Thailand and Iran in the area of Technology in Asaluyeh and we hope to see more of these in a near future.

Given the fact that hopes are going up for the lifting of sanctions, is a joint economic committee on its way to appear?

Because of the sanctions, there should be already more works to do, although there are some trades underway. Anyway, to reach a mutual understanding over the economic areas, the existing potentials should be made the most of.

The last joint commission, which was also the 8^th one, goes back to February 2011 in Thailand. The FM of Thailand hosted the session and Iran’s then Minister of Economy participated, too. Now, it’s Iran’s turn to host the 9^th Joint Economic Forum which is the pillar to every process for practicing and promoting such activities, for that includes Thailand’s governmental and private sectors in areas of energy, textile, agricultural, jewel, halal food, electronic products and so on.

We hope that this invitation goes out from Iran and the FM of Thailand, along with his deputies and committees from the country’s governmental and private sectors, visit Tehran and pursue the talks bilaterally. We should see what else can be done once the sanctions are lifted.