Thai-France diplomatic ties reach 160 years
Thailand and France have celebrated the 160th anniversary of their diplomatic relations – a bond born during the emergence of the colonial era and now thriving in fast-changing modern times.
Commemorative ceremonies were held by both respective countries.
The Thai Embassy in Paris was honoured by HRH Princess Sirivannavari Nariratana as keynote speaker for a seminar on relations between both countries.
The French Embassy in Bangkok hosted a banquet to celebrate the milestone year.
Hundreds of guests were served Thai favourites som tam and pad thai as well as French classics brie cheese and foie gras baguette at the French ambassador’s riversdie residence.
Th event included a high school chorus which sang in French and was followed by the revered Sansoen Phra Barami (the royal anthem in glory to the King).
The blend of fine music and gastronomy were meant to reflect the French value of having pleasant lives, said French Ambassador Gilles Garachon shortly before the party started.
“Thai and French people share sophistication in living,” Garachon said. “This is what guarantees good relations, on a basis of having good lives and not hurting anybody.”
The earliest ties between the two countries date back to the 17th century, when Siamese King Narai sent the first delegation to visit Louis XIV in Versailles. The next couple of centuries were when France trying to influence the Southeast Asian Kingdom, from attempts to Christianise the country to the territorial Franco-Siamese War in the late 19th century.
In modern times, the two nations have elevated ties as a strategic partnerships since 2004.
Now, France is the third-largest European investor and the 10th largest global investor in Thailand. Its investments in the Kingdom have more than doubled since 2006 to more than US$3.15 billion (Bt110.4 billion). Around 350 French companies, such as Michelin, Lacoste and Saint Gobain, operate in Thailand.
In 2014 and with a trade volume of $3.89 billion, the Kingdom was France’s third-largest trading partner in Asean. Prominent Thai companies, such as Thai Union Frozen Products, PTT Global Chemical and Double A, have investment records in France.
France also emphasis cooperation on science, innovation and education with the Kingdom, the ambassador said.
Several French research centres have been set up in the Kingdom while Alliance Française provides courses in French in Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai and Phuket. France accommodates around 600 Thai students and provides 150 scholarships to Thai universities.
Approximately 100,000 Thais travelled to France and some 730,000 French visited Thailand in a recent year. Around 35,000 French nationals, ranging from young entrepreneurs to retirees, live in Thailand, the ambassador said.
While Garachon refused to speak politically at the event, France, like other Western countries, responded to the 2014 coup by calling for a return to fundamental freedoms and the electoral process. France is also known to shelter lese majeste violators, notably Somsak Jeamteerasakula and Saran Chuchai, aka “Aum Neko”.
The Ambassador said he had no information regarding them.
“Things are so interconnected these days that it is hard to know exact places of individuals, who are also with freedom to travel,” he said. “The only thing I can say is the lese majeste is a law of Thailand but has not existed in France for a long time.”
