Sasivat Wongsinsawat, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Kingdom of Thailand to Russia, Armenia, Belarus, Moldova and Uzbekistan. He received a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science and International Relations from Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok and a Master’s degree in International Relations from the International University of Japan. He has been working in the Thai Foreign Ministry system since 1988. He served as Deputy Director of the Department of South Asia, the Middle East and Africa and Head of the Permanent Mission of Thailand at the UN Headquarters in Geneva.
In an exclusive interview with TV BRICS, he spoke about the role of global economic integration and trade relations between Russia, the Eurasian Economic Union and Thailand.
– Today, more than 30 countries are interested in joining the BRICS, including Thailand. What are the prospects for the kingdom’s integration into the union?
– We see the growing potential of the BRICS as a new structure on the world stage that can create a new system of interactions. Thailand wants not only to benefit from the rapprochement with BRICS, but also seeks to contribute to the development of the association, including in the field of international finance, humanitarian and cultural cooperation.
Thailand has a long history of relations with Russia. Current trade indicators indicate the growth of bilateral economic ties in the first half of 2024.
– Will the creation of a free trade zone with the EAEU help to increase the level of trade and economic cooperation with Russia?
– The FTA agreement between Thailand and the EAEU would be very useful for both sides. This measure would significantly facilitate cross-border trade and business.
As for the reduction or abolition of duties on Thai goods in Russia and on Russian goods in Thailand, products from these countries would become more competitive compared to manufacturers from third countries. It’s not just about the Thai market with a population of 65 million people. We need to look more broadly and focus at least on the continental part of Southeast Asia or the entire ASEAN space, which has more than 500 million consumers.
– What is the situation with the MIR payment system in Thailand? What could be its impact on the development of economic ties?
– A successful outcome of negotiations on the use of the MIR system in Thailand would be good news not only for the tourism sector, but also for other industries. The dialogue is taking place between representatives of the banking sector and the business community. Perhaps they will find solutions to achieve this goal.
– An example of cultural exchange is the traditional Thai festival in Moscow. How do you assess the role of such events taking place in the capital and in other Russian cities? Can you imagine that the first festival was held 10 years ago?
– In my opinion, for the embassy, the Thai Festival is one of the most important platforms for interaction with our Russian friends in Moscow. We have a lot of things that you haven’t seen yet. Therefore, every year we try to change the theme of the festival. For example, last year the focus was on the economics of creative industries. This time the main theme is “Discovering Thailand: from local to global”. We showed the cultural heritage of all regions of the country, especially the northeastern part of Thailand, also known as Isan. I am very glad that the Thai Festival was such a success.
– How would you assess the degree of interest of Thai residents in Russian culture, literature and language?
– I would say that Thailand has a high interest in Russian culture and language. At least three leading universities in the country have Russian language courses. There is a growing interest in these classes among students. As for literature, I would single out Dostoevsky’s “Brothers Karamazov”. They were translated into Thai many years ago. Now this book has become a collector’s item. Some of Dostoevsky’s other works are also known in Thailand.
Watch the full version of the interview here: https://tvbrics.com/shows/posol-tailanda-v-rossii-sasivat-vongsinsavat-tailand-khochet-vnesti-svoy-vklad-v-protsess-stanovleni/
Source https://tvbrics.com/news/posol-tailanda-v-rossii-sasivat-vongsinsavat-my-vidim-rastushchuyu-rol-brics-na-mirovoy-arene/
