Speech of H.E. Kulkumut Singhara Na Ayudhaya,
Ambassador of the Kingdom of Thailand to the Republic of the Philippines
On the Occasion of the 83rd Birthday Anniversary of His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej

3 December 2010
Ambassador?s Residence

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Excellencies,
Distinguished Guests,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

Magandang gabi sa inyong lahat.? (A pleasant evening to everyone.)

Please allow me to extend my warmest greetings to the Thai community, our Filipino friends, distinguished fellows and ?Friends of Thailand? gathering here as the Kingdom of Thailand celebrates the auspicious occasion of the 83rd Birthday Anniversary of His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej.

The Thai people admire His Majesty the King for his extraordinary developmental work which has benefited all Thais and contributed enormously to Thailand?s economic and social development. This is primarily the reason why H.M. King Bhumibol is widely recognized among the Thais and other nationalities as the ?Developer King.?

His Majesty?s ideas, translated to more than 4,300 Royal Projects, focus on uplifting the lives of the people, particularly those who are less privileged in life.? The King?s projects cover all aspects of development, concentrating on water resources, agriculture, environmental conservation, alternative energies such as bio-ethanol, occupational promotion, public health, public welfare, communication as well as the concept of sufficiency economy.

Moreover, Thailand is proud to share with the rest of the world the success of the Royal Projects, which have been extensively acknowledged as best practices both domestically and internationally. Furthermore, Thailand gladly welcomes all ASEAN representatives, including representatives from the Philippines, to attend the annual visit under Buakeaw Roundtable International Program to learn the best practices and development experiences of the Royal initiated projects. ?



Ladies and Gentlemen,

The Philippines is one of the first country in Southeast Asia in which Thailand established diplomatic relations with as our two countries share many common values. Since the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1949, Thailand and the Philippines have continuously enjoyed close, peaceful and fruitful bilateral relations which have been ripened by regular exchange of high level visits and meetings. Rest assured that our two countries will work closely with each other for a more fruitful, dynamic and stronger bilateral relation. ?

Recent examples of high level visits and meetings showcasing our two countries? strong diplomatic relations include the attendance of H.E. Mr. Ongart Klampaiboon, Minister Attached to the Prime Minister?s Office, as a representative of the Prime Minister of Thailand, to join the Filipinos in congratulating the Inauguration of the 15th President of the Republic of the Philippines, H.E. Benigno S. Aquino III from 29 June ? 1 July 2010. Furthermore, H.E. Benigno S. Aquino III met with H.E. Mr. Abhisit Vejjajiva, Prime Minister of Thailand, during the ASEAN Summit last month in Hanoi.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

The close collaboration between Thailand and the Philippines also extend to the private sector as reflected in the two countries? substantial bilateral trade and investment. Indeed, the trade volume between Thailand and the Philippines has increased at over USD 5 Billion. Moreover, statistics show that the total trade volume between our two countries during the first half of this year increased by 80% to USD 2.8 Billion at the year on year basis.

Here in the Philippines, the Thai private sector investments cover a wide variety of industries from agriculture, banking, healthcare, paper, ceramics, energy to food. I am proud to say that Thai investments here have attached great importance to business transparency, ethics as well as the practice of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and the return of benefits to the Philippine local communities and society through various programs such as scholarships, livelihood, public health and worthwhile activities for the youth.

On this note, Thailand?s biggest agricultural company, CP, has announced the plan to expand its investment in the Philippines by USD 45 Million. It is our hope that this investment will further enhance the Philippines? capacity in terms of food security.? It is also worth noting that there is a considerable number of well-known Philippine businesses such as San Miguel Corporation, Universal Robina, Liwayway Marketing, and Top Blend International Company investing in Thailand.
In terms of tourism, I am glad to convey that there have been an increasing number of exchange tourists between Thailand and the Philippines. In 2009, the number of Filipino tourists who travelled to Thailand reached 217,705. Meanwhile, the number of Thai tourists who visited the Philippines reached 34,212.

Particularly, one of the selling points for Thai tourism is our hospitality. Through ?Amazing Thailand? and cultural diplomacy, the Embassy has successfully campaigned our tourism here, especially many visits and the performances of the Thai Cultural troops in various occasions, Thai Food and Fruits Festivals as well as introducing new tourist destinations in Thailand.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Thailand and the Philippines are also close partners in the international fora as our two countries share the same values of democracy and freedom. Both are currently members of regional and multilateral organizations like ASEAN, ACD, ARF, APEC, ASEM and FEALAC. Also, both share the same vision and commitment to work for ASEAN integration to achieve an ASEAN community in 2015 and ASEAN connectivity for regional peace and prosperity.

Excellencies,
Distinguished Guests,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

In this special occasion, may I propose a toast to the continued good health and success of H.E. Benigno S. Aquino III; the strong bilateral relation between Thailand and the Philippines; the prosperity of the Republic of the Philippines; and, the everlasting friendly relations between the people of Thailand and the Philippines.

Muli, taos puso akong nagpapa-salamat sa inyong pagdalo upang makibahagi sa pagdiriwang ng kaarawan ng aming Mahal na Hari. Maraming salamat! Mabuhay! (Again, I wish to convey my heartfelt thanks to everyone for being with us today to celebrate our beloved King?s birthday. Thank you very much! Live!)

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