Interviewing with the ambassador of the Netherlands to Thailand—H.E.Mr.Karel Hartog
As a nation, it is crowned as the nation of tulip, with its blooming flowers industry so strong all over the world, secondly ,it is marked with its strength in the worldwide producing the famous milk products, with its breeding cows and milk in premium quality, this country is called [NETHERLAND] today, I was luckily enough invited to enter a garden like embassy to interview with Dutch ambassador to Thailand—H.E.Mr.Karel Hartogh, at beginning of talking with him ,due to a chance encountered with him before ,knowing more about his diplomatic ability, within this moment, so getting closer to the Netherlands and its story.
The First Part —FRIENDLY TIES
The establishment of diplomatic ties between Holland and Thailand can be traced back to 1604, with a history of 412 years. To commemorate the 400th anniversary of diplomatic relations between two countries, the Queen of the Netherlands paid an official state visit to Thailand in 2004. Between the both societies, which caused a big stir, the Dutch queen had left her footprints across Thailand, so as to commemorate the special event, to mark the significance of her majestic visiting, especially in Ayutthaya Thailand, establishing a memorial museum called Baan Hollanda. Apart from being a museum, Baan Hollanda has also turned into a cultural center where tourists and Thai can, apart from getting information about the Dutch history in Ayutthaya, learn about present Dutch culture.
The Second Part—ON GOODWILL
The Dutch embassy has submitted a lot of the useful suggestions and practical measures to the Thai government, such as: promotion of Thailand Economics Development by improving its bidding for overseas investments, and proposing on bettering and fostering more convenient economic environment, as well as the upgrading to Thai food safety and sanitary controls, in aspects of natural environmental protection with aids of enactments of laws and regulations, etc. In the past years, Thailand had made the noticeable results till now.
The Netherlands, in terms of environmental protection and water management, with its internationally prestigious ability, has gained with the rich experience in many ways, especially enable to offer helping hands to Thailand stepping out of the present problems incurred, in coping with the river pollution, the disposal of waste water cross the land, with more, the inadequacy of water resource threatening so many nationwide.
In the past few years, the natural hazards like floods causing the great damages over Thailand, and currently facing with the drought, such as rare cases of natural phenomenon in Thailand, the negative impacts heavily imposed onto the government of Thailand so as to hand with those natural negative efforts, Thailand should learn from Holland to deploy the advanced method and with high-tech means .Thailand is facing a big challenge, the Dutch ambassador said that he would like to cooperate with Thai public sectors and the government together to solve the environmental problems.
The Third Part—THE RELATIONSHIP
The Netherlands will increase its investment in Thailand and make further promotion for the Netherland’s export into Thailand, and Thai exports of products to the Netherlands in which parts via Rotterdam are transported to other European countries. The Netherlands is one of most important partners to Thai exporters in Europe. Based on the long-term cooperation between the two countries, focused on the principles and policies concerned over Thai export trade, Thailand needs to improve its relevant strategies by introducing some flexible measures and regulations to facilitate with the rapid increases in the volume of trades between two countries.
The Fourth Part—THE ACADEMIC LINKAGE
In the field of education, the universities are famous for the majors in law, economics through the world, the set up of the academic relation had been evidently shown such as Chulalongkorn University and Tamassat University have been incorporated the international student exchange programs with Holland, annually, many of Thai graduates returned from Holland , forming the association of Thai Alumni to Dutch Universities with more than 400 members , which has witnessed as signal of the successful example of educational cooperation between two countries.
In addition, there is an initiative named Orange ASEAN Factory. During a three-week program, 25 students and entrepreneurs from ASEAN-countries and the Netherlands are working on business-cases for major Dutch and Southeast-Asian companies to solve environmental and sustainability issues. The central theme of the next edition in Bangkok (20 June- 8 July) is the Orange ASEAN ‘Food Challenge’, concerning issues like food security, decreasing food waste and producing healthy food.
The Fifth Part—-THE OFFICIAL ROLES
Whenever the Dutch important days come by, like the Dutch King’s birthday, and celebration to other important public holidays, the embassy in the Netherlands run the themed festivals in these periods, and opens to Thais inside the embassy garden, in which there is a museum like the white wooden house in front of its board sign marked with a big orange word—HOLLAND for photographing, mostly as usual like the shows on dance, music performance, exhibition and festivals full of Dutch delights and cultures, all efforts are contributive to Thais for more understanding about Holland and further to consolidate with bilateral relationship as far as deepen the friendship in folks.
Currently, there are more than 300 Dutch in Thailand to run their own companies, which strongly are connecting the ties with the both nations in promoting trade as well.
There are 200,000 Dutch tourists visiting Thailand each year, and between 10,000-20,000 Dutch people living in Thailand. There were 11,000 Thai applications for a Schengen visa in 2015.
The Six Part—THE FLOWERY WINDOWS
The Netherlands is one of the highly developed European countries, with its strength in the agriculture especially in the cultivation of flower, Holland is crowned as the nation of Tulip, every year there are numerous export of flower from the Netherlands to Thailand, which nourish the blooming markets in flower as well as the varieties of eco-product, in the streets of Bangkok, seen with its fragrance and charming.
Dutch dairy products have been noted for its high quality, in long term favored by the consumers the entire world. For that reason, Thailand will be introduced with the famous brand–Dutch Lady in series of products, at the supermarkets to meet with demands from Thais.
The Seven Part—THE PROSPECTS
Finally, nearly coming to the end of the interviewing with the ambassador, he seemingly intended to speak up more with no pauses, when the topics fell on the economic development of Thailand, the ambassador put more emphasis on the importance of Thai investment in the environment. The functions of the public sectors ought to put forward to work with the embassy in search of the solution to the severe problems of water drought, his remark was so friendly and his mind was so broad, even his opinions were full with intelligence. He expected that Thailand needed improve in other areas, but he could wait on and look forward to prospects in close ties between two countries. Thailand plays an important role in ASEAN countries, within future, the way is widening between both, left behind with the long history, during his tenure, and he would continue to carry on the mutual relationship forward.
[With special thanks to embassy and ambassador of Netherland to Thailand embassy with photos and files related providing above]
Photo by Kingphet / Written by Darwin