Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin is following the old approach to Thailand’s foreign affairs in a bid to rebuild confidence in the country on the global stage.
The prime minister is in New York, his first overseas assignment, to attend the 78th United Nations General Assembly from September 18-24.
Following in the footsteps of the previous government of General Prayut Chan-o-cha, Srettha is highlighting the royal-initiated sufficiency economy philosophy in the context of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Speaking during a visit to a Royal Project in Chiang Mai a few days before his departure for the UN meeting, Srettha said it should be a matter of pride for Thailand when he presents the big picture of the Khok Nong Na project to international audiences.
Based on King Bhumibol Adulyadej’s sufficiency economy philosophy, the Khok Nong Na model has been initiated in the reign of HM King Maha Vajiralongkorn to help farmers maximize land use and water retention for agriculture production.
The sufficiency economy philosophy has become a core element of Thai diplomacy for the past decade to promote sustainable development in the international community. The Thai delegation to the UN has consistently advanced the philosophy as an alternative approach to achieving the UN SDGs.
During his visit to the UN, Srettha aims to accelerate the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the attainment of the SDGs to tackle the development crisis, inequality, climate change, as well as promote peace and well-being, good environment and universal health coverage, the Foreign Ministry said on its website.
Renew global confidence
The Foreign Ministry announced on September 18 that one of the main objectives of Srettha’s attendance at the international forum this time was primarily to renew global confidence in Thailand.
“His participation will ensure the international community of Thailand’s stability, potential, and readiness to move forward and forge dynamic relations with all countries. Moreover, it will be an opportunity to present the new government’s policies, especially in the areas of economy, trade and investment, technology and innovation, and sustainable development,” said the ministry statement.
The PM’s mission also aimed to reaffirm the country’s confidence in and support for global solidarity, it said. “Thailand calls for a balanced global agenda and the strengthening of the UN’s role in addressing current and future challenges amidst polarization in today’s geopolitical landscape.”
A military coup in 2014, which kept the Prayut administration in power for nine years, was widely regarded by observers at home and abroad as a major setback for Thai diplomacy and its international status.
Prime Minister Srettha was expected to make his presence felt at the UN to introduce his administration and signal the return of normalcy in the country. Diplomatic sources said the international community was waiting to see Thailand under the new government taking a proper stance to uphold a rules-based world order.
During his trip to New York, Srettha, a former real estate developer-turned-politician, will carry out UN-related functions, hold bilateral meetings with world leaders, the UN secretary-general, and the CEOs of major American companies as well as meet the Thai community in New York, the Foreign Ministry said.
He was scheduled to have bilateral meetings with Vietnam’s Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, Malaysia’s Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, and South Korea’s President Yoon Suk Yeol. The premier would meet with executives of prominent US companies such as Microsoft, Google, BlackRock, and JP Morgan. Srettha reportedly wanted to convince Elon Musk and Tesla to shift their production base to Thailand.
Srettha said his first trip to a foreign country would be like a road show to lure businesses to invest in Thailand. It is an attempt to jumpstart the economy, which has failed to take off since the COVID-19 pandemic. He told local media that Thailand was still attractive to foreign investors as it had good infrastructure, a sound judicial system and a supportive environment for doing business
Bid to enter Human Rights Council
During the UN General Assembly week, the Thai delegation has launched a campaign for a seat on the Human Rights Council (HRC) for the period 2025-27, according to the Foreign Ministry.
Thailand once held an HRC seat and even took its chairmanship from 2010-13 when the country was run by elected civilian governments. The country failed in its bid to win a seat in the UN human rights body for 2015-17 due to its poor record and bad practices on human rights after Prayut’s coup.
The new campaign, however, was not initiated by Srettha’s administration. It was announced by former foreign minister Don Pramudwinai when he addressed the 52nd session of the HRC in Geneva in late February this year.
Officials at the Thai Foreign Ministry said they were quite confident of securing a seat in the HRC, as the ministry had got former permanent secretary and seasoned diplomat Sihasak Phuangketkeow on board for the campaign. Sihasak, former president of the HRC (fifth circle 2010-11), was named vice foreign minister in the new Cabinet on September 13.
By Thai PBS World’s Political Desk
