SOCIETY 368 / 2015

DIPLOMATIE
THAILAND
Ambassador Arthayudh
Srisamoot with a sculpture
of Thai mythology
»IKEA is selling
furniture that
is made out of
products that
was grown on
previous drug
fields.
«
Arthayudth
Srisamoot
➢
The original owner Chaleo Yoovidhya and
his son Chalerm both hold 49 and two percent of
the company respectively, while Mateschitz holds
the other 49 percent.
Austrian investment in Thailand also includes:
Semperit, they manufacture surgical gloves made
from Thai rubber, as we are the largest or second
largest rubber exporter in the world. Jeweller
Swarovski has six factories in Thailand, where
the assembling and cutting of the stones is made.
Austria is a leading country for tourism, sustainable
development and engineering and is considered
as a bridge to Eastern Europe. Thailand is
considered as bridge to South East Asia.
In the field of environmental issues, we have
a few projects: The Naturhistorisches Museum
currently has a campaign for the conservation of
wild life tigers, which is a major issue in Thailand.
Wild life protection with tigers and cooperation
with Thai authorities is important and we try to
facilitate the exchange and encourage the raising
of awareness. Tigers are being domesticated and
put into zoos instead of left in the wild. Austria is
supporting their preservation.
Are you also participating in cultural relations?
Last year on the national day celebration we
had Thai students who study music here in Vienna
perform classical pieces accompanied by
Thai and Austrian opera singers at the Schloss
Theater in Schönbrunn. They performed compositions
that were written by the King Bhumibol
to honor his birthday. Right now we have about
100 Thai students here in Vienna. King Bhumibol
Adulyadej was the first Asian to receive an Honorary
Membership from the Institute of Music and
Arts of Vienna for his contribution to music in
the world. Our king plays the saxophone. He visited
Austria in 1964 and 1966, where he performed
with Hans Solomon. Their show was broadcasted
on ORF. So also in the area of music Thailand and
Austria have a fruitful cooperation I am trying to
promote even further.
There are many areas we can work together,
also on the cultural level. The present Austrian
Ambassador to Thailand has introduced Vienna
waltz to Thailand and has organized a popular
ball there. The mother of Princess Bajrakitiyabha
Mahidol, our former ambassador to Austria, was
here to shoot a television drama show. They were
using Austria as a location and that is something
that we also like to further do in the future. It is
a love story taking place in Vienna, Salzburg and
New York and focuses on the International Organizations
here and the diplomatic relations. When
this TV drama series comes out in Thailand in
October more Thai tourists will come to Austria,
similar to the effect after “The Sound of Music”.
Two years ago we had a Thai Festival in Prater.
Some Thai companies, including CP Group and
Singha Beer sponsored it the last time and there-
FOTOS: SOCIETY/PROCHNOW
38 | SOCIETY 2_2015