SOCIETY 368 / 2015
Nr. 368 I Nr. 2 - 2015
Nr. 368 I Nr. 2 - 2015
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DIPLOMATIE<br />
THAILAND<br />
Ambassador Arthayudh<br />
Srisamoot with a sculpture<br />
of Thai mythology<br />
»IKEA is selling<br />
furniture that<br />
is made out of<br />
products that<br />
was grown on<br />
previous drug<br />
fields.<br />
«<br />
Arthayudth<br />
Srisamoot<br />
➢<br />
The original owner Chaleo Yoovidhya and<br />
his son Chalerm both hold 49 and two percent of<br />
the company respectively, while Mateschitz holds<br />
the other 49 percent.<br />
Austrian investment in Thailand also includes:<br />
Semperit, they manufacture surgical gloves made<br />
from Thai rubber, as we are the largest or second<br />
largest rubber exporter in the world. Jeweller<br />
Swarovski has six factories in Thailand, where<br />
the assembling and cutting of the stones is made.<br />
Austria is a leading country for tourism, sustainable<br />
development and engineering and is considered<br />
as a bridge to Eastern Europe. Thailand is<br />
considered as bridge to South East Asia.<br />
In the field of environmental issues, we have<br />
a few projects: The Naturhistorisches Museum<br />
currently has a campaign for the conservation of<br />
wild life tigers, which is a major issue in Thailand.<br />
Wild life protection with tigers and cooperation<br />
with Thai authorities is important and we try to<br />
facilitate the exchange and encourage the raising<br />
of awareness. Tigers are being domesticated and<br />
put into zoos instead of left in the wild. Austria is<br />
supporting their preservation.<br />
Are you also participating in cultural relations?<br />
Last year on the national day celebration we<br />
had Thai students who study music here in Vienna<br />
perform classical pieces accompanied by<br />
Thai and Austrian opera singers at the Schloss<br />
Theater in Schönbrunn. They performed compositions<br />
that were written by the King Bhumibol<br />
to honor his birthday. Right now we have about<br />
100 Thai students here in Vienna. King Bhumibol<br />
Adulyadej was the first Asian to receive an Honorary<br />
Membership from the Institute of Music and<br />
Arts of Vienna for his contribution to music in<br />
the world. Our king plays the saxophone. He visited<br />
Austria in 1964 and 1966, where he performed<br />
with Hans Solomon. Their show was broadcasted<br />
on ORF. So also in the area of music Thailand and<br />
Austria have a fruitful cooperation I am trying to<br />
promote even further.<br />
There are many areas we can work together,<br />
also on the cultural level. The present Austrian<br />
Ambassador to Thailand has introduced Vienna<br />
waltz to Thailand and has organized a popular<br />
ball there. The mother of Princess Bajrakitiyabha<br />
Mahidol, our former ambassador to Austria, was<br />
here to shoot a television drama show. They were<br />
using Austria as a location and that is something<br />
that we also like to further do in the future. It is<br />
a love story taking place in Vienna, Salzburg and<br />
New York and focuses on the International Organizations<br />
here and the diplomatic relations. When<br />
this TV drama series comes out in Thailand in<br />
October more Thai tourists will come to Austria,<br />
similar to the effect after “The Sound of Music”.<br />
Two years ago we had a Thai Festival in Prater.<br />
Some Thai companies, including CP Group and<br />
Singha Beer sponsored it the last time and there-<br />
FOTOS: <strong>SOCIETY</strong>/PROCHNOW<br />
38 | <strong>SOCIETY</strong> 2_<strong>2015</strong>