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Diplomat Thanis Na Songkhla is saying goodbye to Bahrain, with his term as the ‘happiest Thai ambassador’ coming to an end tomorrow.
With a career serving his country behind him, Thanis’ term witnessed a deepening of ties between Bahrain and Thailand, with the most significant achievement being the new Thai Mart in Diyar Al Muharraq.
“I am leaving Bahrain with some very fond memories of both the Bahraini and Thai communities here supporting us in our various endeavours,” Thanis told GulfWeekly.
“Thailand and Bahrain have long shared an extraordinary bond of friendship. We are pleased to see the frequent exchanges of high-level visits and between our private sectors despite the ongoing pandemic.
“Recently, our Deputy Permanent Secretary of Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Thailand had visited Bahrain from August 1 to 3, attending the Second Mid-year Review for the Third Meeting of the High Joint Commission (HJC) for Bilateral Co-operation between Thailand and Bahrain.
“Both sides took note, with satisfaction, of the progress made under the three of the four strategic areas of bilateral co-operation under the Agreed Minutes of the Third Meeting of the High Joint Commission, namely health and medical services, trade and investment, and food security. They also agreed to revitalise the fourth strategic area of co-operation which is energy.”
In the health sector, the embassy has seen a memorandum of understanding signed between Prince of Songkla University (PSU) in Thailand and Bahrain’s Health Ministry in 2019.
The PSU’s Visiting Doctor Programme also saw a number of Thai doctors, specialising in ophthalmology, endoscopy and gastroenterology, visit Bahrain between 2018 and 2020, before the Covid-19 pandemic.
Thanis and the Thai embassy team also supported Thai nationals in Bahrain during the pandemic. The 5,000-strong Thai community mostly work in hospitality sectors, and were drastically hit by the pandemic.
Half of the Thai nationals in Bahrain had to be repatriated after they lost their jobs due to the pandemic.
Thanis worked with the Bahrain Foreign Affairs and Interior Ministries to repatriate these nationals, financially supporting those who could not afford the trip back home.
Once back in Thailand, the Thai government sponsored the quarantine stay for these nationals.
Thanis has also worked tirelessly to attract more entrepreneurs to the kingdom. The embassy held two online business matching events in September last year and July this year.
In 2020, trade between the two countries dropped to $350.37 million (BD132m), a decrease of 33.3 per cent compared to pre-pandemic 2019.
“With the opening of the Thai Mart, we hope to counteract this and see trade grow between the two countries,” Thanis added.
“We also hope to see cultural exchange between Thailand and Bahrain once the Covid-19 situation in Thailand is better and travel restrictions are lifted.
“The big advantage of Thai Mart is that it consists of both indoor and outdoor areas, suitable for holding events and stage performances. The Embassy is planning to use the venue to showcase Thai cultural performances by professionals specialising in Thai traditional dance, Muay Thai and more.”
In terms of travel, since July 1, the Thai government has launched three sandbox programmes for Covid-safe travel. The first one is the Phuket Sandbox, under which tourists can stay quarantine-free in Phuket for 14 days. The second one, the Phuket Sandbox Extension 7+7, expands the first programme. After the first seven days in Phuket, travellers can spend another seven days in Phang-Nga, Krabi or Surat Thani.
And finally, the Samui Plus programme offers tourists a 14-day quarantine-free stay in Samui.
As Thanis bid farewell, during a reception hosted by the Thai Club at the Gulf Hotel Convention and Spa Bahrain last Sunday, club president Sudsiam Suriyod as well as a number of other members rightfully called him a “father figure, always eager to extend a helping hand.”
The reigns at the embassy will be held by incoming Charge d’Affaires Nuttapat Chumnijarakij until a new diplomat is appointed next year.
And as for Thanis, he hopes to return to Bahrain after he retires. As he noted in his speech: “No matter where we are, whether it’s a quarter mile away, or half way across the world, we will always be family.”
