Three cheers for Queen Elizabeth

It was also a chance to celebrate the British monarch’s 60th anniversary on the throne and the beginning of a fifth century of Thai-British relations.

Kent stressed in his speech that Thailand is an important partner for the UK in Asean and that the two countries have much in common, including constitutional monarchy, the parliamentary form of government and warm cooperation in education, business, sports and tourism. “We are also working together on global challenges such as global warming and human rights,” he said.

“The importance of this relationship has been recognised by the British government. Last year Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra visited the UK and met with Her Majesty the Queen and our Prime Minister David Cameron.” 

Kent noted that British Foreign Secretary William Hague visited Thailand the same month and Hugo Swire, Minister of State at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, was here recently to meet government and opposition representatives. “The two countries held the inaugural meeting of the Strategic Dialogue, covering a wide range of issues between our two countries,” he added.

Bilateral trade was worth Bt250 billion last year, with Britain among Europe’s biggest exporters to Thailand and many British firms maintaining a strong presence here. 

Meanwhile more Thai companies are interested in investing in the UK, Kent said. “We are proud that the World Bank ranks the UK as the easiest major European economy to set up and run businesses, and we are keen to encourage Thai businesses to use the UK as their European base. 

“Thailand is a favourite destination for British tourists, with more than 870,000 visiting each year. There is also a significant British resident community here. And the UK is now a popular holiday destination for an increasing number of Thais and the chosen destination for many wishing to attend schools and universities – more than 7,000 Thai students went to study in the UK last year.”