Ties that Bind

THE GRAND HYATT Erawan’s Grand Ballroom was ablaze with colour earlier this month when a dozen Brazilian dancers in dramatic costumes celebrated the 191st Anniversary of the Independence of Brazil. The party was hosted by Brazil’s ambassador to Thailand Paulo Cesar Meira de Vasconcellos and also served as his farewell as he winds up his term in the Kingdom.
“It is a pleasure and honour for me to host you here tonight as we celebrate 191 years of Independence of Brazil. This is probably my last year hosting this event in Thailand, as it is very likely that I’ll be assigned to a new post next year,” he told guests.
“My time in Bangkok has been a great experience, professionally and personally. And I will remember the great times I’ve enjoyed here and all the great friends I’ve made,” he added.
“In the more than half a century since we established diplomatic relations, our countries have become much closer. Brazilian-Thai trade has, in the past decade alone, grown more than 300 per cent and for the last three years, Thailand has been the biggest trading partner of Brazil in the Asean bloc. There is enormous potential for more growth on trade and mutual investment.
“We are looking forward to the visit of Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra to Brazil sometime next year. That will be a great opportunity for President Dilma Rousseff and Prime Minister Yingluck, the first women to ever govern our countries, to review the current status of our bilateral relations and also exchange ideas and opinions on world issues,” the ambassador continue.
“2014 will actually be a very exciting year for us. We will host the next Fifa World Cup, one of the most important international sporting events. It kicks off in Sao Paulo on June 12. In order to receive the teams from 31 countries playing at the tournament and all the international guests and tourists that will visit Brazil, we are making the country ready for this huge event.
“We have invested in infrastructure, transportation, airports, hotel accommodation and media and communications. I am absolutely sure the 2014 Fifa World Cup will be a huge success. Twelve world class arenas have been renovated or built, and almost all of them are ready. The games played in these 12 cities will also be an opportunity for Brazil to show its cultural diversity to the world,”
“In 2016, Brazil will receive another major event: Rio will host the Olympic Games. It is the first time that South America hosts the Games, and we are all looking forward to it. The next few years, will be fun times in the country. I invite you to travel to Brazil and experience these great events.”