A celebration of special relations
Swiss Ambassador Christine Schraner Burgener invites everyone to join upcoming events to mark 80 years of close diplomatic ties between Thailand and Switzerland
Christine Schraner Burgener, the Swiss ambassador to Thailand, has been busy coordinating a series of events to mark the 80th anniversary of bilateral relations between Thailand and Switzerland.
The first friendship and commerce treaty between the two countries was signed in 1931. Prior to that, King Chulalongkorn, who visited Switzerland back in 1897, had discussed with the then president of Switzerland, Adolf Deucher, the possibility of such an agreement.
In fact, many Swiss firms had already been trading with the then Kingdom of Siam since the 19th century.
After the First World War, the increasing bilateral trade made it necessary for Swiss firms to call for a treaty with Thailand.
Among the first Swiss firms to do business with Thailand are Diethelm and Berli Jucker.
After the first friendship and commerce treaty was signed in 1931, one of the most prominent features of the bilateral relationship involved the Thai royal family’s 17-year stay in Switzerland.
“The royal family lived in Lausanne for 17 years from 1929 to 1946,” says the ambassador, noting that the royal party included the Princess Mother, Princess Galyani Vadhana, HM King Ananda Mahidol, and HM King Bhumibol.
HM King Bhumibol spent most of his childhood in Switzerland and studied at the University of Lausanne.
The first Swiss ambassador to Thailand was appointed in 1959.
Today, Switzerland is Thailand’s 12th biggest trading partner and 7th biggest foreign investor. About 120,000 Swiss citizens also visit Thailand annually, while there are about 7,000 Swiss citizens living in Thailand.
The envoy says a total of 150 Swiss companies are doing business with Thailand, with machinery, pharmaceuticals and watches among the major Swiss exports.
The European nation of 8 million people is also a major market for Thai agricultural products and food items.
To deepen the economic relationship, the ambassador hopes that both nations will soon resume negotiations on a Free Trade Agreement (FTA), as Switzerland has already signed FTAs with Japan and Singapore.
Besides Thailand, the Swiss government is also negotiating with Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam for bilateral FTAs.
To commemorate the 80th anniversary of Thai-Swiss relations, the Swiss government and Swiss Student Alumni Association will organise several unique events, starting with a concert on November 4 by the Thailand Philharmonic Orchestra, to be conducted by Claude Villaret.
From November 24 until January 22, 2012, there will be a Criss Cross exhibition featuring designs from Switzerland, at Thailand’s Creative and Design Centre situated at the Emporium Shopping Complex on Sukhumvit Road.
In addition, the Siam Nitasratchamongkol exhibition will be held at Siam Paragon from November 28-30. Musician Nicolas Senn will play his hackbrett, while there will also be a performance by a Thai khim player. Both musical instruments, from two different continents, are surprisingly similar.
Besides concerts, visitors will also experience the aromas and tastes of Swiss cheeses and Thai food during live cheese-making and Thai cooking shows.
Another attraction will be a comparison between Thai and Swiss weaving techniques.
On December 13, there will be a screening of a movie entitled “How About Love” by Stefan Haupt, in which a Swiss surgeon finds a new life and a new love among Burmese refugees in Thailand, while his family wait for him back in Switzerland.
