interview www.bahrainthismonth.com 44 December 2022 Representing Thailand December is a highly significant month for Thai nationals. The tourist-friendly country will celebrate Thailand’s Independence Day, commemorate the birthday of the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej, and mark Thai Father’s Day too. Bahrain This Month’s Farrah Saville sat down with the Thai Ambassador, His Excellency Piyapak Sricharoen, to talk about the South East Asian country’s friendly relationship with Bahrain. Could you tell our readers about your distinguished career and your journey to becoming the ambassador? You must be a civil servant in the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs. I’ve had a career for 28 years, and have been posted in various countries including India, the neighbouring Malaysia in Kuala Lumpur, and now Bahrain. My experience has been mainly in bilateral diplomacy, dealing directly with the host country or a bilateral country, rather than in multilateral diplomatic settings. Coming to Bahrain, my assignment, having never been posted in this region, was to expand my horizons. How many Thai nationals are currently living in Bahrain? Which sectors are they employed in? We estimate we have about 4,000 Thai nationals living in the Kingdom. In Bahrain it varies because people come and go for a short time. Most of the people you see in Juffair are owners of small businesses, or working in Thai businesses such as restaurants, shopping and retail businesses, and holistic spas. Many of them come here to open small businesses in spaces such as Thai Mart. How has Thai Mart been received, and what are the plans related to it? I was quite excited about the opening of Thai Mart in Bahrain two years ago. It’s vital to assess the Thai presence in Bahrain, which is a work in progress and an ambitious agenda. At this moment, activities you see being held are sometimes held by the Royal Thai Embassy while others are organised by the Thai community. These have been well received, especially by those who have previously visited Thailand, and would like to relive some of those exotic moments whether that be through Thailand’s popular food or spa products. Down the road, I understand that Thai Mart will be a hub for all sorts of Thai products in Bahrain. It’s also quite advantageous to be located
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