UK | Dialogue with Thailand

[Jamie]

GOVERNMENT OF THE UNITED KINGDOM
Security Classification: SECRET

To: Ambassador to the United Kingdom, Pisanu Suvanajata Bossza007
Cc:
Subject: Returning Dialogue

Good Afternoon,

I am aware of a phone call between yourself and the Secretary of State, Taylor Heart, that had ended abruptly due to the situation with Turkey which I can only profoundly apologize on Taylors behalf.

I would, if possible, like to arrange a phone call to return to the conversation and hopefully look to establishing a relationship between Thailand and the United Kingdom and discuss current affairs, if this is suitable for you?

I look forward to hearing from you.

Kindest Regards,
Lawrence

Lawrence Adams | Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs | King Charles Street, London, SW1 |

 

[Bossza007]

To: <Lawrence Adams, Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs>

From: <GBRAMB@mfa.mail.go.th>

Subject: RE: Returning Dialogue Jamie

Security Type: Secure Encrypted Method - Protect by NIA Counter-Intelligence Service - The decryption key is sent separately via fax

---

Good Afternoon,

I was perplexed by the phone call interruption, but then I remembered the situation in Turkey. Your message has enlightened me. I haven't contacted your government in a long time. I also have to arrange the task with my coworkers.

I'm glad that the British government is still interested in resuming talks over the Thai-British connection! Thailand's predicament is concerning. Have you heard about the attempted assassination of our Prime Minister? Many things are going on behind the scenes. I'm going to call you and talk about it. Is there a security feature on your device? I was able to get the fingerprint authentication. I've never used this with anyone. I need ten minutes to get ready. Contact me at that time!

PS Yes, we will still talk about economic cooperation.

Regard
Pisanu Suvanajata
Thai ambassador to the United Kingdom
Republic of Thailand

 

[Jamie]

Having received the email, Thai Ambassador would be called on a private and encrypted line by the UK Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs. He would wait patiently to see if the Ambassador answered, where he could then address the points in the email.

Naturally he would only call after around ten minutes, allowing Pisanu the time they had requested to get ready.

Bossza007

 

[Bossza007]

Ambassador (Mr.) Pisanu would leave the room with an empty plate to the embassy's kitchen to clean before using the restroom and returning to his office, which would take 6 minutes. He prepared his notes in the last four minutes before the phone call. He may need it to jot down some notes. He sat calmly, his thoughts racing with anticipation for the phone to ring at the last possible moment. He then takes the phone call.

"Hi! I am Pisanu Suvanajata, Thai ambassador to the United Kingdom. Is this secretary Adams?"

Jamie

 

[Jamie]

The wait for Pisanu to answer would give Lawrence a period of time to write some notes and prepare himself mentally for what his goals were for the discussion, "It is." he responded to confirm who it was, "Pleasure to speak with you, Pisanu. How are you?" he begun with friendly chat, knowing full well that personal relations would only benefit both parties involved. "Thank you for taking the time out of your schedule, I thought it was about due that the UK and Thailand have a more, proactive discussion. My agendas would likely to cover current affairs in Thailand as truth be told, I'm a bit unsure of what's been occurring but mainly a focus on how we can cooperate and work together more ... that is, if your government is interested."

Bossza007

 

[Bossza007]

When secretary Adams verified Ambassador Pisanu, even though he asked in a polite tone, he got relieved. "Adams, the pleasure is all mine. The day is going well, and talking with you makes it even better. I completed my meal when you emailed, so I had to clean up the mess." He giggles himself. "I've heard that a new visa application form is available. That's great because I might get a visit. How is your day going so far? I'm assuming you've already eaten your lunch?" He waits for Adams to respond before moving on to the diplomatic issues.

"If you want to dig into the present conflict, we'll have much to talk about on the topic. As an ambassador, I have general permission to speak on nearly any issue. Many countries have concerned about Southeast Asia, even if most do not publicly state their worry. That, I feel, also applies to you. Firstly, could you tell me about your current awareness of the ongoing conflict? A lot is going on, and I want to make sure you know any of it. I'd also like to hear your thoughts and those of the British government."

Jamie

 

[Jamie]

"Unfortunately, I've not eaten yet! Definitely a must do after our discussions" chuckled the secretary "Other than that, business like usual really. A lot of my time is currently turning to focus on building international relations which I'm sure you know, it's none-stop. My knowledge doesn't exceed something along those lines of a conflict between Thailand and Laos? I'm unsure as to the motives behind it or the current stance other than there has been peace talks. I must admit, that's about it. My focus has had to be elsewhere so I've missed a lot, as you can imagine - having only come out of a conflict ourselves with Turkey."

Bossza007

 

[Bossza007]

"So, let's get this story started. I shall describe the current conflict context from the beginning to the present. Allow me a moment to drink some water." Ambassador Pisanu would stop to gather his thoughts before conveying the material and persuading him that Thailand is no longer an aggressor. "It began with five of our citizens working as civil servants in Bangkok. They had a long vacation day and decided to take a road trip to Salavan, Laos. They all began in Bangkok, passed the Chong Mek Custom House, and continued to Salavan. When they arrived, local authorities mistook them for members of the Secret Army, a terrorist organization in Laos. They obeyed the local authority's order to pull over to the roadside. The cops handcuffed them and dispatched a SWAT unit to apprehend them. The SWAT team returned to the car and discovered bags. They feared explosive devices were inside, so they used dynamite to blow up the car. That was the first chapter before the cruelty occurred." He takes a breather to see if secretary Adams has anything to say.

"This incident occurred at the police station. Thailand now had a missing person case because they had gone absent for ten days. They got imprisoned in a solitary interrogation chamber. They didn't get enough food or water. One of them got subjected to serious physical assault and torture. Some plainclothes cops threatened one of them with a metal baton to reveal that they were terrorists attempting to incite in Laos. The same officer attempted to hit such a person, but he managed to dodge to defend himself, but he got shot by continuous rubber bullets from a distance of fewer than 10 meters from SWAT in the room. He made it out alive to tell the tale. Thailand attempted to notify the Lao Foreign Minister and Ministry about the missing people in Laos at the time. There was no response while the rioting in Thailand was taking place. Many people did not appreciate Laos' ignorance, and the majority of us here were, and still are, radical. They held a public debate, much like a politician, to decide what to do with Laos. It wasn't too bad till the five people returned to Thailand. They all returned with bruises, scars, injuries, and bullets. Then, tens of thousands of residents marched in front of the Thai Parliament building, demanding a firm stance against Laos. The three-day emergency parliament session finished with the most draconian legislation ever enacted. As a result, we declared war on Laos to overthrow the government." He pauses again.

"We're halfway through the story, and there are still more shocking events during the war and peace talks. I'm curious what you think about the first half of it. Most countries, in my opinion, do not yet understand this in-depth. Do you see us as an aggressor?"

Jamie

 

[Jamie]

"I like to think I look at events objectively, trying to take every account into consideration. I wouldn't be able to answer your question as to whether we see Thailand as an aggressor or not, without having all evidence applicable. I wouldn't want to say yes or no, without holding information from both sides and even other parties. That said, we can't hold judgement. My initial thought process is that the scenario you've given thus far, could have avoided the need of conflict as realistically, across both sides, there could be much more in terms of a loss to life which looks to be caused primarily by miscommunication. That's just my input but as I mentioned, it's difficult to offer much else without understanding the larger picture. Was any efforts made by Thailand to get the Global Assembly involved, or the International Court of Justice? Given it's an affair between two countries, I'm sure either would have worked to mediate the conflict.

I'd be keep to hear of the other shocking events and peace talks you speak off. May I also ask as to whether your country is currently supported by anyone else, or has anyone specifically opposed your intervention in Laos?"

Bossza007

 

[Bossza007]

"I am glad about your answer, to be honest. Most people here would answer their first thought regarding how they support or not in various ways. We have an anti-war movement in our country, and if we ask them, they will say that war is useless and that we are an aggressor. You might be able to answer my question if we are still in that phase of war because that was what people have done. I believe if at least Laos has informed us, we can avoid war. We would be ready to reform the Lao police authority since we are eager to develop Southeast Asia. We still prioritize our country, but ASEAN is our way. I will take your large picture as understanding the situation comprehensively. It's what we need to take out of the process as we shouldn't judge based on what we know from one side. I will make sure that you know what happened in the war during the battle and failed peace talk. Speaking of Global affairs, we haven't reached out to them yet. It is about the inefficiency of their agency. I would say their effectiveness is satisfied. There needs to be some reform of the process during the conference. I believe most nations need to value the Global Assembly. If there did not have peace talks, we would take over Laos before everyone could react. I will talk about the legal process later."

"Give me a moment. A breath should be good." Ambassador Pisanu pauses to relax. He then answers the secretary's question. "We do have confirmed support from 4 countries. We have Mexico, which they are our ally, especially from their perspective. Thailand and Mexico have profound support and collaboration in education, politics, economics, and infrastructure. Congo also supports us in terms of our relationship. We have an agreement to support one another and exchange with a cordial and friendly relationship. Sweden is our major ally since they are a world power, and we do have respect for them, and we always have been helping each other. We can't forget Vietnam, our closest partner, but oppose our conflict with Vietnam because it is against our effort from the ASEAN Declaration and ASEAN Cooperation that we seek to maintain. We have recently ratified the ASEAN Declaration, and it is now our job to end what we started. Vietnam is still sociable because they calmly listen to us, but we have seen worse. China is the main problem here. They have changed from a neutral country to terminating our neutrality pact. They will threaten us more forcefully when they have finished reorganizing their armed forces, which the last administration failed to do. I am disappointed because we can't even sign a visa agreement since the last one will help everyone and my stay in China longer. Let's stay on the topics. We are trying to reach the United States since we suspect them of having a close relationship with Vietnam, which means they have gotten into the conflict. I have heard there is a communication from our ministry to the Russian Empire. They have grown power in Asia since they won the war with Turkey. That's what I most know about the subject. I will continue with more storytelling.

He takes another pause and resumes. "When the parliament published the war declaration, we had about 300,000 personnel in the Armed Forces. We had declared a general mobilization before the war because of the looming threat of war from the Middle East. We moved 160,000 soldiers. It took us five days to control 14.4 percent of Laos. We then occupied 34.8 percent. Today, we have spread the military occupation of Laos to about roughly 40 percent of its area. This result is from the advance within 17 days. Many things happened during that period, but this is what I want you to know as a large picture. We usually receive casualties from the Laos paramilitary forces around the country, everywhere. The most notable ones are the Sainyabuli Campaign and Champasak Campaign. In the Sainyabuli Campaign, we had lost 270 soldiers only from the random hit and run tactic, and they wounded 1,250 of our personnel. They usually come from the forest. The next one is Champasak Campaign. There is a tragedy that happens, which I also don't like. We have one commander that is crazy enough to bombard the whole forest to kill every ambusher there. He ordered the Field Artillery Regiment to use the M758 ATMG, their proud self-propelled artillery. We had tested during the trial and found that the equipment could fire up to 42 kilometers and cover 3,000 squared meters and 1,100 lethal areas. I heard that 9 percent of Laos forest is in the conflagration. I am not sure if it is true, but everyone is extinguishing it. What do you think about this disaster? I don't want to compel you, but this matter should concern you. We also have our intelligence agency that is conducting a so-called special investigation. They have kidnapped such a commander that I mentioned to you."

He pauses again to see the reaction from the British secretary. "I know that we look like terrible people to destroy the environment, but it was not our intention, and it will never be. So, let me talk about the Lao Army. I want to inform you about the ongoing Luang Prabang Campaign, in which we have suffered 700 casualties. I only recently acknowledged it not so long ago. I know that our intelligence agency mentioned that the Lao First Army had bombarded the city, resulting in ten thousand casualties. Do you hear that word? This word is too broad. Most civilians survived the artillery shell, but most infrastructure got destroyed. It affected most people there. I am defending Laos because I oppose misconceptions. It is still unacceptable that they fired artillery at a campsite near the civilian area. The Lao army and their people are patriotic like most people should be. They are opposed to our invasion. Our population supports the war to overthrow them. I can't speak deeper into the cause because my knowledge doesn't comprehend everything. The situation is complex. That's what I would say to make it clear."

"I will take a break here to let you tell your thought. You are rational enough to convince me that your opinion passes cogitation, whatever sides you will land on one. We need actual deep thinking when we talk about sensitive subjects. What do you think about our effort to contact international power and others but not reach the Global Assembly and the Court of Justice? Do you think it is appropriate that we are almost 20 times stronger than Laos but still left with war? You might want to hear about the latest chapter, which is peace talk, but you can release your opinion freely."

Jamie

 

[Jamie]

There was a period of silence as the Ambassador went into detail about their account of the situation, "I'd like to begin by saying I appreciate your openness with it, with your own positives and negatives. I'm not too sure what the long term intention is but it depends on your actions next and a result of the peace talks. I'm aware my government would oppose any intent to try to annex it, to keep Laos under your control. Especially when there are options of allowing another government to take over and retain it's neutrality. This for us, would make a huge difference as to our resolve. That said, it's unlikely we would seek to be involved in any capacity other than this discussion. I would be interested to hear of what you would want, to see the end of the conflict? What is the end goal for yourselves? At the moment, just to summarize; Mexico, Congo and Sweden support your military action against Laos? And on the opposite, Vietnam, China are against your invasion? I might be wrong there but I just wanted to clear it up.

I've heard mention of the forest fires and I'm aware of an international response, although that was some time and I'm unsure as to the current state of it. I'd consider it an environmental tragedy that I truly think could have been avoided. Is this still going on now, and what international partners are involved?

I think reaching out to international powers would have been more beneficial doing so through the Global Assembly. It gives everyone the full picture and not that I'm not saying you are not, but it allows input from other countries to give their stances and reasoning behind it so that everyone else is in understanding."

Bossza007

 

[Bossza007]

Ambassador Pisanu would answer, clearing the situation and preparing to disclose the recent peace talk information. "I can be straightforward, especially when someone expresses that they see or appreciate others' openness. We have three wings in our country, led by one of the most influential people who partake in the conflict. Most outside of Thailand do not know that we still have cracks in the government, and have been happening for decades. The Military Wing led by General Thammarak Isarangkura na Ayudhaya. He is a co-Defence Minister who takes care of military affairs, and he used to serve as a general of all Armed Forces branches. He usually doesn't get along with the other minister, who used to be the Opposition's leader in the parliament. We have Foreign Minister Surakiart Sathirathai, who leads Civilian Wing. He has notable popularity within the parliament. These two sides are usually what every country has. We still have the Government Wing that our prime minister has to lead. Thailand's government and the civilian relationship are volatile, but they have somewhat bias against the military. When a dictator from the army takes a coup, the balance will shift. The government also has to remain some gap with civilians, or they will become haughty. The same applies when you switch the position. The military wants to spread its capability, and the government's current focus is on developing nations. It's not common that we have a minister who has enough favor to get endorsed by most of the parliament. So, their goal is to assure the civilian request with foreign affairs. We are now looking for lasting peace based on the majority and the latest ratification."

Yes, Mexico, Congo, and Sweden support us, and Vietnam and China are against it. Regarding the wildfire, we have Australia that seeks to assist in the conflagration extinguishing. Australia can't access the area because they don't want to risk in the warzone, although the battle ended, and we might have Vietnam join the team. Thailand is currently helping the effort from the local agencies with supplies and personnel." He takes a moment to think out the secretary's advice. "The Global Assembly may have poor reputation and reliability from the Swedish Occupation of South Africa and its ignorance of Middle East conflict, but I agree that we should reach them. I will be glad if the British government guides us in proposing the resolution. The situation is complicated, even though I don't understand most of them, and it will take time to compile the information. I should inform you about the peace talk first." He takes a breath.

"We have a peace negotiation arranged on the second of June, a few days ago. We had the Lao General Secretary and his guards arrive at Don Muang airport, which we had prepared for the hospitality. It wasn't gone as planned since the Lao pilot decided not to land and park on the carpet. I am not sure if it was their intention, but we felt ashamed because we wanted to ensure that everything looked appropriate. They went to the government house with our transport, and the Lao General Secretary was on the vehicle as our prime minister. The talk happened in the Ivory Room, where we had set the broadcasting media. We had Lao leader request to broadcast it directly, so we decided to use the military-own channel. The Australian Ambassador to Thailand, William Fisher, was also in the room since they are eager to be an intermediary. Everything looked good as planned, but the Vietnamese ambassador failed to attend the negotiation. The Lao General Secretary and Prime Minister argued about one another actions. It took a few minutes before the Lao leader got up and ordered his guard to bring out the briefcase that stored the conditions and handed it to the prime minister. This second was the moment before the tragedy started. The Thai armed guard snatched the briefcase away and walked outside the room to examine it with his partner. The Lao General Secretary was angry and scolded them. We have our armed guards inside the room during the short argument. Then, the explosive exploded when the two-guard opened the briefcase, which caused immediate death to them. More armed guards rushed inside the room, and the Lao bodyguard jumped out to shoot at our prime minister. There was then a fight for a minute before the Lao side capitulated. Our prime minister is okay, so I hope you don't need to worry about him. He just almost got the privilege to live with only one arm. We interrogated the Lao General Secretary, and he answered that it was an accident and it wasn't his order. We don't trust it completely, but we agree on a recess to have another negotiation soon with better security." He pauses

"To be honest, I expected to discuss trade, but it looks like describing drama. There is one thing that I want to ask the British government. We want you to endorse Thailand and Laos' efforts in the peace negotiation. The acknowledgment of our actions is not much recognizable. We want to have an actual recognized power other than Sweden to assure progress. Sweden supports us, so most will assume that they agree with us. If you are worried, I ask the British government to reassure the peace negotiation that will lead to the status quo. It won't hurt to have another nation carrying your back in return, will it? Our economy is booming. We could use some help from you after the war. So, that's it, the story of the conflict that I am aware of now." He develops a silence after he finishes.

Jamie

 

[Jamie]

"Thank you for providing an in depth explanation as to how the conflict is seen from your point of view, it doesn't need to be asked for us to endorse efforts from both sides that are pushing for peace. Given the ending of the conflict with Turkey, our current policy is more regional and domestic as opposed to interfering in international events and my comments are less about worry and more about understanding the situation. With the number of parties already involved, whilst endorsing peace talks, our own involvement will be extremely limited, it would mean more for the peace talks to be overseen and endorsed by others in Asia. If that makes sense. Hopefully the next set of peace talks will be more productive with the extra security in place. At the end of the day, any conflict, big or small, costs lives and money that could be focused on more productive options. It's unfortunate to see the problem you are facing and I wish your government the best in bringing it to a peaceful conclusion.

Whilst I admit this had been side tracked, my purpose for the call wasn't to do with an interrogation or querying your involvement in Laos. It's just we had no picture of the situation and for our own national security, having an understanding of international affairs is vital. My main focus is to set the framework for working closer together with Thailand through economic and political means. Having this dialogue is a positive start. Perhaps, in the line of trade, we could look to register freight routes between our countries?"

Bossza007

 

[Bossza007]

Even though he is on the phone, Ambassador Pisanu nods with a cheerful demeanor. "I feel at ease discussing this with you, but we need a fundamental framework to serve as a basis for Thailand and the United Kingdom's relationship, correct? I recall having many issues to talk about with the British government in the past, but the Middle East war was not the best time. I understand we are at war, but economic boom, Thailand's economy is still rising rapidly. When we declared war, investors lost faith in our country, but the circumstances forced them to increase their credibility in the market. Until a few decades ago, Thailand was not a very attractive investment destination. In 1995, our economy used to be worth $183 billion, but you know what happened. It was an era of turbulence, with our GDP falling to $113 billion in 1998. We are in the final month of Q2, and we estimate our GDP to hit $170 billion, with the possibility of reaching $200 billion by the end of the year. It will last for eight years before meeting a peak and transitioning into a year-long contraction. Bangkok is also growing fast. Many people have migrated to the capital to gain exposure to city life and technology. We are trying our best with the 9th National Economic and Social Development Plan. We're still in phase 1, which costs $4 billion and will take four years to complete. Our economy is prepared to export products to other countries while acquiring materials. We have some resources that we want to export to Britain and import from you, but I would like to hear about your country's economic situation."

Jamie

 

[Jamie]

"Correct" added in the British Secretary, "Unfortunately the Middle East War really took all our time, it was much closer to home and the Turkish had conventional means to return attacks domestically. Fortunately that is over and we can focus on our international relations. Economically, we're on the rise, with the second strongest economy in the world, only second to Sweden. We saw a drastic drop during the Russian stock market collapse and even during the conflict with Turkey, we saw a huge drop but this has recovered much better than before. We are looking to really use this as an advantage to focus on development of our ports in the UK as well as our oversea territories. We're looking for a huge investment in our ports that would open the capacity to become the biggest trade hub in Europe with a 25b$ cash injection. That's where our focus is turning to be the trade hub of Europe.

With Trade as the discussion, our main exports are as follows:

Machinery
Cars
Precious Metals
Pharmaceuticals
Organic Chemicals

I would be interested in arranging for multiple trade routes to be set up if there's any preferences as to what you would be looking to import? I would be intrigued to see what is offered too."

Bossza007

 

[Bossza007]

"I admire the power of the British economy even after the war and the stock market crash. Those are the thing that will damage our economy largely. I had never experienced how the war cost until the war in the Middle East and when war arrived in our country. The list of your exporting seems suitable. Let me see---" He gets distracted before he finishes the sentence while looking at the window during the conversation. "Is that a?" The utterance becomes Thai with a silent hush sound. "เฮลิคอปเตอร์หรอ? เหมือนของนักข่าว ไม่สิ นั้นมันของทหารนิ" It about fifteen seconds before he returns to the telephone. "I am sorry for my inappropriate behavior. I saw a helicopter passing here. It is going to Hyde Park. It looks cool." He takes a pause. "Thailand would be happy to set up highly efficient trade routes with the United Kingdom. Unfortunately, we only have two vessels left. We are looking for a Two-ways trip, and I hope the United Kingdom can do the same. I have a plan.

Thailand Vessel 1 with Machinery including Computers and Pharmaceuticals
Thailand Vessel 2 with Electrical Machinery, Equipment, and Organic Chemicals
United Kingdom Vessel 1 with Pharmaceuticals and Rubber, Rubber Articles
United Kingdom Vessel 2 with Organic Chemicals and Plastics, Plastic Articles.

I would like to know if there is anything that you would like to amend this deal."

Jamie

 

[Jamie]

"Those trade terms are acceptable, I can register those straight after this meeting with the Maritime Trade Organisation to get the routes set up. We would be opting to have Portsmouth as the point of arrival in the United Kingdom. Can I clarify where in Thailand you would be wanting the arrival of our freighter ships? Whilst I also don't want to revert back to the original topic of the conflict in Asia, can I just confirm if you believe there to be any risk to our trade routes? If there is a risk, we would be able to go ahead providing we would be able to set up a Royal Navy patrol as reassurance to our Merchant Navy - only if there's any form of risk from Laos or otherwise. For the routes themselves, it would be monthly deliveries, no?"

Bossza007

 

[Bossza007]

"That's fantastic news." Ambassador Pisanu is delighted to receive such a remark. "We are currently expanding most Thai ports, and we will have to deliver it at the current large one. Thailand prefers Laem Chabang Port since Bangkok Port is full, and we promote the use of our largest port at this time. It is in Bangkok. I tell you that the current poses no marine concern, and we will ensure the vessel's security while it is in our Maritime Zone. You are accurate in that it should be a monthly trading route." He takes a breath to inform Secretary Adams that he has completed the topic and is ready to move on.

He continues modestly. "I understand that it is outside the scope of our discussion today, but is it possible to discuss education cooperation?" If you are not available, I would like to speak with you or the Education Secretary again. Thailand and the United Kingdom should continue to work together on education for the next generation.

Jamie

 

[Jamie]

"I'm pleased to hear that there are no imminent security concerns, naturally there is always a threat from piracy as the vessels traverse through Africa so we often have a military presence nearby as a precaution but once they reach closer to Thailand, they will be unprotected. Nonetheless, I will arrange for the trade route to be submitted to the Maritime Trade Organisation.
I would be happy to move onto education, if you'd like to let me know what you have in mind and we can go through this."

Bossza007

 

[Bossza007]

"Oh, I thought you were referring to the threat within our territorial waters." I believe that piracy is an issue, but Sweden has the resources to deal with pirates. We haven't heard anything about the maritime threat in a while, so it's still good when we pass through. Let us now turn our attention to the topic of education. Thai and British students have received scholarships from Thailand and the United Kingdom. The effort stopped in 1995, and we aren't thrilled about it. Although we currently support educational fees, we still require an official foreign grant to cover them. We're thinking of the British and Thai governments subsidizing each other's students. We will have a zero expenditure balance, which will help to improve our public relations and promote international recognition of Thailand and the United Kingdom as partners. What do you think? A formal student exchange program with British institutions and colleges is also something we want. We believe that the top 20 universities should offer such an annual program. It has the potential to strengthen our culture and promote Thai-British relations through the civilian and younger generations.

Jamie