On 22 November 2011, Mr. Johannes Andries Boer, Ambassador of the Netherlands to Thailand, paid a courtesy call on Foreign Minister Surapong Tovichakchaikul, to discuss water resources management issues from flood crisis in Thailand.
The Ambassador of the Netherlands reaffirmed the Netherlands’ readiness to share experiences and expertise on water resources management with Thailand. The following points were proposed: 1) to share experience of the Netherlands’ Integrated Water Management Plan, which should be set up as Thailand’s national agenda; 2) to organize “Water Fair” in Thailand to serve as a venue for sharing knowledge and experiences among experts to find the best solutions for flood situation in Thailand and; 3) to invite the Thai Foreign Minister and relevant experts to visit the Netherlands to observe water resources management in the Netherlands which could be applied in Thailand. In addition, the Ambassador was of the view that flood situation in Bangkok is relatively similar to the situation in the Netherlands since both capital cities are located in delta, therefore, the Netherlands’ experience could be applied to Thailand. The Netherlands also stands ready to assist Thailand on this matter in light of close ties between Thailand and the Netherlands for more than 400 years. On this occasion, Foreign Minister Surapong expressed his appreciation to the Netherlands for dispatching experts to support the works of the Flood Relief Operations Center and thanked the Ambassador for his good will and recommendations. He also welcomed experiences and advice on best practices from other countries so as to implement the most appropriate solutions to the benefit of the country in long run. The Foreign Minister also supported the initiative of organizing an event to provide forum for experts to exchange their experiences, in line with the outcomes of the 19th ASEAN summit in Bali, which the Thai Prime Minister attended. The Summit also adopted the Leaders’ Statement on Cooperation in Flood Prevention, Mitigation, Relief, Recovery and Rehabilitation which was initiated by Thailand and many countries commended Thailand on this initiative.