On 27 June 2012, the first day of his visit to Dubai, Mr. Surapong Tovichakchaikul, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Thailand, met executives of Thai companies in the UAE and had a bilateral talk with the Foreign Minister of Kenya, in order to explore Thailand’s business and investment opportunities in the Middle East and Africa.
During his meeting with heads of the Thai offices in Dubai, including Thai Airways and TAT, Foreign Minister Surapong stressed that over 500,000 tourists from the Middle East visit Thailand each year, for leisure and medical treatment, with total spending of about 30,000 million Baht. Recently, however, there have been complaints that the cost of medical care in Thailand had risen markedly, decreasing the attractiveness of the country as a hub of medical tourism in Southeast Asia. The Foreign Minister said that he would discuss this matter with CEOs of private hospitals in Thailand in order to maintain the cost of medical services for international patients. The Foreign Minister would also talk to the Interior Minister and the provincial governors to ensure foreign tourists of their safety and pleasant stay in the kingdom.
Later, Foreign Minister Surapong had a meeting with Mr. Samsan Kegengo Ongeri, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kenya, to discuss issues of mutual concern. He underscored Kenya’s significance as one of Thailand’s key partners in Africa and raised Thailand’s interest in investing in energy and infrastructure, most notably the construction of LPG storages.
The Foreign Minister and his Kenyan counterpart shared the concern of the rise of piracy incidents off the coast of Somali and in the Gulf of Aden. Both believed that capacity building is key to addressing the root cause of piracy, and that restoring political stability and fostering sustainable development in Somalia are among the most important priorities. FM Surapong also sought Kenya’s support for Thailand’s candidature for a non permanent seat in the UN Security Council for 2017 - 2018. He reaffirmed Thailand’s readiness to share experiences with Kenya in the field of development and to enhance bilateral ties through technical cooperation.
At the end of the bilateral talk, FM Surapong invited the Kenyan Foreign Minister to visit Thailand to co-chair the Second Thailand-Kenya Joint Commission Meeting in Bangkok.
For further information, please contact the Press Division, Department of Information, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Tel.02-6435170, Fax.02-6435169, E-mail: div0704@mfa.go.th