On 24 July 2013, Mr. Johannes Peterlik, Ambassador of the Republic of Austria to Thailand, called on Mr. Surapong Tovichakchaikul, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, to bid farewell on the completion of his tour of duty.

Mr. Surapong congratulated Ambassador Peterlik on his successful tenure and thanked him for his role in strengthening the relations between Thailand and Austria, noting the good cooperation between the two countries in the field of education, particularly science and classical music. Thailand and Austria will celebrate the 60th anniversary of their diplomatic relations this year. The Royal Thai Embassy in Vienna organized the Thai Festival 2013 during 2 – 7 July 2013 to commemorate this special occasion. Thailand is also preparing for an official visit by the Austrian President to Thailand next year.

The Austrian Ambassador praised the role of Thailand in the ASEAN Community and said that Austria was ready to support Thailand in becoming a participating state of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE).