On 12 September 2023, H.E. Mrs. Vilawan Mangklatanakul, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Thailand to the Slovak Republic, hosted the celebration of the 30^th Anniversary of the Establishment of Diplomatic Relations between the Kingdom of Thailand and the Slovak Republic at the Hotel Devin, Bratislava.

The Ambassador underlined that for over 30 years, the relations between the two countries have smoothly developed in a cordial manner. During which, 2012 – 2014 was an extraordinary period in the Thai diplomatic history that Her Royal Highness Princess Bajrakitiyabha was appointed as the Ambassador of the Kingdom of Thailand to the Slovak Republic and brought about remarkable contributions in advancing Thai-Slovak relations both bilaterally and multilaterally. The Ambassador expressed strong determination to further build upon the aspiration of Her Royal Highness to strengthen the collaborations with Slovakia in all dimensions.

To promote people-to-people connectivity and tourism, while welcoming the increased mutual exchange of tourists, the Ambassador pointed out more potentials as Thailand is ideal for “workation” and retirement. In this connection, Thailand is working closely with the EU to revitalise negotiation on visa-free access to the Schengen area for the Thai passport holders, which would induce more visits and closer engagement in other fields. Slovakia is encouraged to materialise opportunity in Thailand with the recently adopted Investment Promotion Strategy (2023-2027), especially in the high-tech, green and smart industries. She also believes that the resumption of negotiation on the Thai-EU FTA agreement is of mutual benefits and, once concluded, will strengthen the Thai-EU partnership.

On this occasion, H.E. Mr. Boris Kollár, the Speaker of the National Council of the Slovak Republic, delivered his congratulatory remarks, praising the three decades of bilateral relations. He expressed appreciation to Thailand for being one in the first group of countries that recognised the independence of Slovakia in 1993. He stands ready to support expansion of the Thai-Slovakia relations in every aspect. Mr. Speaker applauded on the rich culture and beautiful nature of Thailand. He particularly commended on the remarkable contributions of Her Royal Highness Princess Bajrakitiyabha, the former Ambassador of the Kingdom of Thailand to the Slovak Republic, in advancing the bilateral relations. He expressed well wishes for Her Royal Highness speedy recovery.

During this event, the Ambassador demonstrated cooking of the Thai Green Curry with Chicken and the Spicy Mixed Fruits Salad, using the available ingredients from Slovak market. The foods were then paired with the Slovak wines. There were also showcase of Thai products by the Thai Trade Center and promotion of tourism by the Tourism Authority of Thailand.