Thailandís New Ambassador Seeks To Strengthen Relationship With U.S. by Michael Coleman Kasit Piromya, Thailandís new ambassador to the United States, is a man on a missionóa brief mission. The career diplomat assumed his latest post in July, but he is set to retire at the end of next year. In the meantime, Piromya has a long list of goals he would like to accomplish. They range from simply boosting Thailandís image in America to encouraging more commercial partnerships between the two long-time allies. "There are so many things to do," Piromya said during a 50-minute interview at the spacious Thai Embassy, just a stoneís throw from Georgetownís waterfront. "First and foremost is to create a better understanding and appreciation of Thailand in the eyes of the American people. The job is to sell Thailand. And also, to inform the U.S. public that we have been allies for centuries. Itís a long relationship that should be appreciated." Piromya, who presented President Bush with his diplomatic credentials in July, has previously served as Thailandís ambassador to the Soviet Union, Germany and Japan, among other nations. He views the American position as the pinnacle of his diploma tic career. "Washington is the most important diplomatic post, so from a professional point of view, itís very challenging, very gratifying," Piromya said. The ambassador now lives with his wife in Northwest Washington, but he is no stranger to the American capital. He attended Georgetown University in the 1960s, earning his first degree in international affairs. He also completed graduate work at the Institute of Social Studies at The Hague, where he received a diploma in international relations and his masterís degree in social science. In 1968, Piromya joined the Thai Foreign Ministry ranks and began to travel the world, representing his country. His first job was in the Thai Mission to the European Community in Brussels. Although he doesnít have much time to settle in at his current job before he returns to his homeland, Piromya said he wants to help establish a foundation of good public relations for Thailand in America. That foundation can eventually morph into a solid path toward greater economic and security benefits for both countries, he said. "There is a limited understanding," of Thailand in America, Piromya explained. "Maybe people think we are a nice country, a smiling type of people, a good tourist destination. Our job is to inform the American public more than that. We have been allies and friends throughout history, with never any conflict. It hasnít been just a simple relationship. Our soldiers also died [alongside Americans] in Korea and Vietnam." Piromya envisions a future in which the United States looks to Thailand as its key trade partner in the Asian-Pacific region. The United States currently represents 20 percent of Thailandís exports. He said the countryís long history of maintaining an open, democratic society (it operates under a constitutional monarchy with a prime minister and a National Assembly) should give it plenty of credibility in trade talks with the United States. Piromya said he would like the Thai and U.S. governments to pursue plans to replace or improve key infrastructure in Southeast Asia, especially roads, dams and telecommunications technology along the Mekong River basin. "We can be a very good and reliable partner," the ambassador said. "We could do a hell of a lot together with the United States to make the area better. Not just from a security standpoint, but also from an economic and cultural point of view. "There is a need to develop the whole Mekong River basin, which includes Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Thailand and China," he added. Piromya pointed out that this kind of economic improvement could also help spread democracy. "We have a common belief in terms of democracy, an open society and a free market. We are against the denials of the freedom of human rights. We are against terrorism, extremism and things like this," Piromya said. "We are very proud of the freedom we have at home." However, the ambassador also acknowledged some of the obstacles to his countryís success. The drug trade in Thailand is legendary, and much of that product has historically landed on U.S. shores. In early 2003, Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra initiated a hugely controversial policy of individual assassinations of drug dealers by the government. Hundreds, perhaps thousands, of people are believed to have been killed without the benefit of due process as a result of this policy, although numbers provided by the Thai government are much, much lower. Piromya said an independent commission has been established to investigate the so-called non-judicial killings. "My prime minister has promised that the policemen or whoever has gone beyond the agreed framework will be brought to justice," he said. Piromya also said that pressure from the U.S. government and human rights groups has had a noticeable effect on public perceptions of the policy. "We cannot get away with it, and we cannot hide the facts of it," he said. "Society as a whole does not condone these types of activities. We do not like it. Itís definitely not supported by our people. Itís been criticized." However, the perception of Thailand as a major opium-producing country is no longer valid, Piromya said, citing a crop diversification program introduced in Thailand that has helped curb the growth of opium, and by extension the regional drug trade. "In terms of the cultivation of opium, the plant itself, I think we have more or less eradicated that from Thailand in the past 10 years," he explained. "We also have been working very closely with international organizations and the U.S. government in terms of suppression of chemicals used in the production of opium. We have been seeking the cooperation of the Burmese government, in particular, for the suppression [of the drug trade] and to help them create work across the border." The ambassador said Thailand decided to crack down on the drug trade a decade or so ago in part because of the advent of ecstasy and other drugs that were saturating the country. "Itís affecting us alsoóour children are being introduced to drugs," he said. "Itís not only the European children or the American children." As the conversation turned to Iraq, Piromya said the fierce anti-American sentiment that the war has generated in some countries around the world is not prevalent in Thailand. "As a democratic country, there must be opposition," he said. "But we sent 400 soldiers and so far there have not been protests in the streets. I think people have come to the realization of the good of it. "We are allies with the United States, so we bought into this, allied as a friend," he continued. "We believe what we are doing is more on the humanitarian and reconstruction side of it. It was something we could contribute Ö and so far, so good." He noted, "Our military units, engineering core and medics are doing quite well." In his quest to educate Americans about his country, Piromya and the Thai Embassy have scheduled a Thai Festival in D.C. The event, slated to begin Sept. 26 on Freedom Plaza, will feature cultural shows, exhibitions, Thai food and gifts, and other attractions. He also hopes to impart a little bit of the Thai philosophy of life, a manner that is rooted in Buddhism. "The Buddhist teachings maybe would be pertinent to everyday life in America," he said. "Avoidance of the extremes, or too much indulgence in material things could be quite good for the Americans. Maybe people would have less of the heart disease and divorce and more unity and family. "People might be less angry, and maybe they would smile a little bit more," Piromya said with, of course, a smile. Michael Coleman is a freelance writer in Washington, D.C.