Up close and personal with Thai Ambassador Kulkumut Singhara Na Ayudhaya

He has only been in the Philippines for 11 months yet Thai Ambassador Kulkumut Singhara Na Ayudhaya, 54, seems to be very at ease with his new environment. To start with, Manila is not really a new surrounding for him for he has been to the Philippines several times in the past.

“The Philippines is like my second home,” he begins.

To prove a point that Manila, too, is his home, the affable ambassador, on the first few days of his tour of duty in the country, drove his car one weekend with his wife Pattama Singhara Na Ayudhaya, and, armed with a sense of awe and wonder, went to the countryside. He wasn’t familiar with the roads and directions in the Philippines but he was confident his adventure would lead him to a beautiful experience.

“Indeed, it was such a beautiful experience,” says Ambassador Singhara, finding out later on that his first drive out of Manila led him to Tagaytay. He didn’t mind getting lost. All he had to do, he says, was to ask for people how to get back to Makati (where he resides in the city). As long as he knew how to get back to his point of origin, everything became a bliss and breeze to him.

Of late, with the ambassador behind the steering wheel, he and his wife have been to Subic, Clark, even to Lumban, Laguna to check out the beautiful barong Tagalog fabric the place is famous for.

The zest for life of the ambassador is at a fever pitch. It is the same energy that is contained in him when he took up his B.A. French and Political Science in Silpakorn University in Bangkok. He finished his M.A. (International Relations) from the School of Diplomacy, University of Madrid in Spain. He later on went to The National Defence College of Thailand in 2006 to 2007.

He joined Thailand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1981. From there, he soared high with his dreams of serving his government. His first tour of duty as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Thailand to the Republic of Timor-Leste took place in 2003. And since early this year, he has been the Thai Ambassador to the Philippines.

Bangkok-Manila relations

The ambassador says Thailand and the Philippines will celebrate 60 years of friendship next year. “We have maintained our long and close relationship with the Philippines. Some 50 to 60 years ago, Thai people came to the Philippines to study and benefit from its advanced educational system,” says the well-decorated ambassador, latest of whose decorations include The Chakrabarti Mala Medal (2006) and the Knight Grand Cordon of the Most Noble Order of the Crown of Thailand.

He adds that Bangkok and Manila maintain a robust economic relationship, with a total volume trade of more than $5-billion. Import trade amounts to $2.3 billion while export trade pegs at $2.7 billion.

The Thais that bind

Ambassador Singhara comes from a family of government officers. “My father, grandfather and great grandfather all worked for the government,” he proudly says. He beams at the thought that among his six other siblings, he, the middle child, is the one who followed in their footsteps of serving the Thai government. Well, his two brothers are policemen in Bangkok. Another brother is a hotelier. His eldest sister is a retired banker. Another sister of his is a businesswoman in London. His youngest sister, though schooled in England, is the one taking care of their 84-year-old mother, Pranom Singhara Na Ayudhaya.

“We actually asked our youngest sister not to work and be the one to take care of our mother. It may be unfair at first glance but it was a family consensus that my youngest sister lovingly agreed to. In return, my other siblings and I send her money,” says the ambassador.

The ambassador’s eyes glisten with joy and longing as the topic segues to his mother. “She’s lovely,” he says, “she, being a full time homemaker, has sacrificed a lot for her family.” The ambassador adds that he calls his mother every week to check on her.

He considers his late father, M.L. Uthai Singhara, his hero. “My dad taught me to be brave, to do my best in everything I do. He taught me and my siblings to learn a lot of experience from the people we work with.”

Ambassador Singhara says his father is his hero because “we copy what he did and practiced. His tailor when he was still alive is the same tailor we have now. People have high regard of Dad because he protected the poor.”

“When I was selected as secretary of Deputy Prime Minister Dr. Thanat Khoman in 1983, my father gave his all-out support to me. That meant a lot to me,” recalls Ambassador Singhara.

Royal inspiration

Aside from his family, who else inspires the ambassador with his everyday endeavors?

“The King,” he quickly answers.

“When I was a child, I was already familiar with the ways of the King in our country’s remote areas. I grew up knowing his immense contribution to Thailand’s agricultural growth — from irrigation system to artificial rain,” he remembers.

The ambassador says he will always remember the King for his compassion.

How he unwinds

No matter how hectic his day is, Ambassador Singhara will always make it a point to have dinner with his wife. Oh, how he adores his wife!

At their spacious home in Makati, the ambassador takes a few laps in the swimming pool before going to work and after coming home. He also loves to play golf.

He also catches up on his reading. Right now, he’s reading One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez.

One of the most memorable books he read in Manila is the one about Filipino businessman John Gokongwei Jr. “Since I have never joined the private sector, I have always been fascinated with the minds of businessmen.” Over a private sumptuous Thai dinner at his home, the ambassador and the businessman had a beautiful discussion of Gokongwei’s book.

What lies ahead

With his posting in Manila, Ambassador Singhara looks forward to more beautiful and fruitful bilateral ties between Thailand and the Philippines. He’s confident about this because his tour of duty is guided by his unsullied ethics towards professional excellence.

Besides, his personal philosophy sums up who he is and what he is made of. “If we practice doing good, all the results will be very good, too,” he concludes.