The strong Thai that binds

When diplomat (now Thai ambassador to the Philippines) Kulkumut Singhara Na Ayudhaya was walking down the streets of New York some years ago, someone, presumably a Filipino, called out to him endearingly: “Pinoy! Pinoy!”

The ambassador did not understand what it meant then, but after being posted in the Philippines a few years later, he realized why he was being called “Pinoy” on the streets of the Big Apple. He looked Filipino.

In an interview (kindly arranged by Thai Airways GM Nivat Chantarachoti) at the Thai Embassy in Makati, Singhara, whose first language as a little boy was French and who mastered Spanish after going to a university in Spain for his master’s, tells me, “Our society is very similar and our two people look the most alike. In fact, when Thai students come to the Philippines, they do not have to adapt a lot to the culture.”

In fact, like most prominent Thais, Singhara acknowledges that several Thai students flocked to the Philippines two decades ago to learn and specialize, especially in the field of agriculture.

“I have to tell you that the Philippines, in the eye of Thai people in the 1960s, was the center of excellence in education. Many families that would like their kids to understand very good English had three choices, to send them to England, to the United States or to the Philippines. But from 1980 to 1990, some began going to Australia as well.”

Those of us who have been to Thailand and have beheld their fruits, vegetables and rice produce know that their land is a rich cornucopia of agricultural products.

But Singhara says many Thais learned their agricultural technology here, and he acknowledges that up to now, the Philippines is still a leader in the field.

“The center of excellence of agriculture, it’s really in the Philippines,” declares Singhara.

“Up to now, you acknowledge that?” I ask, trying to conceal the surprise in my voice.

 “Yes, up to now,” he answers without hesitation. “Even right now, Thai students are coming to study here. I think the food processing industry is another strong point in the Philippines. You have good research. I can tell you it’s the best in the world. You have just actually one in IRRI (International Rice Research Institute) in Los Baños.”

Thailand’s advantage is that their students aren’t only fast and conscientious learners. Thai students always go back home and apply their knowledge in a land where the soil is so fertile it yields the sweetest and most succulent fruits, the most aromatic rice varieties, and good wine even!

Aware that the Philippines would like to import more agricultural products from Thailand, and pointing out that certain restrictions make it difficult to go straight to the government, Singhara has revived the Philippine-Thai Business Council. He encourages private sector to private sector dealings.

“Right now, I try to make the two private sectors get closer and I’m trying to persuade them to come and sign an agreement that we call Philippine-Thai Business Council. We had this already but it expired for around five or six years ago.

“When I arrived here one and a half years ago, I studied this agreement. So that’s why I communicated this to the President of the Philippine-Thai Business Council and in Thailand we have Thai-Philippine Business Council.”

There are about eight major Thai investors in the Philippines, including SCG, Dusit Thani, Petroleum Authority of Thailand (PTT), Thai Airways and Bangkok Bank. The Mariwasa Group of the Coseteng family also has a co-venture with a Thai corporation.

“We really love the name Mariwasa,” smiles Singhara. “It’s an old Tagalog word that means prosperity. That I understand. And most significant of all, Mariwasa is the first ceramic company in Southeast Asia.”

On the other hand, the Philippine companies that have invested in Thailand include the San Miguel Corp., Universal Robina, the Liwayway Group that sells snack food and Nissin-Monde.

“There are many Filipinos in Thailand who do the business of export and import because of your strong point in language. So that’s why right now in Thailand we have around 20,000 Filipinos who reside there and they do trading.”

Singhara says there are not many domestic helpers in Thailand, unlike in Hong Kong and Singapore.

“Mostly the Filipinos in Thailand are professors, especially English teachers. We have one institute, a very good one, we call the Asian Institute of Technology. There are a lot of Filipino professors who work in this institute. It looks like AIM here, but it’s called AIT in Bangkok. It’s a very big university,” Singhara points out.

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Despite some political unrest in mid 2009, Thailand has experienced much growth in the last decade. I ask Singhara the secret to the success of the Philippines’ former “student.”

“Thailand is a hardworking working country and we try to learn the best practices from every country all the time, we never stop. The problem of Thailand used to be the administration and in the recent year, it looks like our people did better and everything is really transparent right now in Thailand. For example we have a special court to investigate cases, if you have a doubt that this person is not transparent. So that’s why the court is very powerful,” reveals Singhara.

 There are also less non-working holidays in Thailand, which foreign investors like. They don’t have an extended Christmas season and Holy Week.

And of course, Thailand has a robust tourism industry, although it has its share of challenges.

“Tourism is one of the strongest points of Thailand because we have a lot of variety to offer to the visitors and the most strong point is the hospitality of the people. We have 15 to 16 million a year, tourist arrivals. I don’t know how much they spend but I still think tourism is still one of the top income sources of the country.”

Thailand right now is the hub of car spare parts in the region, which generates a lot of foreign exchange for the country.

“We made a decision not to produce cars because we cannot follow Japan and Korea. So Thailand is the hub of producing the spare parts of the car and one of our biggest exports to every country in this region is the spare part. And the car that we assemble in Thailand, for example the Japanese car, we export mostly to the United States and to Canada.”

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Singhara, who is the middle child in a brood of seven, has virtually seen the world. In fact he has been posted in Mexico, Australia and after Australia, New York. From New York, he was appointed Thai ambassador to East Timor. About two years ago, he was appointed ambassador to Manila, where he finally learned why he was being called “Pinoy” in New York.

“I really enjoy being a diplomat so that’s why I love this career,” Singhara beams.

When he was in junior high school he went to a friend’s house and noticed that it was replete with souvenirs from around the world. That fascinated him, so he asked his friend what his (the friend’s) father did.

“My father’s a diplomat!” his friend said proudly. Looking around the living room and the tales the artifacts and souvenirs told, the young Singhara told himself that one day, he, too, would have tales to tell about the many countries he has not just visited, but came to know by heart.

“And then one day I went and I had chance to talk with the father and I really liked him and that’s why I was inspired to be a diplomat,” Singhara recalls.

And it is the Philippines’ good fortune that Singhara — someone mistaken for a “Pinoy,” learning what it’s all about being a Pinoy, and liking it — has been posted in its shores.

(You may e-mail me at [email protected])