When Thai Ambassador Apichart Phetcharatana moved to Brunei Darussalam in 2011, he considered himself lucky. The country was peaceful and had a good natural environment.
“Bruneians are generally very gentle and kind,” he told Elite+. “In some ways they are similar to Thais, especially in their sense of humour. If you get to know them or have Bruneian friends, you realize they are easy-going and very welcoming to foreigners.”
Diplomatic relations between the two countries are warm, but Ambassador Apichart feels that one area that could be developed further is bilateral trade. Brunei ranks last in terms of Thailand’s trade partners in ASEAN, and 53rd overall.
“In the past three years I’ve seen companies from Singapore, China, Korea, Japan and Malaysia cooperate with Brunei in terms of technology, research, manpower development, fisheries, rice production and water management,” he said.
