Elephant diplomacy: Ambassador marks 72 years of Thai-Israeli relations with zoo visit

Ambassador Boonyarit Vichienpuntu marked 72 years of Thai-Israeli diplomatic relations by visiting the elephants at Jerusalem's Tisch Family Zoological Gardens. He described the elephants as "symbols of living diplomacy" and "part of our people-to-people relations."

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The Thai elephant is very important. They are in the heart of the Thai people. They are the symbols of living diplomacy, the good relations between Thailand and Israel.

The elephants, gifted by Thailand in 1994, represent the enduring friendship between the two countries. Originally four females, the herd now includes three females and one male. Zoo keepers maintain a connection to Thailand by speaking to the elephants in their native language.

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The elephant is part of our people-to-people relations.

Vichienpuntu expressed optimism about the future of bilateral ties, emphasizing cooperation in agriculture, citing Thailand's adoption of Israeli irrigation technology. He also highlighted Israel's strengths in science, technology, innovation, and startups, noting an upcoming visit by the Weizmann Institute of Science to discuss quantum AI.

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Everyone is confident and committed to the growing and blossoming relationship between our two countries.

Addressing potential boycotts like BDS, the ambassador dismissed concerns, stating they would not economically harm Thailand. He pointed to strong trade ties with the US and China as evidence that such movements pose no significant obstacle. This year will also see the first Thai Festival held in Israel, joining other major global cities that host the event.

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We don’t see any obstacles. Our main trading partners are still the Americans and the Chinese. I don’t see these two countries having any problem with Israel.