Thailand’s new ambassador to Spain, Cheevindh Nathalang, presents his Letters of Credence at the Foreign Ministry

Eduardo González The new Thai ambassador to Spain, Cheevindh Nathalang, presented his Letters of Credence to the Director General of Protocol, Adrián Martín Couce, at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs headquarters in Madrid on Friday, July 24, as reported by sources at the Ministry to The Diplomat and confirmed by the Embassy itself on Wednesday, July 29. During the ceremony, according to the Embassy, Cheevindh Nathalang discussed with Adrián Martín Couce the strengthening of relations between Thailand and Spain, including high-level visits. The ambassador also congratulated Spain on its national team's recent victory in the FIFA World Cup. Cheewin Na Thalang replaces Vosita Vorasaph, who was appointed Thai ambassador to Spain in 2023. The first contacts between Spain and the Kingdom of Siam date back to the 16th century, when Tello de Aguirre led a trade mission from the Philippines. In 1870, both kingdoms formalized their relations with the signing of a Treaty of Friendship, Commerce, and Navigation. A further Treaty of Friendship, Commerce, and Navigation was signed in 1925. Aside from visits to Spain by the Prime Minister of Thailand, Marshal Phibun Songkhran, in 1955, and by the Kings of Thailand, Bhumibol and Sirikit, in 1960, official relations were revived with the arrival of democracy in Spain. The high points were the state visits of King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofía to Thailand in 1987 and 2006. In October 2010, the Thai Foreign Minister, Kasit Piromya, visited Spain, where he signed a Joint Action Plan (2010-2015) outlining the main areas of bilateral relations. For his part, the then Spanish Foreign Minister, Miguel Ángel Moratinos, visited Thailand in January 2005 as part of a regional humanitarian tour following the 2004 tsunami. Both countries hold Political Consultations through an annual dialogue mechanism, alternating between Thailand and Spain. The last meeting took place in Bangkok in June 2015. Queen Sofía attended the funeral of King Rama IX in October 2017. In December 2019, the Thai Minister of Foreign Affairs, Don Pramudwinai, attended the XIV ASEM Foreign Affairs Ministerial Meeting in Madrid, where he presented his vision on how to improve multilateralism in Asia and Europe, the main theme of that year's meeting. Also in the same year, the Thai Minister of Natural Resources and Environment, Varawut Silpa-archa, participated in the high-level session of the United Nations Climate Change Conference, known as COP25, which took place in Madrid in December 2019. In 2020, the 150th anniversary of diplomatic relations was celebrated. In June 2022, the Cervantes Institute selected Thailand as the guest country for the Tribune of Hispanic Studies held in Madrid, and in July 2024, the inauguration of a Cervantes Classroom in Bangkok was agreed upon, in cooperation with Chulalongkorn University. The Spain-Thailand Forum was inaugurated on June 8, 2023, in Bangkok, organized by Casa Asia, the Devawongse Varopakarn Institute of Foreign Affairs, and the International Studies Centre of the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The second Forum took place in Madrid in June 2024, focusing on “Maritime Security and Cooperation in the Indo-Pacific,” “Innovation in the Field of Renewable Energies,” and “Promotion of the Country Brand.” The third Forum, centered on sustainable development, was held in Bangkok on June 6, 2025. Among the high-level visits, the following stand out: in April 2025, the visit of the Minister of Education of Thailand, Permpoon Chidchob, to Spain, to sign a MOU for educational cooperation, and, at the end of June 2025, the visit of the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Thailand, Lalivan Karnchanachari, to attend the IV International Conference on Financing for Development (FfD4) of the United Nations, held in Seville.

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