Celebration of the 420th Anniversary of Diplomatic Relations between Thailand and the Netherlands Special Seminar on Water Diplomacy: 420 years and Solutions to Flood Prevention

On 24 September 2024, Mrs. Krongkanit Rakcharoen, Director-General of the Department of European Affairs, together with H.E. Mr. Michiel Sweers, Vice-Minister for Foreign Economic Relations of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands, delivered opening remarks at the special seminar on "Water Diplomacy: 420 Years and Solutions to Flood Prevention", in celebration of the 420th anniversary of Thai - Dutch diplomatic relations at Narathip Auditorium, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Thailand.

The event was attended by participants from various sectors such as water management organizations, educational institutions, private sector, non-governmental organizations and civil societies. The programme consisted of a special keynote addressed by Associate Professor Pirasri Povatong, Ph.D on the topic of "The Dutch Hydraulic Engineers in Siam during the Reign of King Chulalongkorn : Transnational History of Water Control in the Chao Phraya River Basin." Afterwards, the audience participated in the special seminar on "Water Diplomacy: 420 Years and Solutions to Flood Prevention", aiming to enhance cooperation in dealing with challenges from flood and sustainable water management by water experts from both kingdoms, namely Deltares Institute and IHE Delft of the Netherlands, the Office of National Water Resources, the Royal Irrigation Department and Bangkok Metropolitan Administration.

On this occasion, both side signed a Letter of Intent on academic cooperation between Deltares Institutes, IHE Delft, and Chulalongkorn University in order to strengthen collaboration on issues linked to flood prevention and solutions.

The celebration of the 420th anniversary of Thailand-Netherlands diplomatic relations reflected the close and long-standing ties between the two kingdoms, dating back to Ayutthaya period (AD 1604) until the present while reaffirming the commitment of both sides to continue working closely together for the mutual benefist of their respective peoples and nations, expecially in exchanging of technological know-how and best practices in response to flood-related challenges in the future.