On Saturday 6 September, the new Thai Minister of Foreign Affairs, former Ambassador in Paris, was appointed as the successor of Tej Bunnag. He has the reputation of being an expert concerning the Cambodian issues and the Asean policy.
Caption: A Thai soldier at Preah Vihear. ©P.S.
On Saturday 6 September, the Prime Minister of Thailand has recommended the nomination of Saroj Chavanaviraj to the King, as Chief of Thai Diplomacy, after the surprise resignation on Wednesday 3 September of his brief predecessor, Tej Bunnag, while the country is facing an important political crisis.
Saroj Chavanaviraj, 66 years old diplomat, had already been offered this position twice before: after the election of Samak Sundaravej, then after the resignation of Noppadon Pattama with the Cambodian political crisis around Preah Vihear looming on the background.
The diplomat, retired since 2002, had declined the offer, refusing to get involved in the Thai political affairs, states the “Bangkok Post” in its Saturday edition.
Born on the 11th of May 1942, the new Chief of Thai Diplomacy is graduated in Political Science at the Los Angeles University of the United States.
Saroj Chavanaviraj is known to be an expert on Cambodian politics. In 1992, then Deputy Permanent Secretary of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, he represented Thailand during the negotiations preceding the organisation of the 1993 elections in Cambodia.
The diplomat also represented Bangkok in Paris between 2000 and 2002. Because of its role in the layout of the border between Cambodia and Thailand in 1907, France has been requested to play the role of mediator in the coming months regarding the dispute between both countries around the temple of Preah Vihear. Saroj Chavanaviraj was also the Thai representative for Asean in 1988. Bangkok, assuming the rotating presidency of the Association of the South-East Asian Nations, has to host the Summit of Ten and has to ratify the Asean charter in the near future.
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