KUWAIT CITY, Dec 26: Ambassador of the Kingdom of Thailand to Kuwait Ekapol Polpipat has affirmed the depth and strength of Thai-Kuwaiti relations, describing them as excellent and historic, pointing to their development at all levels and various areas of cooperation over 60 years, which is the lifetime of bilateral relations between the two countries, while noting the existence of 20 agreements and memorandums of understanding that guide bilateral relations between the two countries, reports Al-Anba daily.

In his first interview with a local newspaper, Polpipat stressed that Kuwait is one of the main players in the region, and its calm and balanced diplomacy is the most prominent reason for supporting security and stability here. He said Kuwait has a distinctive democratic climate, freedom of expression is protected, and it has a strong parliament and a unique political experience, revealing that political consultations between the two countries will be held in Thailand in the first quarter of next year. He added the number of the Thai community in Kuwait does not exceed a thousand people, and it is a qualified and trained community that works in several sectors. He confirmed that Thailand has discussions with the Kuwaiti side to bring in more trained workers.

He asserted: “Our bilateral relationship is developing significantly at all levels and in various fields of cooperation. Therefore, we have broad and active areas of cooperation, such as political and economic cooperation, cultural exchange, and tourism of all kinds. We have been working with the Kuwaiti side on an agreement to bring trained Thai workers, including doctors and nurses, to Kuwait. The Kuwaiti side signed an agreement to protect investments to encourage investments, especially since Kuwait Investment Authority has been investing in our country for many years and we seek to increase the volume of these investments, especially since we have a distinctive investment climate and environment.”

Rediscover
He called on Kuwaiti investors to rediscover Thailand as a distinctive investment destination; especially in the areas of green economy, technology, food security, energy security, and the hospitality and hotels sector. He pointed out that Thailand has great potential in the medical sector. “We have an agreement with Kuwait regarding cooperation in the health field that was signed on Oct 17, 2012. I am happy to say that Thailand is one of the most prominent medical and therapeutic tourism destinations for Kuwaitis, due to the presence of hospitals, health centers, and high-class doctors of internationally acclaimed competence and specialists in all fields, providing the best medical services at reasonable prices. We also encourage more cooperation in new aspects of this sector.

We are discussing with the Kuwaiti side to prepare an agreement to support and promote medical tourism. We have several Thai doctors and nurses who visit Kuwait from time to time in cooperation with hospitals and health centers in Kuwait. He explained that Thailand is one of the favorite tourist destinations among Kuwaitis, who visit it every year in large numbers. “Kuwaiti tourists are welcome in our country, and they do not need a visa to enter for 30 days. For non- Kuwaitis, they obtain a visa through easy procedures, and the issuance period does not exceed three working days. In general, we receive 50 applications to obtain a visa daily. Last year, more than 40,000 Kuwaitis visited Thailand,” he revealed.