Wednesday 29 November 2023
The new Ambassador of the Kingdom of Thailand to the Independent State of Samoa, His, Excellency Mr. Waravuth Pouapinya, officially presented his credentials to the Head of State of Samoa, Afioga, Tuimalealiifano Vaaletoa Sualauvi II in a formal ceremony held on Wednesday 29th November 2023. The occasion marked the initiation of Ambassador Pouapinya’s official duties as the representative of the Kingdom of Thailand to the Independent State of Samoa.
Ambassador Waravuth Pouapinya in his remarks delivered at the ceremony, highlighted the friendly relations both countries have continued to maintain since the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1978. He expressed the Government of Thailand’s eagerness to enhance relations through opportunities for further cooperation in the areas of agriculture, technology and tourism. The Ambassador emphasized that the shared values and common aspirations that unite the two countries, underline the potential for mutually beneficial collaboration in the near future.
The Head of State of the Independent State of Samoa in his response congratulated His Excellency, Mr. Waravuth Pouapinya on his appointment as the new Ambassador of Thailand to Samoa and highlighted that this year marked the 45th anniversary of formal relations between the two countries, a milestone of mutual friendship that exist between Samoa and Thailand. The Head of State recognized the cooperation of both countries in the areas of sustainable development, climate change resilience, education and people-to-people exchanges via the annual international training courses provided through the Thailand International Development Cooperation Agency that has played a major role in Samoa’s capacity building. The Head of State expressed his confidence in the immense potential to expand into other avenues of cooperation and that the appointment of the new Ambassador will yield more opportunities in furthering relations between Samoa and Thailand.
His Excellency Mr. Waravuth Pouapinya is a career diplomat and served in various positions within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Thailand since joining the service in 1987. In 1993-1994, he served as Third Secretary and later as the Second Secretary at the Thai Embassy in London. He continued his extensive career in the Ministry serving in a number of positions in the Department of East Asian Affairs, Department of European Affairs, Political Division Department of International Organizations and the Office of the Permanent Secretary. In 2009, he served aboard at the Thai Embassy in Tokyo as Minister-Counsellor. Then served as Bureau Chief at the Asset Procurement and Management Bureau in 2014 and Assistant Permanent Secretary at the Office of the Permanent Secretary in 2015. He was appointed Ambassador of Thailand to the United Arab Emirates in 2018 and in 2022 became the Ambassador of Thailand to New Zealand and is accredited to Samoa, Cook Island and Niue.
