Issue 28

New Zealand’s ambassador to Thailand talks about the relationship between the two countries, as 2015 marks the 10th anniversary of the Thailand-New Zealand Closer Economic Partnership.

“Our embassy in Thailand is one of the larger embassies, and that reflects the wide range of engagement between the two countries, whether it’s education, tourism, trade or consular,” says New Zealand ambassador Reuben Levermore.

According to the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, approximately 3,000 Thai students study in New Zealand annually. “In Thailand, New Zealand is a very popular destination for high school students, as parents see New Zealand as a safe destination that uses English and has a high quality of education,” says Levermore.

“We also do a lot of people-to-people activities to promote New Zealand culture and non-trade sectors,” he adds. “Thailand is very popular in New Zealand; [New Zealanders] love to come here on holidays, and they love Thai food. Now, more visits to Thailand are business-focused, reflecting Thailand’s success and development as a country.”

Currently, as an economic partner with New Zealand, Thailand ranks third in ASEAN and tenth globally at US$1.83 billion, a figure that has more than doubled since the Thailand-New Zealand Closer Economic Partnership (TNZCEP) was signed.
“We negotiated [the trade agreement] in 2005, so this is the tenth anniversary of Thailand-New Zealand trade agreements. The tariffs are progressively reduced, and … will reach zero this year [2015]. It gives our exporters an advantage so we value that very highly, and Thai exporters also benefit from zero tariffs.”

Major exports from Thailand to New Zealand are mostly automobiles, with trade constantly growing in the last decade. Conversely, exports from New Zealand to Thailand consist mainly of food products such as milk, fresh meat and seafood.

Levermore remarks that as a consumer market, Thailand has a very positive outlook. “Thailand has a large population, an increasing middle class, and has shown impressive economic growth in last decade,” he says.

As for the forthcoming economic cooperation across the ASEAN region, Ambassador Levermore views the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) as opening up more opportunities for Thailand and neighbouring countries. “[ASEAN] is an interesting region to be in, and Thailand has the advantage of being very strategically located in AEC. As projects like infrastructure and logistics [in the region] are realised, we expect that the economies that surround Thailand will begin to grow more quickly, and Thailand can become a premium hub for logistics and manufacturing, and there’re a lot of reasons [for New Zealand] to stay focused on Thailand in the long term.”

Word by Sirinuch Borsub