Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Thailand)

Kingdom of Thailand
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
กระทรวงการต่างประเทศ

"The Seal of the Crystal Lotus"
Ministry overview
Formed 14 April 1840
Jurisdiction Government of Thailand
Headquarters Sri Ayutthaya Building, 443 Sri Ayutthaya Rd, Phaya Thai, Ratchathewi, Bangkok 10400
Annual budget 7.9 billion baht (2012)
Minister responsible
  • Don Pramudwinai, Minister of Foreign Affairs
Ministry executive
  • Norachit Sinhaseni, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry
Website www.mfa.go.th

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Thai: กระทรวงการต่างประเทศ; rtgs: Krasuang Kan Tang Prathet; Abrv: MFA) is the principal governmental department in charge of foreign relations in Thailand. The ministry is headed by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, who is also a member of the Cabinet of Thailand. He is appointed by the prime minister. The ministry is charged with formulating and executing foreign policies for the Kingdom of Thailand. The ministry manages and maintains Thai diplomatic missions around the globe.

History

Kromma Tha and Phra Khlang redirect here

Prior to the creation of the ministry, much of the country's foreign relations were handled by the absolute monarchs of the day. During the Kingdom of Ayutthaya foreign relations were handled by the "Krom Phra Khlang" (Thai: กรมพระคลัง) (or the Treasury Department). The head of the department was known as "Phra Khlang" (Thai: พระคลัง) and occasionally referred to as "Berguelang" or "Barcelon" by foreign authors. The famous 17th-century Siamese ambassador to France Kosa Pan was the younger brother of King Narai's "Phra Khlang" Kosathibodi. Soon after, a sub-department called "Kromma Tha" (Thai: กรมท่า, "Port Department") was created to deal with foreigners.

During the Bangkok Period most of these features were retained. For instance, the Chau Phaya-Phraklang in his capacity as Minister of State on behalf of Jessadabodindra[1] negotiated the Siamese-American Treaty of Amity and Commerce of 1833 with Edmund Roberts in his capacity as Minister of the United States on behalf of President Andrew Jackson.

In 1840, King Mongkut, the next king, founded the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Siam, which was administered directly by the king. The responsibilities and roles of the old "Krom" were shifted to this ministry. Chao Phraya Bhanuwong became the first Foreign Minister of Siam in 1871, appointed by King Chulalongkorn. In 1881 Prince Devavongse Varoprakarn was appointed to replace him. Known today as the "father of Thai diplomacy" he reorganized and modernized the ministry to meet 19th century standards. The ministry was then permanently established at Saranrom Palace, east of the Grand Palace. The ministry was divided into seven divisions:[2]

Foreign affairs advisers

From 1892 to 1924, the Siamese government retained the professional legal services of lawyers skilled in international law.

Reorganization

After the Revolution of 1932, the ministry came under civilian control and the minister was made a member of the constitutional government of Siam. The first minister under this new system was Phraya Sri Visarn Vacha.[5]

See more at: Foreign relations of Thailand

Departments

Most of the offices of the ministry were moved to a new grand building complex; Sri Ayutthaya Building, 443 Sri Ayutthaya Rd., Ratchathewi, Bangkok in 1992. This building is on the former premises of the Office of the South East Asia Treaty Organization (SEATO).

Administration

Functional departments

Regional departments

List of ministers

This is a list of Ministers of Foreign Affairs of Thailand:[6][7]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Roberts, Edmund (October 12, 2007) [First published in 1837]. "Chapter XX―Division of Time". Embassy to the Eastern courts of Cochin-China, Siam, and Muscat: in the U. S. sloop-of-war Peacock ... during the years 1832-3-4 (Digital ed.). Harper & Brothers. pp. 310–311. Retrieved April 25, 2012. [T]he capital [is] called Si-a-Yuthia, (pronounced See-ah-you-té-ah....)
  2. ↑ http://www.mfa.go.th/web/2680.php
  3. ↑ Obias, Peter B. (1972). "Treaty Revision and the Role of the American Foreign Affairs Adviser 1909-1925" (PDF). Journal of the Siam Society. Siam Society. JSS Vol.60.1e (digital). Retrieved September 7, 2013.
  4. ↑ Thamsook Numnonda (1974). "The First American Advisers in Thai History" (PDF). Journal of the Siam Society. Siam Society. JSS Vol.62.2f (digital): image 5. Retrieved September 7, 2013. The eventful forty-two year reign of King Chulalongkorn of Thailand (1868-1910) was a landmark in Thai history. It was the period that Thailand began to develop herself into a modern state, with the abolition of extrality (extraterritoriality), the negotiations of treaties, the reform of law and judicial administration, and the reorganization of governmental agencies. The achievement of these aims was, in fact, partly due to the work of the "foreign advisers" who shared roles in the affairs of this small Asian country.
  5. ↑ http://www.mfa.go.th/web/2682.php
  6. ↑ http://rulers.org/fm4.html
  7. ↑ "Names of Past Foreign Ministers". Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Retrieved 4 March 2016.
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