H.E. Mr. Kevin Cheok, the Singaporean Ambassador to Thailand

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H.E. Mr. Kevin Cheok, the Singaporean Ambassador to Thailand

by Expat Life 

 

 

Expat Life in Thailand interview with the Singaporean Ambassador.

 

How long have you been the Ambassador to Thailand? Did you arrive directly from home or were you posted somewhere else before?

Ambassador Kevin Cheok arrived in Thailand 15 months ago. I took up post in Thailand in May 2019. Before this, I handled the Infrastructure portfolio at the Ministry of National Development in Singapore. It was a secondment from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Prior to that, I was Singapore’s Ambassador to Cambodia. I have also served as Deputy High Commissioner in Kuala Lumpur, Deputy Permanent Representative in New York, and First Secretary in Berlin.

 

Where were you born and brought up? Do you have other diplomats in your family?  

My father was a diplomat for over three decades, including stints as Singapore’s Ambassador to Germany and High Commissioner to India. I was born in Singapore, but given the realities of diplomatic life, I spent a fair amount of my childhood abroad. My initial schooling was in New York, followed by primary school in Singapore, and junior high school in Penang. I got my High School diploma from the Dalton School in New York, my Bachelor’s degree from Lafayette College in Pennsylvania, and my Masters’ degree from Columbia University in New York.

 

How do you look at Thailand today? Have you had any obstacles since you arrived?

I see Thailand as a vibrant and dynamic country blessed with abundant natural resources and an enterprising and creative people. Thailand is also an economic force as the second largest economy in ASEAN. 

 

It has been hectic since I got here in May 2019. I arrived in the middle of Thailand’s ASEAN Chairmanship. This was a busy period with many meetings, Summits, and visits by Singapore political leaders. I did not have the usual “run-in” period to familiarise myself with places, people, and issues. But it worked out fine due to the support and cooperation I received from Thai leaders and officials, as well as from my colleagues at the Embassy. I remain very grateful for that.

 

Shortly after the Chairmanship, everyone had to shift gears to deal with Covid-19. This extraordinary situation has challenged all of us to adapt and change the way we do things. It was stressful. But it has also been an honour to be able to help Singaporeans in Thailand navigate through the uncertainty. One thing that also impressed me is the strength and resilience of the Thai people.  This was underlined by the way Thais banded together to manage the Covid-19 pandemic.

 

Do you see similarities between your country and Thailand?

The short answer is “yes”. Thailand and Singapore are old friends and close partners. Thailand was the 6th country to recognise Singapore’s independence in 1965. It is a fellow founder member of ASEAN. We are both trading nations. So we share similar views about the importance of free trade, a rules based multilateral order, and ASEAN centrality.  

 

On an individual level, Thais and Singaporeans are both obsessed with food! We love good food. We love finding places to eat. We love sharing food with friends and family, and we love talking about food, usually whilst eating another meal!  Thais are some of the most hospitable people I know. When I eat with Thai friends, it feels just like being at home.

 

Do you have children?

No. We have two spoiled senior cats who have travelled to four postings with us.

 

How do you look upon your work here? What does an average day look like?

The nice thing about being a diplomat is how varied the work is. It is always new countries, new cultures, new circumstances. You are an advocate, a negotiator, an analyst, an administrator, a representative of your country. You cover politics, economics, culture, protocol, consular, and meet so many different people. So it is hard to have an “average” day. But suffice it to say, I spend a fair amount of time interacting with political leaders, officials, the business community, academics, Singaporeans, etc. I also need to keep abreast of political and economic developments in Thailand and in Singapore. And there are many representational duties.  

 

I assume you have some goals you would like to reach before you leave. What are they?

Thailand and Singapore have been friends and close partners for 55 years so the relationship has deep foundations. Political ties are excellent, economic links are robust, defence links are strong, and people to people links are warm. But having said that, it is always the intention of Ambassadors to further deepen bilateral ties.

 

On the political level, I want to foster more personal meetings. Relations at the leadership level are excellent, but Singapore has started a leadership transition to what we call our “4th Generation”. So I want to facilitate more contacts between newer Singapore leaders and their Thai counterparts.  This will help increase the level of familiarity. 

 

I also want to focus on the economic relationship. Thailand and Singapore are already amongst each other’s top trading partners. Singapore is a significant investor in to Thailand. But there is always room to deepen these mutually beneficial ties. One possible area is agricultural trade. Singapore imports the vast majority of its food so there are opportunities for more food imports from Thailand. Another area is in Fintech and the digital economy. These areas represent economic drivers of the future for both nations. And the trends in this direction have been greatly accelerated by Covid-19. Thailand and Singapore can cooperate to reap the benefits of this transformation. One example is a pilot project between the two central banks to link up Thai and Singapore e-payment systems.

 

I also want to draw more attention to Singapore’s cultural scene. This part of Singapore is often less well known amongst our foreign friends. But it has grown in vibrance, variety, and sophistication over the years so it would be great to be able to showcase this to our Thai and international friends. Last year, we helped sponsor a performance by Singapore maestro Wong Kah Chun who guest conducted the Thai Philharmonic Orchestra. Earlier this year, we held a concert by Singapore jazz legend Jeremy Monteiro, the JASSO Big Band, and several stalwarts of the Singapore jazz scene. Even Thailand’s Koh Mr. Saxman jammed with the band and it was amazing! Hopefully, this will give Thais another reason to come visit Singapore. 

 

With the Covid situation hopefully normalising soon, there should be a strong bilateral focus next year when official events like the Civil Service Exchange Programme (CSEP) and the Singapore-Thailand Enhanced Economic Relationship Meeting (STEER) resume. These bilateral platforms allow us to review current cooperation and explore new areas for collaboration. I also look forward to the Leaders’ Retreat between the two Prime Ministers. 

 

Full Story: https://expatlifeinthailand.com/featured/expat-life-in-thailand-interview-with-singaporean-ambassador/

 

-- © Copyright Expat Life in Thailand 2020-12-10

 

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