H.E. Mr. Rachmat Budiman, The Indonesian Ambassador to Thailand

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Thailand and Indonesia celebrated their 70th diplomatic relations in 2020. Expat Life’s Kathy Pokrud  sat down with H.E. Mr. Rachmat Budiman, the new Indonesian Ambassador to the Kingdom of Thailand. Accompanied by Madame Reitanty Budiman, the diplomatic couple arriving to Thailand directly from Jakarta in December last year. In April, Ambassador Rachmat presented his credentials to His Majesty Raja Maha Vajiralongkorn Phra Vajiraklaochaoyuhua. In January, his ambassadorship also assumed the official duty as the Indonesian Permanent Representative to the UNESCAP. Ambassador Rachmat was the Inspector General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia from 2017-2019. He served as the Indonesian Ambassador to Austria and Slovenia and Ambassador/Permanent Representative to UNODC, UNIDO, CTBTO, IAEA, OFID, and IACA from 2012 – 2017. 

 

Which city were you born and brought up?

I was born and grew up in Tasikmalaya, a small town located at the southeastern West Java Province. It is around 120kms from Bandung and 250kms away from Jakarta, the capital city of Indonesia. Tasikmalaya is known for its beautiful mountainside scenery, plaited mats, painted paper umbrellas, embroidery, hot springs and batik of particular designs and colours. I am proud to say that Tasikmalaya’s batiks are among the batik collection of King Rama V. One of the most famous places in Tasikmalaya is the remains of the Galunggung Mountain eruption, which happened in April 1982. 

 

At which age did you decide you wanted to become a diplomat? 

I never had a dream to be a diplomat. Raised in the countryside, I spent my childhood playing in the paddy fields, catching kites, fishing barehanded and swimming in the river. Diplomacy had never crossed my mind until I finished my study at the faculty of law of the University of Indonesia in Jakarta. Being studied in one of the best universities in Indonesia opened my mind and perspective and that was how I finally started to apply to be the Foreign Service officer at the Indonesian foreign ministry. 

 

Do you have any other diplomats in your family?

No, I do not have any relatives that worked or work as a diplomat. I am the only one of the five siblings of the family that pursues this career.

 

How do you see Thailand today, in ASEAN, and in a wider context?

Thailand is not only a neighbouring country, but also our close partner from the very beginning of the Independence Day of the Republic of Indonesia in 1945. Thailand is well known as a trusted and reliable friend and one of key economic drivers of ASEAN. These have undoubtedly provided strong and solid foundation for Thailand to engage with any other countries in the world including Indonesia. 

 

In the context of ASEAN, as we know, both Indonesia and Thailand are the founding fathers of ASEAN in 1967. Since then, both countries continuously play significant roles in the ASEAN, particularly in promoting peace, security and prosperity in the region. Indonesia and Thailand underlined the importance of ASEAN as main regional mechanism in achieving regional stability and sustainable development.

 

Do you see any similarities between your country and Thailand?

Historically, the fraternal ties of our two people dated back centuries ago through trade, religious contacts and exchange of cultural missions between our various kingdoms. We shared many similarities in term of culture and values. In term of language, we also shared many similarities, especially words derived from Sanskrit language such as Putra; Singha; Bhumi; Manusia/manut and Samudra/samut. Indonesia and Thailand also share same story of Ramayana and Panji or Inao in Thai. 

 

We also have the same traditional ceremonies particularly one that is held during harvest season when neighbours show their kindness in helping those in need without asking for money or in return. In terms of cuisine, almost all of the fruits and vegetables grown in Thailand can be found in Indonesia as well. Similar menus of Thai and Indonesian food include Sate, Gado-Gado, Serabi dan Rujak. 

 

Do you have children, if so at what age and where do they go to school, university or work?

Yes, I have a daughter and she got married in July. As a child of diplomat, she went to schools wherever I was assigned such as in The Hague, Perth, Vienna, and New York. She finished her Bachelor’s degree in Japan and now she lives in Jakarta with her husband.

 

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

As close partners and friends, both countries have various cooperation mechanism in term of bilateral, regional and multilateral cooperation. There are many opportunities to strengthen the existing cooperation such as maritime, trade and investment, defence, research and education, agriculture, energy, as well as social and culture. I have mapped out many programmes and activities to be conducted before I arrived in Bangkok, but due to Covid-19 pandemic, some need to be adjusted and some of them have been postponed.

 

During the pandemic, most of the programmes and activities are conducting virtually. We do hope that the situation will be better soon and I lam looking forward to having many activities, discussions and events to promote and strengthen the bilateral relations between Indonesia and Thailand. 

 

For the time being, my average day is working at the office where I will have some meetings or discussion with my team. I frequently also have online meetings with the capital to discuss many issues ranging from political, economic, social-cultural, consular and education. As the Indonesian Permanent Representative to the UNESCAP, I also attend UNESCAP meetings and chair some of their meetings, which are very crucial and relevant to Indonesia’s interest. As the situation gets better, I also have plan to have meetings or pay a courtesy call to high ranking officials in Thailand at the Ministerial level or Director General. In June 2021, I had the privilege to pay a courtesy call to Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha and we had a friendly discussion on issues of our two countries’ interests. 

I am also looking forward to meeting business communities, media, academician and other related stakeholders. I believe it is very essential for me to listen to everyone’s thoughts and ideas on how Thai and Indonesia can forge ahead together not only for the interest of our bilateral relations, but also of the regional and global.

 

Full Story: https://expatlifeinthailand.com/interview/h-e-mr-rachmat-budiman-the-indonesian-ambassador-to-thailand/

 

-- © Copyright Expat Life in Thailand 2022-01-12

 

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