Thailand and Belarus agree on visa waiver for diplomats and state officials

[webfact]

Thailand and Belarus agree on visa waiver for diplomats and state officials

BANGKOK, 13 March 2015 (NNT) – As a way to encourage future exchanges of visits with each other, Thailand and Belarus have exempted visa requirements for diplomatic and government officials while setting eyes on expanding cooperation in trade and investment.

Thailand’s Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Don Pramudwinai has met with Mr Valery Sadokho, Ambassador of Belarus to Thailand, in order to discuss the promotion of diplomatic relations as well as economic cooperation between the two nations.

On behalf of his country, the Belarusian Ambassador expressed interest in seeking new export channels in Thailand for Belarusian products, such as potash fertilizers, car tires, trucks and tractors. Thailand, on the other hand, is intent on exporting rubber products and processed agricultural goods to Belarus.

The delegates also signed an agreement on the mutual exemption of visa for holders of diplomatic and official passports. The visa waiver is considered significant to the tightening of friendship between the two sides and is aimed at persuading their state officials to visit each other’s country more frequently.

Thailand and Belarus officially established their diplomatic ties on July 21, 1992. Last year, bilateral trade was worth over 78 million US dollars while nearly 14,000 visitors to Thailand came from Belarus.


-- NNT 2015-03-13

[ratcatcher]

Significant?

[Soutpeel]

Significant?

I am surprised they are not trying to flog them some dodgy rice, but of course "processed agricultural goods" could mean exactly that, I guess spoiled, water and fire damaged rice is "processed"

[Lupatria]

Another advantage- it makes it easier to deal with the Russian Mafia.

[heybruce]

Belarus--a dictatorship known for rigged elections, human rights abuses, economic mismanagement and rampant corruption. The junta is choosing its friends well.

[Robby nz]

Belarus--a dictatorship known for rigged elections, human rights abuses, economic mismanagement and rampant corruption. The junta is choosing its friends well.

You could also look at the list of countries Yingluck arranged the same deal with in her travels and tell us of their politics.

[Rancid]

Belarus--a dictatorship known for rigged elections, human rights abuses, economic mismanagement and rampant corruption. The junta is choosing its friends well.

Exactly, first the US and now Belarus, you'd think they would have learned the first time.

[jayboy]

Belarus--a dictatorship known for rigged elections, human rights abuses, economic mismanagement and rampant corruption. The junta is choosing its friends well.

You could also look at the list of countries Yingluck arranged the same deal with in her travels and tell us of their politics.

Foolish bit of whataboutery from one of the dwindling band of apologists for this dreadful government.

Most have been shamed into silence or near silence.At least they have the wit not to attempt to defend the indefensible.

Yingluck was received at the highest levels everywhere she went as a leader with a genuine democratic mandate.In the UK for example very unusually she was accorded a private audience with HM the Queen Elizabeth.The current government leaders in Thailand are simply not in her league.

None of this reflects personally on Yingluck or Prayuth personally as neither is real prime ministerial material.One happened to have charm and good manners, the other none.But the key point is that one represented a free people and the other didn't.

[Srikcir]

Here is Thailand's basic trade problem in developing Belarus as an export market:

Belarusian will trade potash fertilizers, car tires, trucks and tractors // Thailand will trade rubber products and processed agricultural goods.

----------------------------HIGH VALUE------------------------------------------ // ------------------------------LOW VALUE-------------------------------------------

Belarus Ruble Baht

------------------------------Lose Value--------------------------------------------// --------------------------------Gain Value-----------------------------------------------

[Robby nz]

Belarus--a dictatorship known for rigged elections, human rights abuses, economic mismanagement and rampant corruption. The junta is choosing its friends well.

You could also look at the list of countries Yingluck arranged the same deal with in her travels and tell us of their politics.

Foolish bit of whataboutery from one of the dwindling band of apologists for this dreadful government.

Most have been shamed into silence or near silence.At least they have the wit not to attempt to defend the indefensible.

Yingluck was received at the highest levels everywhere she went as a leader with a genuine democratic mandate.In the UK for example very unusually she was accorded a private audience with HM the Queen Elizabeth.The current government leaders in Thailand are simply not in her league.

None of this reflects personally on Yingluck or Prayuth personally as neither is real prime ministerial material.One happened to have charm and good manners, the other none.But the key point is that one represented a free people and the other didn't.

I see your back to your usual insults again.

Possibly instead of having a go at me you could do as I suggested and look up the politics of the countries she arranged visa free deals for diplomatic passport holders with.

Just to give a reasonable comparison.

[jayboy]

Belarus--a dictatorship known for rigged elections, human rights abuses, economic mismanagement and rampant corruption. The junta is choosing its friends well.

You could also look at the list of countries Yingluck arranged the same deal with in her travels and tell us of their politics.

Foolish bit of whataboutery from one of the dwindling band of apologists for this dreadful government.

Most have been shamed into silence or near silence.At least they have the wit not to attempt to defend the indefensible.

Yingluck was received at the highest levels everywhere she went as a leader with a genuine democratic mandate.In the UK for example very unusually she was accorded a private audience with HM the Queen Elizabeth.The current government leaders in Thailand are simply not in her league.

None of this reflects personally on Yingluck or Prayuth personally as neither is real prime ministerial material.One happened to have charm and good manners, the other none.But the key point is that one represented a free people and the other didn't.

I see your back to your usual insults again.

Possibly instead of having a go at me you could do as I suggested and look up the politics of the countries she arranged visa free deals for diplomatic passport holders with.

Just to give a reasonable comparison.

You are right.This is a great diplomatic achievement for the General and a break through for warm relations between the Republic of Belarus and the Kingdom of Thailand.Palmerston and Talleyrand are mere shadows in the shade of the Great Leader.

Diplomats of both countries can now trot backwards and forwards with gay abandon to do whatever they need to do in furtherance of the Great Thai - Belarian Alliance.Let it not be said this government was not committed to elevate the relations between two great nations to unsurpassed heights.

Happy now? Was that grovelling enough for your tastes?

Meanwhile the Thai Government gets cold shouldered or barely tolerated by all civilised nations.

[heybruce]

Belarus--a dictatorship known for rigged elections, human rights abuses, economic mismanagement and rampant corruption. The junta is choosing its friends well.

You could also look at the list of countries Yingluck arranged the same deal with in her travels and tell us of their politics.

I couldn't find that list. Why don't you tell us which countries ranked lower than Belarus in:

Democracy--Belarus was ranked 141 out of 148 countries. http://pages.eiu.com/rs/eiu2/images/Democracy-Index-2012.pdf

Economic Freedom--Belarus was ranked 153 out of 178. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Index_of_Economic_Freedom

Press Freedom--Belarus was ranked 157 out of 180. http://rsf.org/index2014/en-index2014.php

Corruption Perception Index--Belarus was ranked 119 out of 174. https://www.transparency.org/cpi2014/results

I couldn't find an overall ranking on human rights, but HumanRights.gov wasn't impressed:

"Since his election as president in 1994, Alyaksandr Lukashenka has consolidated his rule over all institutions and undermined the rule of law through authoritarian means, including manipulated elections and arbitrary decrees. All subsequent presidential elections, including the one held in 2010, were neither free nor fair and fell well short of international standards. The September 2012 parliamentary elections also failed to meet international standards. Civilian authorities, Lukashenka in particular, maintained effective control over the security forces. Security forces committed human rights abuses." http://www.state.gov/j/drl/rls/hrrpt/humanrightsreport/index.htm#wrapper

The UN, Amnesty International, and other organizations reached similar conclusions, I used the above because it has a concise summary.

Belarus has a very unpleasant government. It is in the bottom 20% of every index mentioned except corruption, where it is in the bottom third. It's not the worst place in the world for clean, competent, democratic government, but it's near the bottom.

Why don't you tell us what governments that are worse than Belarus were extended diplomatic courtesies by Yingluck? The worst I could find were Nigeria and Myanmar, both in 2013. Both are countries with problems, but not nearly as bad as Belarus.

Edited March 13, 2015 by heybruce

[cookee68]

Oh there's nice