Dr. Angela Mcdonald
Expat Life recently interviewed the Australian Ambassador to Thailand and were honoured that she found time to share her mission, life, and views of her posting to Thailand.
Ambassador Angela thank you for your time today. May I start with asking how long have you been the Ambassador to Thailand?
I arrived in Bangkok in June 2022; so, coming up to one year now.
Did you arrive to Thailand direct from home, and or where were you posted before?
Yes - I was most recently working as First Assistant Secretary of Middle East and Africa Division in the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade in Canberra. I have previously served overseas in Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia, Kabul in Afghanistan, Brussels in Belgium and Wellington in New Zealand.
May I ask which city were you born and brought up?
I was born in Wagga Wagga in New South Wales. We moved around a bit as kids, but I mostly grew up in Newcastle, which is around 2 hours north of Sydney. NSW is the second most populous city, it used to be best known as a steel manufacturing hub. It has evolved over the years into a vibrant diverse city, with an outstanding university, a great coastal walk (from where you can spot migrating whales!) and beautiful Lake Macquarie. It’s also close to the wonderful wine and produce of the Hunter Valley, so all in all a great place to call home.
At which age did you decide you wanted to become a diplomat?
I’ve always been interested in history, travel, and other cultures, but I worked as a lawyer in Sydney, before joining the foreign service over twenty years ago.
How do you see Thailand today, in ASEAN, and in a wider context?
Australia sees Thailand as a vital partner in the region. Thailand is a middle power, with a sophisticated economy, influence in Asia and around the world.
We like working with Thailand. We actively cooperate in trade and investment, defence, security, law enforcement, education, agriculture, migration, and of course tourism. The list goes on!
The relationship is at a strong point. We celebrated 70 years of diplomatic relations just last year. Australia and Thailand have a Strategic Partnership and our foreign ministers recently signed an ambitious Plan of Action.
We look forward to doing more on the most pressing challenges the region faces, such as pandemic readiness, energy transition and sustainable development.
Do you see any similarities between your country and Thailand?
Thailand and Australia share a positive, relaxed outlook. ‘Sabai-Sabai’ and ‘no worries’ are similar life philosophies.
How do you look upon your work here? How does an average day look like?
My work is endlessly fascinating, and I’m blessed to work with an amazing team at the Embassy. Although there is no “average day”. I’m always meeting great people and advocating for Australia. Please have a look @AusAmbBKK to see some of the highlights!
Have you set some goals you really would like to fulfil before you leave Thailand?
With border reopening and travelling, students and businesses can engage again in person. I hope that we will continue to build on our strong partnership with Thailand.
Have you managed to travel Thailand yet?
I had some great chances to visit many beautiful places around Thailand with this job. So far, I have been to Chiang Mai, Phuket and Kanchanaburi, Ayutthaya, Hua Hin and many more interesting places. I am naturally looking forward to seeing more of Thailand.
When you have a day off, what do you prefer to do? Do you have any hobbies or pastimes?
I enjoy reading, exercising, and throwing the ball for my dog Wally. I’ve found lots of cafes with excellent coffee so can and frequently do recreate an Australian brunch. Unsurprisingly, I’ve had a lot of visitors from Australia, so I also see the sights of Bangkok.
How many Australians are living in Thailand? When and why did Thailand become a desirable destination for your people.
It’s always hard to judge, but about 10,000 plus Australians live in Thailand and in 2019 (before Covid-19) about 850,000 tourists visited Thailand every year as tourists. One of Thailand strongest exports is cultural influence - Australian tourists love coming to Thailand for the same reasons others do – the friendly people, the food, the exotic experiences.
But trade and business are also important factors. Over 3,000 Australian companies export to Thailand and around 200 are present here. Australian investment in Thailand grew to $4.9 billion in 2021. Thai investment in Australia has grown significantly, from $294 million in 2006 to $9 billion in 2021, including in the agribusiness, renewable energy, and hospitality sectors.
Of course, we are pleased that many Thais visit Australia, as students, tourists, and businesspeople. The Thai diaspora in Australia is one of Thailand’s largest (over 90,000 Australians claim Thai ancestry). ‘Thai Town’ in Sydney is a fun area and an important part of Australia’s modern and multicultural society.
Does your country and Thailand have exchange programme for students?
There is the Australian Government’s New Colombo Plan which aims to lift knowledge of the Indo-Pacific in Australia by supporting Australian undergraduates to live, learn, and intern in 40 locations across the region. Thailand is a popular destination for NCP students to come and make connections with Thai people and institutions and build real cultural understanding.
We also have double degree programmes between Thai and Australian universities such as Chulalongkorn University – The University of Queensland in Psychology studies, Mahidol University – Curtin University in Actuarial Science, Data Science and Industrial Optimisation studies and Thammasat University - the University of New South Wales in Engineering studies.
Do you regularly socialise with your community?
The Embassy works very closely with AustCham and Australian Alumni Association, and the team and I meet Australians in every field here on a daily basis.
