H. E. Mr. Patrick Bourne The Irish Ambassador to Thailand
In August this year, H.E. Mr. Patrick Bourne arrived in Bangkok to take up duty as Ambassador of Ireland to the Kingdom of Thailand. Shortly after, Ambassador Pat presented his credentials to King Maha Vajiralongkorn Phra Vajiraklaochaoyuhua. In addition to Thailand, the Irish Embassy in Bangkok is also responsible for Myanmar. At the centrally located embassy office, Expat Life sat down with Ambassador Pat to learn about his perspective on Thailand and discuss the bilateral relations between the two countries.
Ambassador Pat arrived directly from Singapore, where he served as Ireland’s Ambassador since 2018, and was accredited to Singapore, Brunei, Timor Leste, Marshall Islands, Micronesia and Palau. He joined the Irish diplomatic services as a Third Secretary in 1990. Previously he worked as an Executive Officer in the Irish Department of Justice from 1984 to 1990.
Ambassador Pat was born in Dublin to an ordinary working class family. He shared, “I did not aspire to be a diplomat at the beginning of my career. At the age of 17, I joined the Civil Service without a university degree at the time. I was able to work my way up the ranks. I applied to join the Foreign Service because I became interested in the late 1980s, in the impacts of global inter-connectivity. I continued with studies at University while always working full-time and, in 2002, I completed my MA in International Relations at Dublin City University.”
Ambassador Pat is the first diplomat in his family, but will not be the last. He proudly shared that one of his two daughters is currently serving in the Embassy of Ireland in Canada. His overseas postings have included Baghdad, Tehran, Copenhagen, Canberra, New Delhi and Edinburgh. Referring to his first overseas assignment, he recalled, “Just a few months after I joined the Foreign Service, I was posted to Baghdad in 1990 during the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait. As a 23 years old junior diplomat, it was immensely rewarding to be right at the heart of a major crisis, and assisting stranded Irish citizens to get back home. We managed to evacuate all Irish citizens from the danger zone and my colleague and I were on the last flight out of Baghdad before the war started in January 1991. I relocated to Amman, Jordan and then to Cyprus. Subsequently, I was assigned to Iran. The posting there could be challenging at times, but I will always have happy memories of that country, which is where I met my beautiful wife, Sonali, and where we had our first home and started our family.”
Expat Life asked Ambassador Pat for his views on Thailand, “First and foremost, Thailand is undoubtedly an important country in the APAC and ASEAN region, as demonstrated by the recent successful hosting of the APEC Summit. Thailand has a rich culture and heritage and a fascinating history that us characterised both by its independence and by its connectivity to the countries and societies in the region and the wider world. The Thai people are friendly, talented and innovative, and the economy is vibrant. The country is a favourite tourist destination because of its awe-inspiring architecture and stunning natural beauty. We estimate that the average number of Irish visitors to Thailand was close to 100,000 per year before Covid, and the numbers are rebounding strongly in 2022. If course, we would also like to see more Thai tourist coming to Ireland. I think they would enjoy experiencing our history, heritage and scenic landscapes. ”
He believes there are similarities between the two cultures, “Famously, Ireland is referred to as the “land of 100,000 welcomes, just as Thailand is the land of smiles. Both Thais and Irish are very family oriented and they love to socialise and have fun. We are very natural and we both welcome foreign visitors.”
The Embassy of Ireland was opened in Bangkok in 2015. Ambassador Pat is the third resident Irish Ambassador to Thailand. However, diplomatic relations between the two countries were established in 1975 and Ambassador Pat is already planning and preparing for the 50th anniversary of this milestone in 2025.
Ambassador Pat is accompanied, as he has been for 31 years now, by his wife Sonali Rajasingham who was born in Sri Lanka. They have two grown up daughters, one currently working in Singapore and the other as a diplomat in Canada.
When asked about his average day, the Ambassador highlights the diverse and busy nature of the work. “Like most Irish Embassies, the one in Bangkok is lean and efficient, and all of the team, including me, have heavy workloads. On any given day, I usually have back-to-back meetings and calls. The work is very varied. I could be having a working breakfast meeting with a visiting Irish business delegation, then maybe writing a report for my HQ assessing the latest ASEAN position on Myanmar, attending the opening of an important conference being hosted by the Thai Government, meeting EU colleagues to discuss ways of strengthening our ties with Thailand, and maybe organising a film screening or concert to promote Irish-Thai culture links. Usually four or five days of each week, there are official dinners, receptions or networking events during the evening that request my attendance. Weekends can also be busy. We have a strong and active Irish community and many of the culture and sporting events organised by groups such as the St Patricks Society and the Thailand Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) take place on Saturdays and Sundays. I feel it is very important for me to support these activities, and they are also great fun!”
During his free time, the Ambassador revealed that he loves to run in Lumpini and Benjakitti Parks or explore different parts of Bangkok on foot. He is also a book-lover and an avid fan of audiobooks and podcasts.
As well as exploring Bangkok, Ambassador Pat is also keen to see and learn about all parts of Thailand. He has already travelled to Ayutthaya, Chiang Mai, Lopburi, Krabi, and Sukhothai. “I hope to have the opportunity to travel to all the 77 provinces of Thailand. This is one of the goals that I would like to fulfil during my term here. My main goal, of course, is to enhance bilateral relations between our two peoples, and make Ireland better known amongst the Thai public. I also want to grow our trade and investment links. I see that Irish food exports such as milk powder and food ingredients have great potential in Thailand, and we also produce delicious beef, pork, duck and seafood. Ireland is a world-leader in sectors such as life sciences and medtech, fintech, ICT and construction and engineering services.”
Ambassador Pat estimates that there are around 3,500 Irish residents in Thailand. Following the easing of pandemic-related restrictions on travel, the Ambassador is also keen to see more student exchange programmes between Thailand and Ireland. He explained, “We just hosted a very successful visit here by a delegation of 9 Irish Universities here. They participated in the OCSC Education Fair in Bangkok and they had very constructive engagements with a range of Thai counterparts. I hope this visit will help to reboot our educational links after Covid. I strongly believe that education is at the very heart of every society’s development and wellbeing and that it is important for us to focus on youth and student engagement and fostering partnerships between our educational institutions as the best way to create and grow sustainable and strategic relationships between our countries. A friend made when one is in one’s teens or twenties will be a friend for life”.
On the subject of Visas, Ambassador Pat clarified that “Ireland is not part of the Schengen Visa, so Thai visitors need to apply separately for a Visa to visit Ireland. However, there is a special visa waiver arrangement in place for Thai citizens who have British Visas. Such persons are entitled to enter Ireland without having to go through the process of getting a separate visa for Ireland because Ireland and Britain have a Common Travel Area arrangement.”.
In response to a question about particularly memorable or enjoyable experiences in Thailand so far, the Ambassador smiles and says “one great memory is of the night when the ‘Celtic Legends’ performed at the Bangkok International Festival of Music and Dance just a few weeks after I arrived, in September. It was amazing to watch them take the stage to a full house of 1,300 people at the Thailand Cultural Centre, and see so many Thai people in the audience enjoying the show, singing along, clapping and tapping their feet and cheering. I felt very proud and very excited about opportunities and potential to strengthen the friendship between Irish and Thai people”
Ambassador Pat has met up with many of his country folks, “Another of my goals is to meet up with as many as possible of the 3,500 Irish people residing in Thailand. I have met with the St. Patrick’s Society, Thai-Irish Chamber of Commerce, Gaelic Football Club, and Pattaya Irish Society. I have also visited Chiang Mai to meet the Irish community there and to mark the appointment of our Honorary Consul there.”
Ambassador Pat also shared that disability rights and inclusion are foreign policy priorities for Ireland, and core personal priorities for him. “I was born with a congenital eye condition that has caused me gradually to lose most of my eyesight as the disease has progressed since I was diagnosed as a teenager. I have been very lucky though, and advances in accessibility technology and human rights frameworks and laws in the European Union and Ireland have meant that I have been able to continue to work and play a full role in society. Wherever I have served overseas, I have always taken an active interest in disability issues and tried to do whatever I can to support practical programmes and advocacy for persons with disabilities. I will continue with these efforts in Thailand and I have already been privileged to connect with many inspiring people working in this field.”
The Ambassador treats the subject of his own disability, and his courage in confronting the challenges it presents for him, with modesty and good humour. “My story should not be seen as exceptional – I know so many people who have to overcome much more sever challenges and do so with great courage. However, I would like to say to your readers that, if they do meet me, please don’t get offended if I don’t greet you – I have about 30% vision, so chances are I simply can’t see your face or recognise you! So please forgive me!”
