H.E. Mrs. Orna Sagiv Ambassador of Israel to Thailand

Did you arrive to Thailand direct from home, and or, where were you posted before?

I was the Inspector General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Jerusalem for the past five years; my latest overseas post was the Consul General of Israel in Mumbai, India from 2008-2013. Prior to that I was sent to study Chinese in Taipei, Taiwan and later posted as the spokesperson of the Embassy of Israel in Beijing, China. I also served as the Deputy Chief of Mission and Acting Ambassador to Australia and New Zealand.

Which city were you born and brought up?

I was born and brought up in Israel, in a city called Kfar Saba, a suburb 30 minutes north of Tel Aviv. I am still living in my same childhood house and that is where my husband and I are raising our three children.

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

I was always fascinated by new, remote places, but finally made up my mind when I was a second year student in Bar-Ilan University studying for my Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science and Criminology. It was a long journey to get accepted to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Cadet Course, since the demand has always been very high, and only few people were selected. At that point in time, I was very young, and I still didn’t understand that being a career diplomat is actually a ‘family career’, that involves my husband, our children and our parents.  It’s a very unique way of life and though there have been many challenges along the way, I wouldn’t have chosen any other profession.

Do you have any other diplomats in your family?

No, only me, but perhaps I gave one of my children a taste for a diplomatic career, we will have to wait and see. 

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

Thailand was one of the five founding members of ASEAN in 1967, and since then it has been playing a significant role in the organization.  I believe that Thailand has a major political and economic role in SE Asia, whether it is in ASEAN, ACMECS or other fora. Thailand is a strong social and economic power, with much influence over the neighbouring countries and meaningful connections with other countries in the Asian region and beyond it.

Thailand hosting the APEC summit by the end of 2022, is yet another opportunity it has to play a major regional and global role and to promote the peace, economic development and stability of the region.

On the Israeli context, MASHAV – the Israeli Agency for International Development Cooperation – often partners with TICA – Thailand’s International Cooperation Agency and other Thai institutions for creating joint programmes that benefit not only Thailand, but also other countries in the region. 

Do you see any similarities between your country and Thailand?

At first, it might be hard to see similarities, as Israel is a very small country with a population the size of Bangkok – about 9 million people. The landscape is very different too; where Thailand is a tropical country with lots of rain and fertile land, Israel is mostly arid or semi-arid land. However, when it comes to the people, there are many similarities. Both countries are creative, innovative and dynamic, while rooted in rich history and culture. It is no surprise that Thailand is one of the most popular destinations for Israeli tourists – the warmth and openness of the Thai people make Israelis feel at home right away. I hope many Thai tourists and business people will visit Israel as well, and discover the warm hospitality of the Israelis towards Thai people and the endless opportunities for cooperation and collaboration between our two countries. 

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

My husband Isaac and I have two sons and one daughter.  My eldest son, Nadav, is 24 years old and is currently studying Materials Engineering in the Technion, Israel’s highest technology university. My second son, Matan, is 21 years old. He recently finished his military service and will soon start studying engineering as well. Both live in Israel. My youngest daughter, Raz, is 16 years old and she lives with us here in Bangkok.

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

The best part of diplomatic life is that no day is the same as the other. The Embassy is responsible for the relations between our nations in every field including political, economic, cultural and more. This leads to activities and meetings with politicians, government officials, businessmen, artists and more. I enjoy visiting projects and companies around the country and I’m happy the Covid situation allows us to keep doing that.

The Embassy is also engaged in activities such as flood relief aid delivery in Korat, donation of medical supplies to Chiang Mai, greenhouse inauguration in Koh Samui, Friendly Design Expo and recently, the International Women’s Day. I believe that as a diplomat, we should be part of the community, so we try to initiate meaningful activities in Bangkok and around Thailand.

Have you set some goals you really would like to fulfill before you leave Thailand?

I would be happy to see the friendly bilateral relations between Israel and Thailand thriving in every aspect. I hope to welcome high level political and business delegations from Israel, as well as invite the Thai leadership to visit my country. I also wish a bilateral FTA would be signed between our two countries for the benefit of business people both from Israel and from Thailand.  

Personally, I hope we can also jointly promote global agendas that are extremely meaningful to our two countries, such as the battle against global warming and climate change, creating inclusive and accessible conditions for people with disabilities and dealing with growing challenges of food, water and energy security.  Israel and Thailand enjoy good and friendly relations, but I hope we can promote them even more in all relevant so to us.

Have you managed to travel in Thailand yet?

Like many Israelis after the military service, I visited Thailand for the first time as a backpacker in 1990. Since then, I returned to Thailand several times as a tourist before my current posting, because I really fell in love with the country. The change I see today comparing to 30 years ago, is astonishing; for example, I remember small cottages on the beach of Koh Samet with no electricity, and look at the island now! Since I arrived to Thailand in August last year, I visited Phuket, Khao Yai, Chiang Mai, Pattaya and a short visit to Korat, I also visited Surat Thani including Koh Samui, as well as Kanchanuburi and Koh Chang. I definitely plan to explore your beautiful country, both for work and for holiday.  

When you have a day off, what do you prefer to do? A hobbies or pastimes?

I love cooking, but unfortunately, I haven’t had time for cooking recently. When I have a day off, we enjoy exploring Bangkok and the provinces around it landscape or temples, markets or just walking the streets and trying all sorts of food I really enjoy a day off in Bangkok. 

How many of your countryfolk are living in Thailand? When and why did Thailand become a desirable destination for your people?

There are a few thousand Israelis residing in Thailand. Mostly in Bangkok, but also in the other parts of the country such as Chiang Mai, Pattaya, Koh Samui, Koh Pangan and Phuket.  Large numbers of Israelis started to travel to Thailand in the 1990s when the Israeli Airlines EL-AL started operating direct flights from Tel Aviv to Bangkok. El-Al was operating eight weekly flight prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, and together with other airlines, they were bringing over 200,000 Israeli to Thailand every year. Since Thailand started the Phuket Sandbox scheme, Israel was among top countries in number of tourists to the island and now that most of the restrictions were cancelled more Israeli choose to spend their holidays here in Thailand. My guess is that the combination of Thai’s warm hospitality with the beautiful landscape and the delicious food, makes Thailand irresistible.

Does your country and Thailand have an exchange programme for students?

Every year, about 100 vocational students from Thailand attend a special 11 month agricultural training programme in Israel. The students combine studies in classrooms and field work. This programme is very unique and it provides the students some “hands on” learning experience that they can later use in their own agriculture ventures in Thailand.

Any fun moment from Thailand that you’d like to tell us about?

We participated in a beautiful cruise on the Chao Phraya River on Loy Kratong. The city looked magical, the feeling was mesmerising and it was a very unique evening.

Do you regularly meet up with your community?

Of course. It is very important for me to meet the community and understand their challenges and needs.  I meet the Jewish and Israeli community during the Jewish holidays and special occasions, but I also meet Israeli business people and others frequently, trying to assist if necessary and learning about their experiences and challenges here in Thailand.  I meet Israelis during my visits to the provinces as well.

I believe the Embassy serves as a bridge between Israel and Thailand and we do our best to promote the government, people and business relations, and to constantly develop them.