Anand Panyarachun on Thai Diplomacy, Family, and Global Shifts

Reflections from a Bangkok Panel This Week

Former prime minister Anand Panyarachun spoke on Tuesday at the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Bangkok during a panel marking the launch of the biography Anand the Fearless: A Life of Courage, Character and Conviction by Witthaya Vejjajiva.

The 93-year-old Anand addressed Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sihasak Phuangketkeow along with other guests at the event held on 9 June.

Thailand's capital hosted this gathering where Anand expressed hope that Thai diplomacy would return to its rightful place under Sihasak after decades of absence from the international scene.

Anand's Call for Balanced Diplomacy in ASEAN

Anand told the audience that Thailand is not a great power but a middle-sized power that must demonstrate its ability to balance powers in the region.

He wished Sihasak well and thanked Thailand for now having a foreign minister who can show the Thai flags proudly at gatherings across Southeast Asia.

This matters for Thai readers because stronger diplomacy under leaders like Sihasak can support ASEAN trade ties and help maintain Thailand's voice in regional discussions that affect daily life from Bangkok markets to Isaan communities.

Anand noted that for 20 years Thailand was erased from the diplomatic scene due to political divisions and military coups, leaving the country nowhere to be seen.

Trust and Negotiation Lessons from Anand's Time

Drawing on his experience, Anand said winning trust is crucial in successful diplomacy because if leaders from the other side say you cannot be trusted then there are no negotiations.

He recalled serving as secretary to then-foreign minister Thanat Khoman in the early 1960s and learning to write better during those six formative years at the ministry.

Sihasak, who served as Anand's speechwriter after the 1991 coup led by Gen. Suchinda Kraprayoon, cut short an official visit to Vietnam to attend the panel moderated by Pana Janviroj of the Institute for Strategic Policy.

Sihasak described Anand as a man he admired very much for all that he stands for and noted that his generation of Thai diplomats cannot compare to Anand's.

Family Insights Shared at the Foreign Ministry Event

Anand's daughter Nanda Krairiksh, a former director at the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific, spoke about her late mother M.R. Sodsri Panyarachun who raised the family largely on her own in Ottawa while Anand served in New York as Thailand's permanent representative to the United Nations.

Nanda said her father could be very direct and very blunt as well as strong and inflexible at times while her mother was soft-spoken and did not really like conflict.

Anand acquiesced that no matter how successful he may have been there is always a woman behind a successful man and thanked his wife for suffering silently during his total absorption in work.

Witthaya Vejjajiva highlighted how Anand showed courage by accepting the post of prime minister after the 1991 coup despite having no political connections or interest in politics and later served twice with sincerity, honesty, integrity, and trust.

Hopes for Young Officials and Ministry Renewal

Anand acknowledged that the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs had experienced a brain drain among its rank-and-file officials over the past two decades with many well-educated recruits leaving after encountering difficulties.

He advised young officials to persevere and learn on the job regardless of whether they were educated at Oxford, Cambridge, Harvard, or Yale and to relearn English because diplomatic language is different.

Sihasak recalled how Anand once told him that next time if you have not thought something through do not bring it to my attention and how he learned new terms like good governance while writing a speech for the Foreign Correspondents' Club of Thailand in 1991.

These words carry weight for Thai readers because renewed strength at the ministry can help Thailand regain its position in ASEAN discussions that influence regional tourism flows and economic stability across Southeast Asia.

Stark Views on Global Changes and Thailand's Path

Anand offered a stark assessment of Donald Trump's second presidency and its impact on the world order built since the end of the Second World War describing the consequence as disastrous.

He expressed real concern about how long Donald Trump will stay in power to destroy everything built since 1945 while noting he no longer follows world events as closely as before.

Anand added that Thailand's voices may be small but he would like to see the resurrection of the country's ability to be a nation to be reckoned with on the diplomatic stage.

For communities in Bangkok, Chiang Mai, and beyond this return to form under Sihasak could strengthen Thailand's role in ASEAN partnerships that support trade routes and cultural exchanges vital to everyday life in the kingdom.