Nantana Sivakua
Ambassador of Thailand to Australia
Mrs. Nantana Sivakua took up the assignment as Ambassador of the Kingdom of Thailand to the Commonwealth of Australia on 27 February 2018, and presented the Letter of Credence to His Excellency General the Honourable Sir Peter Cosgrove, the Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia on 18 April 2018.
Before her mission in Canberra, from March 2017 to February 2018, Ambassador Nantana was the Director-General of Department of American and South Pacific Affairs, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Thailand, taking charge of bilateral relations between Thailand and countries in the American Continent and the South Pacific, including Australia. Between January 2016 and March 2017, she was the Ambassador attached to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, with special assignment on the promotion of the concept “Sufficiency Economy Philosophy (SEP)” to international partners of Thailand.
She also served as Deputy Director General of the Department of East Asian Affairs (2009-2011), Director of Cultural Affairs Division, Information Department (2007-2009), and Director of Division 1 (Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei Darussalam, and the Philippines), East Asian Affairs Department (2000-2003). She also worked as Deputy Director of Political Division, Department of International Organisations (1994-2000).
Her overseas assignment included postings as Deputy Chief of Mission (with the rank of Minister) at the Royal Thai Embassy, Ottawa (2012-2015), the Royal Thai Embassy, Washington DC (2011-2012), and as Deputy Consul General at the Royal Thai Consulate General, Los Angeles (2003-2007).
Ambassador Nantana was born and raised in Bangkok. She attended Saint John’s College and Triam U-dom Suksa School in Bangkok. She graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Chulalongkorn University in Thailand, and a Master of Arts in Government (International Relations) from the University of Texas at Austin, in the United States of America. She is married with one child.
In the message to Thai Community in Australia, the Ambassador writes:
“I am very pleased to have the opportunity to serve as Ambassador of Thailand to Australia. I have arrived in Canberra, on February 27, 2018, and presented the letter of credential to the Governor Of the Commonwealth of Australia, Sir Peter Cosgrove on April 18, 2018.
Prior to my official assignment, the Royal Thai Embassy in Canberra, the Royal Thai Consulate-General in Sydney, the Team Thailand in Australia and the Thai community in Sydney had an opportunity to welcome Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha, Prime Minister of Thailand and the Thai delegations who attended the ASEAN – Australia Summit in Sydney.
On such occasion, the Prime Minister of Thailand said that his Australian counterparts informed him that the Thai community in Australia have leading a good example as members of the Australian multicultural community and we add colour to Australia. This made the Prime Minister very proud of our Thai community in Australia.
I was very pleased to hear what the Prime Minister had said. I am very lucky to have the opportunity to live and work with the Thai people in Australia. We are a strong community, we support each other, earn an honest living and we built a good image for Thailand.
Although I have only recently taken up this position, from my experience of meeting with Thai people in Canberra and Sydney, I see many Thai people who live here are very capable in what they do in their various occupations. I have witnessed determination to continue our beautiful Thai culture and pass our culture on to our children. We maintain our own precious Thai identity in Australia.
I am certain that Thais who live in other states in Australia are also as strong and have been contributing to maintaining the good image of our country. I look forward to meeting Thai communities all over Australia, so that we can join hands in promoting and maintaining the close friendship between Thailand and Australia.
I would like to reassure the Thai people in Australia, that the Royal Thai Embassy in Canberra and Team Thailand in Australia, will work in its full capacity to look after Thai people who face problems and need help from the Thai government. We will work together in sustaining and strengthening our community for a greater good.