'A model of sustainable fisheries'

After diplomatic relations soured following the military takeover in 2014, the EU's Ambassador to Thailand HE Pirkka Tapiola has great expectations of the budding ties between Bangkok and the European bloc, including a speedy return to trade talks and making Thailand "a model country in sustainable fisheries".

"If I had to use one term to describe our relationship, I'd say it's full of potential," said the Helsinki native, who was first posted to the kingdom 17 years ago and who formally resumed his duties here on Dec 10, 2017.

"We've seen progress moving in the right direction. We've seen announcements from the prime minister [Thai regime leader Prayut Chan-o-cha] about the roadmap for the general election. We've seen the end of civilian cases being heard in a military court," he said during an interview last week.

The EU foreign affairs council resolved to resume political contact with Thailand "at all levels" last December.

The ambassador, who said he was thrilled to be in Thailand to celebrate Europe Day today, also spoke positively of his recent meeting with Gen Prayut. However, ties are unlikely to improve much without an elected government, he said.

"We are moving towards preparing for the relaunch of negotiations for [an EU-Thailand] free trade agreement. That's a huge deal if you look at the dynamic, if you look at the statistics that the EU now is [Thailand's] third-biggest trading partner [after China and Japan] and you have a surplus in trade ... That means the economic relationship is huge," Mr Tapiola said.

Bilateral trade reached about €39 billion (1.47 trillion baht) last year.

Thai exports to the EU accounted for almost €21 billion of this, up from €19.6 billion two years earlier, according to the European Commission.

Meanwhile, net investment from the EU was recorded at €1.06 billion in 2017, representing some 13% of foreign direct investment in Thailand for the year.

About 4.83 million Europeans visited the kingdom last year, another indication of burgeoning ties.

"But we cannot relaunch free trade agreement negotiations before you have an elected government in place," Mr Tapiola said, adding similar rules apply to the Partnership Cooperation Agreement (PCA) between the two sides, which has been put on hold for several years.

"We would need an elected government for the sake of legitimacy [for] that agreement to come into force," he said.

On the FTA negotiations, he said a delegation from Brussels plans to meet with the Ministry of Commerce to identify current conditions and discuss resuming the talks.

"Four years in a modern globalised world is a very long time. We need to start looking at where we are, where are our interests, and what has changed since the talks were interrupted in 2014," he said.

He added that informal talks with the ministry have been ongoing.

Mr Tapiola also praised Thailand's achievements in terms of human rights and democracy.

"I'm very happy to see that there is in fact openness on the part of the Royal Thai Government to talk about issues of mutual concern," he said, citing Europe's aversion to the death sentence as one potential sticking point.

"This [suggests] we are coming close to something really important to the global scene," he said.

Next year will mark a decade since the last person was executed in Thailand by a court ruling.

Mr Tapiola also spoke positively about the laws pertaining to same-sex marriage and the rights of the LGBTI community, as well as discussing improved prison conditions as another positive development.

Nevertheless, he was keen to raise a number of concerns held by EU member states.

"We think it is very important the restrictions on political activities and political assembly are lifted as soon as possible [in order to stick to] the roadmap to the elections," he said, adding that freedom of expression is a separate issue.

"Refugee policies are also important at this time in a regional hub such as Thailand. We are also looking at business and human rights, and the EU is working with the Thai government on labour dialogue," he said.

While the EU has maintained a "yellow card" warning on Thailand for problems related to illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing since 2015, thus putting the country at risk of further trade sanctions, the ambassador refused to comment on the results of a visit here by an EU delegation last month.

"There have been a lot of positive movements," he said.

"There are issues which need to be addressed in close contact and [Brussels and Thailand] are looking at the implementation, the commitment and the legal framework."

"We hope that through our dialogue, and through our system to really help Thailand to become a model country in sustainable fisheries," Mr Tapiola added.

He also referred to Thailand's leading role in promoting sustainable development in Asean and said he hoped the country would not sacrifice its heritage.

"When you grow, there's a great willingness to tear down and rebuild and do something new," he said.

"But it's very important to maintain and conserve the soul of a city, and different players in different parts of a city," he said, noting that Charoen Krung is his favourite area in Bangkok.