Portugal–Thailand relations

Relations between Portugal and Thailand date as far as the 16th century. Portugal was the first European nation to make contact with the Ayutthaya Kingdom, in 1511. The Portuguese became dominant foreign traders, and established a presence in the capital. Portuguese traders introduced firearms as well as New-World goods from the Columbian Exchange, influencing Thai cuisine, language and culture. Although Portugal's overseas influence gradually declined from the 17th century, it maintained ties with Siam. The Portuguese Embassy in Bangkok, established in 1820, is the oldest diplomatic mission in the country. In contrast to other European powers, against whose colonial aspirations Siam struggled during the 19th century, Siam's relationship with Portugal was largely friendly, if uneventful. Both countries elevated their missions to embassy status in 1964, and Thailand established a resident embassy in Lisbon in 1981. Today, the two countries share a small amount of trade, tourism and cultural activities.[1][2][3][4]

Portugal–Thailand relations

Portugal	Thailand
Diplomatic mission
Embassy of Portugal, Bangkok	Royal Thai Embassy, Lisbon

See also

• Foreign relations of Portugal
• Foreign relations of Thailand

References

1. National Discovery Museum Institute, Museum Siam Department (2012). Five centuries of Thailand-Portugal relations: god, greed, and gold: the ultimate quest (in Thai and English). National Discovery Museum Institute. Retrieved 15 February 2018.
2. de Mendonha e Cunha, Helder (July 1971). "The 1820 Land Concession to the Portuguese" (PDF). Journal of the Siam Society. 59 (2). Retrieved 13 February 2018.
3. Royal Thai Embassy, Lisbon (December 2012). คู่มือคนไทยในโปรตุเกส [Manual for Thais in Portugal] (PDF) (in Thai). Royal Thai Embassy, Lisbon. ISBN 978-974-7709-88-9. Retrieved 15 February 2018.
4. Pichitmarn, Parisa (10 October 2017). "From Porto with love". Bangkok Post. Retrieved 15 February 2018.