History
| Brief History of the Embassy of Malaysia, Bangkok | |||||
| Upon achieving her independence in 1957, the then Malaya had immediately set up seven diplomatic missions in London, Washington, New York, Canberra, New Delhi, Jakarta and Bangkok. Those cities were chosen given their strategic interest that Malaya had during that time. As in the case of Bangkok, the Embassy was officially opened on 6 September 1957. 1 July 1958 was a watershed day for Malaya with H.E. Tuan Syed Sheikh Shahabuddin being appointed as Malaya’s first Ambassador to Thailand.
From the day of its inception, the Embassy of Malaysia in Bangkok had been located along the famous Sathorn Road which was a busy business area for the city. Even in modern times, it is considered as part of the Central Business District (CBD) of Bangkok and many other diplomatic missions could be found along the road.
From a humble beginning in 1957, the Embassy had undergone massive transformation, both, in terms of its physical buildings and its manpower. Needless to say, being one of the most important neighbours to Malaysia, the workload handled by the Embassy of Malaysia in Bangkok has been on a steady upward trend from year to year. In its 54-year history, a total of 14 Ambassadors had served in Bangkok.
Picture 1 aptly describes the physical development of the Embassy. The picture which was taken in 1984 shows the original building of the Embassy (marked as A) and its Annex (marked as B) which was built in 1981. The new Annex was then opened in October 1982 and housed the Ambassador’s Office and the main office for the Embassy. The Official Residence of the Ambassador is marked as C. To the earlier generation of the staff of the Embassy, the set up of the Embassy and its pristine environment was a pulling factor for them to work tirelessly on the ground that after the long and hard day in the office, they could unwind by either fishing along the khlong that surrounded the old complex or by playing football at the compound of the Embassy. History even reveals that the annual Loi Kratong celebration for members of the diplomatic corps was celebrated at the very compound of the Embassy where lotuses were released to the khlong with specific wish(es) by its owner. | |||||
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| Picture 1 | |||||
| Ten years down the road after the opening of the new Annex, the Government of Malaysia decided to give a new uplift to the overall image of the Embassy. A more modern building was designed, built and finally ready for occupancy in 1997 (see Picture 2). The Embassy complex built on a 4.083-acre site symbolises Malaysia’s modern approach and image. While the new and bigger complex consumes almost every inch of the land, efforts were poured in to ensure that the esthetical value is preserved with the development of a beautiful and lush garden at the centre of the complex. Since then, the said garden has been used as venue for many official and unofficial functions organised by the Embassy especially during the 'winter' time for Thailand where the temperature could drop, on average, between 18 - 20 degrees Celsius. | |||||
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| Picture 2 | |||||
| Out of nine agencies that operate under the Embassy, three of them operate outside the main complex of the Embassy. Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE) and Malaysian Industrial Development Authority (MIDA) operate from the Q-House Lumpini Building at the mouth of South Sathorn Road. Meanwhile, Malaysia Tourism Promotion Board (MTPB) or better known as Tourism Malaysia operates from Zuellig Building at Silom Road. At the same time, the Consular Section and the Agriculture Marketing Office of the Embassy also operate from a separate office at the corner of the adjacent Sathorn Garden Condominium, just outside the Embassy’s main gate. The above-referred offices are strategically located outside the main building of the Embassy to facilitate the movement of visitors who frequent the office for their official dealings. Following are some of the old pictures that capture the memories of the old Chancery before it was demolished in 1994 to pave way for the construction of the new and modern complex: | |||||
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