Thai King appoints fmr diplomat, Maris Sangiampongsa as new foreign minister

The king of Thailand has appointed retired diplomat Maris Sangiampongsa as the country’s new foreign minister, according to officials.

Maris, 65, is a former Thai ambassador to Australia and Canada who served as an adviser to his predecessor, Parnpree Bahiddha-Nukara, who resigned unexpectedly on Sunday after losing his role as deputy prime minister in a cabinet reshuffle.

According to reports, the appointment comes at a critical moment as Thailand ramps up diplomatic efforts to manage the ongoing violence in neighboring Myanmar, where a civil war between the ruling military and a loose alliance of established ethnic minority militias and a resistance movement is intensifying.

In March, Thailand started to deliver aid to Myanmar in a humanitarian initiative aimed at paving the way for talks between warring camps.

Additionally, Thailand has been pressing regional bloc ASEAN to be more proactive in trying to seek a solution following the failure of its peace plan to gain traction in the three years since it was announced.

Several key members have become frustrated at the junta’s refusal to engage their opponents.

“The direction is still there from the prime minister or Thailand to be this kind of facilitator, mediator for the way forward in Myanmar,” said political expert Thitinan Pongsudhirak.

“That objective is still there but the mechanics, they will have a lot to make up for,” he went on to say.