JAKARTA, 12 January 2026 – Ambassador Prinat Apirat presented her Letter of Credence to the Secretary-General of ASEAN, Dr. Kao Kim Hourn, at the ASEAN Headquarters/ASEAN Secretariat today, formally commencing her tenure as the Permanent Representative of the Kingdom of Thailand to ASEAN.
The Presentation of the Letter of Credence was followed by a courtesy call, during which Secretary-General Dr. Kao congratulated Ambassador Prinat on her appointment and expressed confidence in her ability to contribute meaningfully to ASEAN Community-building and integration efforts. He underscored that the Ambassador’s extensive diplomatic experience would serve as a valuable asset to the work of the Committee of Permanent Representatives to ASEAN (CPR).
Secretary-General Dr. Kao commended Thailand on its steadfast commitment and valuable contributions to ASEAN. He underlined the pivotal role of Thailand in achieving the implementation of ASEAN 2045: Our Shared Future toward a resilient, sustainable, innovative, dynamic, and people-centered ASEAN Community.
During the meeting, Ambassador Prinat outlined Thailand’s priorities in advancing ASEAN cooperation for the benefit of the peoples in the region, highlighting Thailand’s role as ASEAN Coordinator for Sustainable Development Cooperation as well as Country Coordinator for ASEAN-Republic of Korea Dialogue Relations. Ambassador Prinat also reiterated Thailand’s readiness to work closely with the ASEAN Secretariat to promote ASEAN Community-building, enhance ASEAN’s relations with its external partners, and strengthen the ASEAN Secretariat.
Ambassador Prinat is the ninth Permanent Representative of Thailand to ASEAN. She previously served as Consul-General of Thailand in Shanghai. She holds a Ph.D. in International Relations (East Asian Studies) from the School of Advanced International Studies, at Johns Hopkins University. Secretary-General Dr. Kao reaffirmed the ASEAN Secretariat’s readiness to support Ambassador Prinat and the Permanent Mission of the Kingdom of Thailand to ASEAN in Jakarta, emphasising the importance of continued collaboration between the CPR and the ASEAN Secretariat to achieve ASEAN’s goals and objectives.