Thailand, Russia celebrate 115-year diplomatic relations

BANGKOK, June 22 (TNA) - Thailand and Russia celebrated the 115th anniversary of the establishment of their diplomatic relations on June 21. Thai Foreign Minister Surapong Tovichakchaikul presided over joint activities organized in Bangkok on Thursday to mark the 115th anniversary of the diplomatic relations between Thailand and Russia, which were also attended by Russian Ambassador in Bangkok Alexander G. Mariyasov. Two cultural shows, including Russia’s Swan Lake ballet and a Thai Khon mask play depicting the Ramayana epic, were also performed at Thursday's event. Diplomatic relations between Thailand and Russia were established in 1897 during the reign of Thailand's King Rama V or King Chulalongkorn the Great and Russia's King Tsar Nicholas II and have grown strongly since then, with the number of Russian tourist arrivals in the Thai Kingdom reaching one million last year and bilateral trade standing at 5.6 billion US dollars, a 41 per cent surge from 2010.(TNA)