It is with great sadness that we learned today of the passing of His Excellency Virachai Plasai. On behalf of the American people, I offer our heartfelt condolences to his family, his friends, and the people of Thailand.
Ambassador Virachai made many contributions to the stability and prosperity of U.S.-Thai relations throughout his distinguished career. He assumed the position of Ambassador of the Kingdom of Thailand to the United States in June 2018. A friend of the United States, he worked tirelessly to strengthen partnerships between our two countries. Previously, Ambassador Virachai was the Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Thailand to the United Nations in New York beginning in March 2015. In that role he advanced shared values of peace and stability, representing the Kingdom of Thailand as a leader in ASEAN, the Indo-Pacific, and around the world.
I myself was privileged to meet Ambassador Virachai on a number of occasions, and was each time impressed with his dedication, his obvious ability, and his sincerity. The United States will long remember the deep, lasting contributions Ambassador Virachai made to his country and his world throughout a diplomatic career that spanned more than 30 years.
