By THÉRÈSE MARGOLIS

The acting chargé d’affaires of the Royal Thai Embassy in Mexico, Nadariya Nopakun Phromyothi, hosted a diplomatic reception and buffet lunch at the Presidente InterContinental on Tuesday, Dec. 3, to mark her country’s national day.

The Thai holiday, which in fact falls on Dec. 5, commemorates the birthday of that nation’s late king, Bhumibol Adulyadej, who passed away at age 88 in October 2016.

Thailand’s current king, Bhumibol’s only son, Maha Vajiralongkorn Bodindradebayavarangkun, chose to maintain the holiday rather than change it to his own birthday out of respect for the Thai people’s strong devotion to their deceased monarch.

In her welcome speech, Phromyothi pointed out that the highly revered Bhumibol is generally considered to be the father of modern Thailand and a role model for the majority of the Thai people.

A pioneer in sustainable development projects who sponsored more than 4,000 projects aimed at managing Thailand’s rich natural resources, Bhumibol was recognized by the United Nations in 2013 for his lifelong commitment to environmental conservation.

Phromyothi said that 2019 has been an important year for Thailand, during which King Maha Vajiralongkorn was coronated in May, vowing to continue the royal legacy of his father.

The Thai diplomat also spoke about her country’s bilateral relationship with Mexico, noting that the two nations have maintained close ties for more than 44 years.

She said that in the last 12 months, there has been a 10 percent surge in the number of Mexicans visiting Thailand, and she also said that combined binational trade is on the rise.

Combined two-way trade last year amounted to more than $6 billion, making Mexico Thailand’s largest trade partner in Latin America, and Thailand Mexico’s sixth-largest trade partner in the Asia Pacific region..

Known as Siam until 1939, Thailand is the only Southeast Asian country never to have been taken over by a European power.

A bloodless revolution in 1932 led to a constitutional monarchy.