As recently as December 6, the first ambassador of the Syrian Arab Republic to ASEAN presented his letter of credence at a ceremony in Jakarta. His Excellency Abdul Monem Annan was received by ASEAN secretary general Dr Kao Ki, Hourn just 48 hours before the collapse of the government of President Bashar al-Assad.
President Bashar fled to Russia in a cargo airplane just two days later after inaccurate social media reports that he had been killed after a crash. Russia has been a longterm ally in the tangled and violent history of Syria which has been ruled by the Assad dynasty for half a century. Which rebel factions will assume the reins of power in Syria remains unknown in the current confusion, but it can be assumed that the recently-appointed ambassador to ASEAN will have one of the shortest ambassadorships in recorded history.
Thailand, as a member of the 10-nation ASEAN consortium, has had very limited dealings with Syria over the years apart from sympathizing with civilians suffering from poison gas attacks and occasional earthquakes. ASEAN has expressed interest in exploring mutual benefits such as trade and investment, but with little actual progress. Thailand’s immigration regulations require Syrian nationals to obtain a visa in advance “with additional documents” and forbid entry with e-visas or visas on arrival. The nearest Thai embassy to Syria is in Amman, the capital of neighboring Jordan.
