JERUSALEM — Thai Ambassador to Israel Boonyarit Vichienpuntu led a delegation of Thai workers and a Foreign Ministry representative to Jerusalem's Tisch Family Zoological Gardens on June 4, 2026. During the visit, Vichienpuntu announced the inaugural Thai Festival in Israel, which will be held at a venue outside Tel Aviv.
Thai diplomatic officials regularly visit the Jerusalem zoo to monitor the health and care of the elephants housed there. Thailand gifted four female elephants to Israel in 1994, following a personal request by Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin. The Tisch Family Zoological Gardens currently houses three female and one male elephant. Zoo staff speak to the elephants in Thai. Vichienpuntu said, "The Thai elephant is very important. They are in the heart of the Thai people. They are the symbols of living diplomacy, the good relations between Thailand and Israel." He added, "The elephant is part of our people-to-people relations." Regarding cultural influence, he said, "Thailand is now selling our soft power. You like Thai food, Thai massage, Muay Thai, everything. This is soft power."
Israel and Thailand marked 72 years of diplomatic relations in June 2026. The two countries cooperate in fields such as agriculture, with Thailand implementing Israeli irrigation technology. The PassportCard index data from late 2025 indicates that Thailand is the most visited international destination for Israeli travelers. Vichienpuntu said, "We don't see any obstacles. Our main trading partners are still the Americans and the Chinese. I don't see these two countries having any problem with Israel."
The current labor shortages in Israeli agriculture and food sectors have been addressed by workers from Thailand, India, and Sri Lanka. These shortages occurred after Israel suspended the work licenses of over 100,000 Palestinians in these sectors following the October 7 attacks. Approximately 42 Thai workers were killed in southern Israel during the October 7 attacks, and the remains of Sudthisak Rinthalak, one of those killed, were returned from Gaza late last year.