New faces at the Dutch embassy in Bangkok
Due to departure from the service or transfer to a new position in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, it was necessary to fill the gap in the Department of Politics and Economics at the Dutch embassy in Bangkok. That has now happened, the department is back at full strength, albeit that the positions of the three departed diplomats are now filled by a gentleman, a lady and two trainees.
Thomas van Leeuwen has been appointed as Deputy Chief of Post and Head of the Department of Politics and Economics, Kenza Tarqaât is the First Secretary of the department and the two are assisted by interns Sitra and Priya.
I have now met Thomas van Leeuwen and Kenza Tarqaât at the embassy for a closer introduction. I wouldn't call it an interview, because I didn't make a questionnaire. It became a conversation about the two new diplomats on the one hand and the importance of Thailandblog.nl for the embassy's communication with the Dutch community in Thailand on the other.
Thomas and Kenza have started their task and it goes without saying that it could not be expected that they already had a plan of action to promote the economic relationship between Thailand and the Netherlands in all its aspects. It is still too early for that, both are busy forming an image, talking as much as possible with Dutch entrepreneurs and Thai authorities. For example, they have already attended meetings of the organization of small and medium-sized enterprises in Thailand (MKB Thailand) and the Dutch-Thai Chamber of Commerce (NTCC). In preparing for their new position, Thomas and Kenza have also learned a lot from the websites of these business clubs, not to mention Thailandblog.nl. Thomas said about our blog that it contains extensive information about Thailand and that it is an excellent way of communicating with both the Dutch residents and the many holidaymakers who are interested in this beautiful country.
I would like to introduce you to the team of the Political and Economics Department of the Dutch Embassy:
Thomas van Leeuwen
Thomas (47) was born and raised in Wassenaar and, after studying law in Leiden, worked as a lawyer in the maritime sector of Rotterdam for a number of years. In 1998 he joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and previously held various positions at the Dutch embassies in Dakar (Senegal) and Helsinki (Finland). He also spent some time on Curaçao in the service of MinBuZa.
In 2011 he returned to the Netherlands with his family (his wife Paulette, son and daughter). Although the work at the ministry was quite fascinating, the urge to go abroad remained present and with the appointment in Bangkok, his wish has been fulfilled. So he didn't know Thailand, but Thomas didn't think that was an obstacle. He has prepared himself thoroughly for his new position and has resolved to become acquainted as soon as possible with all aspects related to his work. Thomas will work to further promote the already close relationship with Thailand, with a special focus on economic relations and the importance of a number of aspects of the Thai market such as trade, investment and tourism. In addition, he thinks it is a wonderful location, where he and his family want to fully enjoy life in Thailand.
Kenza Tarqaat
Kenza is a modern and charming 35-year-old young woman who has been appointed as the First Secretary of the Department of Politics and Economics. The rank of First Secretary does not mean that she will perform purely administrative duties. She forms a team with Thomas that will further shape trade promotion on the basis of (almost) equality.
If you think the surname Tarqaât sounds foreign, that's right. Kenza was born and raised in the Netherlands, but the roots of the family lie in Morocco.
Kenza was already familiar with Asia, first as a backpacker she visited a number of countries during and after her law studies in Utrecht. She has already completed a period in diplomatic service, because she was active for MinBuZa in Vietnam for 5 years. This involved a position as Consul at the Consulate General in Ho Chi Minh City and later at the Dutch Embassy in Hanoi.
The interns
Thomas van Leeuwen has to deal with 2 more ladies in his department next to Kenza. Sita Koendjbiharie and Priya Nandram will become acquainted not only with Thailand, but also with work in the diplomatic service. The experience they gain with this will fit in perfectly with their further studies in the Netherlands. Don't you think that the trainees are good for getting coffee and typing out reports, because they are indeed part of the team. I just remind you that their predecessors did a lot of work in the creation of the series "Fact Sheets", which the Dutch embassy has produced.
Finally,
My first impressions of this team in the Department of Politics and Economics are positive. Thomas and Kenza exude enthusiasm and enthusiasm to make their new position a success. With the legacy of their predecessors Guillaume, Bernhard and Martin, they have a good basis to assist Dutch entrepreneurs who do or want to do business with Thailand.
Personally, I still think that the quality of their work will also depend on the involvement of the new ambassador to be appointed. The sadly deceased Karel Hartogh was an example of how an ambassador can give direction to the much needed trade promotion between the Netherlands and Thailand.
We will certainly raise the subject in our first conversation with the new ambassador and we will also have another conversation with Thomas and Kenza about their experience so far and their further plans in due course.
About this blogger
-
Bert Gringhuis (1945), born and raised in Almelo in the beautiful Twente. Later lived for many years in Amsterdam and Alkmaar, working in export for various companies. I first came to Thailand in 1980 and immediately fell in love with the country. Been back many times since then and moved to Thailand after my (early) retirement as a widower. I have been living there for 22 years now with my somewhat younger Thai lady Poopae.
My first experiences in Thailand as a kind of newsletter sent to family, friends and acquaintances, which later appeared under the name Gringo on Thailandblog. Many, many articles followed those first stories and that has grown into an almost daily hobby.
In the Netherlands still an avid footballer and football referee, but the years are starting to tell and in Thailand still avid, but the pool billiards is really of inferior quality, ha ha!
Read the latest articles here
Background6 Januari 2026Pineapple in Thailand
Korat29 December 2025Nakhon Ratchasima: Gateway of Isan
Background13 December 2025The history of Thai cuisine
ActivitiesOctober 28, 2025High altitude mountain hiking in Thailand
A good piece of Gringo!
Amazing how fast time passes.
Three months ago I had a good conversation with Karel Hartogh, where he indicated, among other things, that he wanted to go to America because of a greater chance of recovery from his illness. Unfortunately, he was no longer allowed that time.
We hope that the new ambassador will follow the current policy course.
Nice to get to know the new Ambassador and his team. However, what I do notice is the first sentence of the article. For the sake of completeness, I would like to note that the previous Ambassador Mr. K. Hartogh has not left his employment or been transferred. Perhaps unnecessarily noted that the previous Ambassador Mr. K. Hartogh passed away.
Dank U
The text of Gringo's article is complete and correct. Perhaps you should read it again yourself.
If I read correctly, Mr van Leeuwen is not the new ambassador. Apparently it has yet to be named.
I went to the embassy last week because of a problem and was heard and addressed by a Thai lady in perfect Dutch TRIBUTE