Thank you, Deputy Minister Pongsak, for those insightful remarks.  Before I begin, I want to thank the Ports of Seattle and Tacoma, which together form the third largest point of entry to the United States, for sponsoring our luncheon today.  Later we will hear from mission delegates Terry Finn from the Port of Seattle and Lou Paulsen from the Port of Tacoma. I also want to thank the Thailand-US Business Council for their hard work in organizing this event. Thank you, Mr. Chupong, and the Thai Chamber of Commerce and the Federation of Thai Industries for your participation as well. 

Although I have only been in Thailand for a short time, I have already been struck by the exceptional kindness and courtesy we have been shown.  I had heard about the generosity and friendliness of the people of Thailand, but to experience it is truly amazing.

We are honored to have Consul General Isinthorn Sornvai with us today and joining us for much of our visit here in Thailand.  Consul General Sornvai participated in a tour of the eastern part of our state last fall, and greatly enjoyed learning about that region and the economic opportunities it offers and sampling the food and wine.  He encouraged us to consider some of Thailand’s economic opportunities and invited us to visit.  Obviously the consul is a proud and enthusiastic representative for his country, as here we are today!  Thank you for the invitation and support, Consul.

Now I would like to take a few minutes of your time to share a little about Washington state and why we are here.  Washington is a very diverse state.  Now that Consul Sornvai has visited, he can testify to the diversity of the people, products, geography and companies that make up our state.  Most people are familiar with Boeing, Microsoft, Starbucks and the Space Needle but I’d like to tell you about how much more there is to Washington than these well-known companies and landmarks.

While Washington has the reputation of receiving lots of rain, parts of Eastern Washington are dry and flat like a desert yet rich with agriculture due to irrigation. This irrigated farmland feeds the world. You may be familiar with Washington apples, but we’re also a leading producer of cherries, wheat, soy beans and many other vegetables. We’re number one in the U.S. in processed potato products.  Eastern Washington also has one of the finest grape growing regions in the world. While we are #2 in the U.S. for quantity of wines produced, behind California, we are #1 in quality! 

Washington’s geography reflects the incredible diversity of the United States’ geography.  There are majestic mountains to hike and ski in, crystal clear lakes, rivers, bays and, of course, the Pacific Ocean for fishing, boating, swimming, even wind surfing. 

When you visit, you may enjoy the tranquility of a ferry boat ride around the islands of the Puget Sound. Or, perhaps, take a boat cruise on Lake Washington by the University of Washington and by the home of Bill Gates, the billionaire founder of Microsoft.

Speaking of Microsoft, the economy of Washington is more than the giants Microsoft and Boeing.  These are certainly an important part of our state, making us a leader in international trade.  Washington State is the most trade-dependent state in the nation.  In fact, it is estimated that one in every 4 or 5 people’s jobs is  related to international trade. 

You won’t be surprised to hear that China is rapidly moving up as a key trade partner for us.  They are currently Washington’s third largest trading partner and growing quickly.  Last year we sent China $3.5 billion of goods, and China exported $9.8 billion in goods to us—particularly footwear, toys and games. 

But we can’t depend solely on one country, even big as China.  And, likewise, we can’t depend on one or two giant companies, like Boeing and Microsoft to sustain or build our economy.

Our incredible state is a global player in international trade.  Washington’s international trade identity encompasses so much more than just large, multinational companies.  It includes hundreds of small and medium-sized companies which produce a wide array of goods and services.  These create significant export and import possibilities. 

For example, Klean Earth Environmental Company, or KEECO, is based in Lynnwood, north of Seattle.  Keeco is setting the pace in developing next generation technology for high-performance, low-cost methods of eliminating environmental heavy metal contamination, and recently made a $100 million deal with China. 

Boundary Layer Research in Everett is a world leader in engineering, certifying, manufacturing and marketing aerodynamic enhancement components.  Their latest project is the aging fleet of military Huey helicopters.

Spokane, the biggest city in Eastern Washington, is home to Jones Double Reed Products, one of the world’s largest manufacturers of reeds for oboes and other double reed instruments.  It all started a number of years ago in the basement of a home.

Itron, another Spokane company, was with us in Taiwan working on an acquisition.  Itron is major manufacturer of electricity meters.

Another example is      Biomedex, maker of medical diagnostic equipment. There’s Mulvanny G2, an architectural firm doing work around the world.

So what do these small companies with large designs on international market tell us?  Things are not always as they appear.  It’s not just planes, coffee and software that are important to the world or local economy.  Nor can it be just China or European Union.

So our people look to the rest of the world for opportunities, and that is one of the reasons we are here with you today.

Speaking of the citizens of Washington, they are a microcosm of the world.  We welcome people from everywhere.  The dozens of nationalities make up our six million citizens and 160 languages spoken in the school system.

Washingtonians help promote our state around the world, and secure our position as a leader in international trade and relations.  You will find friends in our state that speak your language and know your culture.  There are 20,000 Thais living and doing business in our state.

That is quick snapshot of the State of Washington.  Believe it or not, I’m not here just to brag about the state of Washington.  I decided to lead this delegation to Thailand for several reasons.

We want to be added to your list as potential trading partner. We would like to identify potential opportunities and share those with businesses back home.  We definitely hope to create new long-term relations that will benefit both of us. 

It’s exciting to learn about your culture and get to know you personally, in addition to exploring economic opportunities.

There are also educational opportunities for both sides to learn about.  You know of the high quality of the University of Washington as our countries share a half century of experiences, with a significant history of Ph.D training of Thai students.  For 30 years there have been student and faculty exchanges between Washington and Thailand.

I also encourage you to look at other excellent public and private universities for degrees, exchange programs and research possibilities.  Some of our university and research strengths are in biotechnology, medical research, veterinary science and agriculture.

Last, but not least, we are to here reach out a hand of friendship to the very kind, friendly people of Thailand. Although the world is moving to more so-called high tech business methods like teleconferencing and e-commerce, we believe, as I am sure the people of the “land of smiles” will agree, there will never be a substitute for the warmth of a smile and the sincerity of a handshake.

To this end I have asked my colleagues in the legislature to assist me with a toast. We all are elected, so our role is to serve.  Today we want to share with you some of the fine high-quality wine we brought from Washington state, to give each of you a taste of the excellent wines that we produce.

(Raising glass) To building bridges of peace and prosperity from our land to yours and back.