Interview with the British Ambassador to Thailand

On 17 September 2025, Mr. Vanndasambath Chhuon, General Coordinator of the ASEAN-UK Young Leader Initiative (ASEAN-UK YLI), joined Mr. Martin Darby, Executive Director of BritCham Cambodia, in a meeting with H.E. Mark Gooding, the British Ambassador to Thailand and Former British Ambassador to Cambodia from 2011 to 2013.

During the meeting, we discussed the modern stage of UK-Cambodia relations in a where both countries as the UK started to shifted their attention to Indo-Pacific region. Noted that the UK signed the ASEAN Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in 2012, during the Cambodia's ASEAN Chairmanship, in which marked as the critical juncture for the UK to deeply engage with ASEAN; as well as the Southeast Asian member states. Moreover, during that time, the UK also celebrated the London Olympic Games and the Queen Diamond Jubilee. At that time, the relations goes beyond a simple donour-recipient, in which the tie between both countries started to focus more on economic, social, political and governance development.

We also talked about the early days of the British Business Association in Cambodia (BBAC), now BritCham Cambodia, and how it operated by promoting and supporting British business and investment in Cambodia.

We would like to thank Ambassador Gooding for taking the time to meet with us. It is a great honour for ASEAN-UK YLI to hear his insights, which could enhance our second edition of the Cambodia-UK book at 75, following the launch of the first edition in 2023.

We also want to thank Ambassador Dominic Williams for connecting us with Ambassador Mark Gooding.

Furthermore, as BritCham Cambodia gets ready to celebrate its 30th anniversary on November 15, 2025, the ASEAN-UK Young Leaders Initiative is proud to collaborate on producing the document with the Chamber, highlighting three decades of service and support for businesses between Cambodia and the United Kingdom.