BANGKOK, 22nd January 2017 (NNT) - Thailand and Japan are to celebrate 130 years of diplomatic relations in 2017.

Culture Minister Vira Rojpojchanarat said today that the two countries have enjoyed cordial relations for more than 600 years since the Sukhothai era.

Mr. Vira said that Thailand used to ship chinaware for sale in Japan and some of it is still on display in Japan’s National Museum, while Japan sold silk, cotton, charmeuse and Japanese swords to Thailand in earlier times.

He added that the countries became close during the reign of King Rama V, when the Declaration of Amity and Commerce was signed.

And to mark the 130th year of the two nations’ diplomatic relations in September, the Thai government and related agencies have been planning various activities to take place throughout the year while the Culture Ministry will host a special exhibition to show all levels of the relationship between Thailand and Japan as well as the royal activities of HM the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej and the mourning by people from around the world at Nofuku-ji temple or Daibutsu Kobe in Kobe, Japan, in February, said the minister.

In addition, 120 individual artifacts and antiquities will be sent to Japan to be put on display at museums in Kyushu and Tokyo, while Japan will send more than 130 artifacts to Thailand in December, he added.

Mr. Vira went on to say that Japan is the largest foreign investor in Thailand, with a total investment of more than 80 billion baht that led to over 600,000 jobs in 2016, while some 1.3 million Japanese visited the country in the past year — making them the number-three foreign visitors after Chinese and Malaysian.