Although a small country surrounded by hostile neighbours, Israel still shines economically. The Thai public are probably not aware of the people's extraordinary traits that make them some of the world's great innovators.
Challenges of geography, size and diplomacy have been ingredients, rather than obstacles, in developing such technologies as drip irrigation, the cherry tomato, the electric car grid and many more.
"In short, Israelis are rough diamonds that need to be polished and cut. Inside is precious, but outside… perhaps not so admirable," said Simon Roded, Israel's 17th ambassador to Thailand.
Israelis, Ambassador Roded said, are often compared to the thorny sabra cactus fruit. "You need to cut them out to enjoy the sweet and delicious taste inside."
Besides the need to advance themselves technologically, the nation of 63 years has been shaped and moulded by Judaism, the dogged spirit against unkind natural surroundings, and years in the military services. At the same time, Ambassador Roded concedes that a negative characteristic of the Israelis is strong-headedness.
"The Israelis don't easily listen to others. We are good at making arguments. So when you enter the military services and you want to succeed, you must be very good in leading your groups," said Ambassador Roded, who has made Bangkok his first ambassadorial post after decades of works on budgeting, training and consular affairs both at home, as well as in Washington D.C, Tokyo, and New York.
Serving in the Israel Defense Forces is mandatory for most young Israelis. To Ambassador Roded, it is also an opportunity to develop a wide array of skills and contacts.
"What we take from military service will be with us for the rest of our life. We have a saying -- never rank your subordinates. In order to succeed, they need to follow you, not by orders." He then added that, jokingly, that it may be easier to manage 100 Americans than 50 Israelis.
Ambassador Roded has been in Thailand for three years. His observations about Thai and Israeli cultures go beyond the military, to mentality and politics, as well as to the fact that Thai workers constitute the largest international workforce in his country. Meanwhile, Thailand is a destination favoured by 150,000 Israelis every year. "Sometimes it's not easy to understand not only Thailand but the region," said the 61-year-old ambassador. "Of course, I know more in three years, but I still don't understand Thai politics. But now I know what I don't know. There are things that I don't know because I was not born Thai, this is something a diplomat or a foreigner needs to realise that there are things that you'll never understand," said Ambassador Roded.
From the Thai perspective, what we appreciate the most is the Israeli farming technology: how the smart drip and micro-irrigation -- the technique of releasing water in controlled, slow drips to provide precise crop irrigation -- have brought profits to the rocky and sandy land of kibbutz and moshav, and how Thailand can learn from it.
Workers from Thailand account for 95% of this small nation's agricultural production -- the largest group of workers in a country of over 8 million people.
"Dripping system is just part of it. We use technology to serve people. We're managing water to feed the country. We've reclaimed water from waste water. Around 80% of all waste water is reclaimed for re-use," said Ambassador Roded, adding that water co-operation is an area in which Thailand and Israel can further develop.
Ambassador Roded said there's enormous potential for bilateral co-operation. Bilateral trade is usually around US$1.2 billion annually; 60:40 in favour of Thailand. "Taking out energy, Israel is Thailand's first or second trading partner in the Middle East."
But the major breakthrough was perhaps the labour agreement that both sides concluded after years of negotiations in 2012.
The government-to-government agreement through collaboration of the International Organisation of Migration (IOM) has eliminated illegal access fees and a co-opt system from both sides.
Roded said Thai workers used to pay some 450,000 baht each. "It's around US$12,000-15,000 -- which is too high. Now the fees are around 70,000 baht including airfare, so the Thai workers have a lot left in their pockets and no need to take loans," he said.
From the Israel side, the labour law is enforced too, "It's not that Israel is clean and runs without any problems, but we are aggressive in enforcement. In certain cases, employers went to jail for not providing agreed-working conditions or underpaying the employees."
Ambassador Roded considered existing labour complaints as positive, "When people are complaining, it means the system is working and they are not afraid to talk. Last year, the IOM together with Israeli labour ministry surveyed Thai workers' satisfaction and 90% of them ticked they were happy," said Roded.
While the scenario of foreign workers in Israel is changing, with Chinese and Romanians in the construction sector, and Filipinos mostly in nursing and caring for the elderly, Thai workers still work exclusively in the agricultural sector with 23,000 people working usually three to five years at a time.
Ambassador Roded has made a resolution in the last 18 months or so to establish farming and small agricultural businesses in Thailand from the workers' years of experience in kibbutz and moshav to create more benefits for their rural communities.
"They need to adapt, get funding and financing and find the right supply chain and markets. It's not easy, but I'm trying to move forward to try safety-net crops that they can market. At least, find one community or model or showcase to prove the concept," said Ambassador Roded.
And as the traditional long holidays are approaching [April and September], the Israeli embassy has conducted an inter-agency security meeting to "see they're on the same page as some 150,000 Israelis who will be visiting Thailand every year".
It's one of the things that the embassy closely coordinates with the government.
Ambassador Roded said he could see the coup coming to an end, but at the end of the day, whatever the political situation, countries need to engage with each other.
"Our job is to interact and engage. We are a small power, not someone who imposes their values or way of life upon others. Thais will determine their own future.
"We just express our hope that Thailand will resume full democracy at the earliest possible time frame," said Ambassador Roded.
Israel was one of dozens of countries that issued travel warnings right after the 2014 coup. After all, Ambassador Roded said, his country would never have a coup, because no one would listen to the order.
His last words concerned the future, and he said that what it looks like will be up to the Thai people.
"In the meantime, we need to engage as both countries have interests. In the modern world, we just can't simply take it for granted."