BANGKOK, THAILAND – On Thursday (06/03/2025), it was exactly six days that we, the delegates of Dompet Dhuafa, Dai Ambassador 2025, set foot in Bangkok. On this day, we also had the honor to stay in touch with an important figure at the Indonesian Embassy in Bangkok. He is Rachmat Budiman, a senior diplomat who currently serves as the Indonesian Ambassador to Thailand.
We were scheduled by the Chairman of the Board of Majelis Taklim Masjid As Safier of the Indonesian Embassy in Bangkok who is also the Research Attaché of the Indonesian Embassy in Bangkok, Dedi Cahyadi Irianto, to meet the Indonesian Ambassador to Bangkok at 09:00 Bangkok time. However, we had arrived 15 minutes earlier. Because according to information, Rachmat Budiman is very punctual. As guests, we should not keep our hosts waiting.
At this meeting, we were accompanied by Dedi Cahyadi and Sofian Sori as Local Staff of the Indonesian Embassy who are also the As Safier Mosque Management of the Indonesian Embassy in Bangkok. We were directed to a room that is usually used by the Ambassador to welcome his guests. Arriving in the room, our eyes were drawn to a large painting displayed on the wall, namely the moment of the royal audience handing over the letter of credence from the President of the Republic of Indonesia represented by Mr. Ambassador Rachmat Budiman to King Rama X Vajiralongkorn in 2021.
After waiting for a few minutes, the Ambassador came out of his office accompanied by Dozi Adeson as the Indonesian Embassy’s Social and Cultural Affairs Function and immediately met us. He greeted us with warm greetings and smiles. After introductions, Rachmat Budiman immediately took over the conversation by providing some enlightenment. We listened carefully.
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At the beginning of the conversation, Rachmat Budiman told us about the schedule of the Indonesian Ambassador to Bangkok during Ramadan, which is quite busy with high mobility. However, he continues to live it with enthusiasm and productivity.
In a more intense conversation, he gave his views on the phenomenon of Muslims today. According to Rachmat, there is a gap between the noble teachings of Islam and the behavior of Muslims in Indonesia today. For example, he often encounters many Muslims who leave litter and are not responsible for it. Whereas Islamic teachings emphasize that cleanliness is part of faith.
There is something that indirectly slapped him, namely a board that reads in Indonesian “Throw garbage in its place” in one of the big malls in Thailand. This is inversely proportional to the conditions in Thailand, where according to him, Thailand, which is not an Islamic country, has implemented Islamic values. In terms of cleanliness, as he often observed, public toilets in Thailand such as at gas stations or rest areas are very clean and comfortable.
Regarding security, for Rachmat, Thailand is a safe country, there are no worries about walking alone in the alleys or streets of Bangkok. Another thing that the Indonesian Ambassador to Bangkok highlighted was the phenomenon of Indonesian Muslims cycling to Makkah in order to perform Umrah or Hajj. Some of them are only armed with material and clothing or even less, and they transit in various countries including in Thailand and often come to the Indonesian Embassy for help.
Rachmat Budiman as the Ambassador also questioned whether this was in accordance with the requirements of being “able” to perform Umrah or Hajj? Because, sometimes in the view of some outsiders who see, this can be a less beautiful image of Islam and Indonesia.
Beyond that, there are many other conversations that we discussed with the Indonesian Ambassador to Bangkok. But the point is, Rachmat Budiman positively welcomed the presence of Dompet Dhuafa’s Dai Ambassador in Bangkok.
“There are similarities between us, where you and I are both ambassadors,” he said.
Rachmat hopes that Dompet Dhuafa’s Dai Ambassadors can raise humanist Islamic themes in their preaching. Such as the values of cleanliness, courtesy, productivity, and so on.
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Explicitly, he also advised, “Preach Islam rahmatan lil ‘alamin to Indonesian Muslims in Thailand”. That is a comprehensive understanding of Islam that is full of love, instead of showing that Islam is a violent and angry religion. He observed that currently there are preachers who like to disbelieve and mislead others. For him, this is an unfavorable and counterproductive phenomenon.
In the midst of serious conversation, Rachmat also occasionally inserts humor and personal stories. We concluded that he is a multitalented figure. He is very good at playing soccer and tennis despite being over 60 years old. In addition, he is a champion and has a high artistic spirit. During his tenure as Ambassador, many facilities were built or repaired and well organized. Among them are the soccer field, the Sports Building, as well as the Indonesian School Building Bangkok. We also saw firsthand and witnessed the beauty, neatness, and cleanliness of the Indonesian Embassy in Bangkok.
After Rachmat Budiman ended the conversation, next, we were given time to speak. Ustaz Raji Luqya Maulah as a representative of Dompet Dhuafa’s Dai Ambassador in charge of Thailand conveyed greetings from the leadership of Dompet Dhuafa to the Indonesian Ambassador in Bangkok and explained the mission of the preachers’ arrival in Bangkok. Representing Dompet Dhuafa, Ustaz Raji also expressed his deepest gratitude to the Indonesian Embassy in Bangkok and Majelis Taklim Masjid As Safier of the Indonesian Embassy in Bangkok as partners, for receiving the preachers very well.
In connection with what was conveyed by Rachmat Budiman, the preachers also responded positively to his directions. Because, it is in line with our mission of da’wah in Bangkok, which is to spread Islam rahmatan lil ‘alamin. We will try to implement these missions while preaching among the Indonesian Muslim community in Bangkok. At the end of the session, we gave a Dompet Dhuafa plaque to the Indonesian Ambassador in Bangkok as a memento, then closed with a group photo.
Text and photo: Dai Ambassador assigned to Thailand, Ustaz Iqbal Maulana Alfiansyah
Editor: Ronna