Thailand: Ministry of Foreign Affairs organised a Trip to Thailand’s Southern Border Provinces for Ambassadors from Muslim Countries

From 25 – 27 July 2023, H.E. Ms. Busadee Santipitaks, Deputy Permanent Secretary for Foreign Affairs, accompanied by H.E. Mr. Chairat Sirivat, Ambassador attached to the Ministry, and H.E. Ms. Lada Phumas, Ambassador of Thailand to Malaysia, led a delegation comprised of ambassadors, chargés d'affaires a.i., and diplomats from 10 Muslim countries, namely Malaysia, Kuwait, Oman, Egypt, Indonesia, Türkiye, Morocco, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, and Qatar, in a visit to Thailand’s southern border provinces.

The visit aimed at providing the diplomatic corps with information regarding the situation on the ground and the Royal Thai Government’s policy in the administration and development of Thailand’s southern border provinces. At the same time, the visit also served as an opportunity for the foreign representatives to gain first-hand experience and information of the unique multiculturalism in these provinces, as well as to learn about the area’s potentials in fields of education, economic and industry development, culture, and tourism.

During the 3-day trip, the diplomatic corps received briefings and paid visits to a number of agencies, organisations, and important sites in the provinces of Yala, Pattani, and Narathiwat, which reflected various aspects of Thailand’s three southernmost provinces. Such aspects include (1) overall government policy and administration: briefings at the Southern Border Provinces Administrative Center and the Yala City Municipality; (2) education: visit to the TK Park Yala, discussion with alumni graduated from Muslim countries, briefing by the Centre for Propelling Education in the Southern Border Provinces, visit to the Prince of Songkla University (PSU) - Pattani Campus; (3) economic: visits to the Pattani Industrial Estate, the Halal Spa in PSU Pattani Campus; (4) environment: visit to the Ban Ton Tan Community Forest in Narathiwat; and (5) culture/tourism: visits to the Krue Se Mosque, the Barahom Community, the Kueda Chino Neighbourhood, the Pattani Central Mosque in Pattani, the Islamic Cultural Heritage Museum and the Al-Quran Learning Centre in Narathiwat.

The trip was co-organised by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Southern Border Provinces Administrative Center, together with relevant local agencies, and aimed to impress the participants from Muslim countries with strengths and potentials for development of Thailand’s southern border provinces, wherein the majority of population are also Muslims. The visit is expected to contribute to widening and expanding doors of opportunities for further international cooperation beneficial to local communities in Thailand’s southernmost provinces.