Mr. Nuttavudh Photisaro, Deputy Permanent Secretary for Foreign Affairs, together with senior officials from the Ministry of Culture, led a Thai dance troupe from the Bunditpatanasilpa Institute and Thai handicraft demonstrators to perform and showcase Thai culture in Oman.  The Roadshow, organized by the Royal Thai Embassy in Muscat,      in collaboration with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Culture and comprised the following activities:

1) Muscat Festival 2014 on 21 - 22 February 2014 at Amerat Park: The Thai dance troupe performed Khon and local/folk dances, such as Klong Yao (Long Drum) and Fon Pootai, which received big rounds of applause from the Festival’s attendees.

Muscat Festival is Oman’s annual art and cultural festival held for a period of one month every year since 1998, attracting almost 10,000 people per day.  Apart from Thailand, the Netherlands, Saudi Arabia, Russia and India also sent their cultural troupes to participate in this year’s Festival.  Among those who attended the Festival, around 3,000 people watched the Thai cultural performances.

2) The 2^nd Thailand Nights on 23 - 25 February 2014 at the Muscat Grand Mall: The three-day event was well received.  Shoppers at the Mall were drawn by the Thai cultural performances and handicraft demonstrations.  This successful activity not only promoted Thailand but also brought about appreciation for Thai culture among the Omani people.

3) Ambassadors’ Wives Group (AWG) on 23 February 2014 at Thai Basil Restaurant:   A number of Thai dance ensembles were performed at the workshop organized exclusively for the wives of Ambassadors to Oman from different countries to offer them an opportunity to learn to make Thai handicrafts; namely food carving, umbrella painting and Praewa silk weaving.  This small yet impactful workshop helped promote Thai culture in the diplomatic community in Oman.

While in Oman, the Deputy Permanent Secretary stressed that the Roadshow represents a comprehensive collaboration between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Culture in order to extensively promote Thailand.  By combining the strengths of the two ministries, the project can be successfully materialized.  The Ministry of Culture can contribute the cultural content; namely the Thai dances, performances and handicrafts; whereas the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, with almost 100 Royal Thai Embassies and Consulates-General abroad, can coordinate, facilitate and suggest appropriate outlets for the promotion of the cultural content worldwide.  In line with Thailand’s foreign policy which does not focus only on political, economic and trade relations but also on people-to-people contact through cultural exchange and promotion.  This so-called cultural diplomacy helps strengthen Thailand’s diplomatic relations which will enhance relations in other dimensions such as trade, investment and especially tourism.

For Thailand, the GCC is not only an important energy supplier.  Each year, a large number of visitors from the GCC, 70,000 from Oman, come to Thailand for tourism and medical treatments.  This Thai Cultural Roadshow could help keep Thailand as top travel destination among the GCC nationals.