On 3 April 2014, Mr. Sek Wannamethee, Director-General of the Department of Information and Ministry’s Spokesperson, gave an interview to the Press on the event on the First Thai Film Festival in Yangon.

Ministry’s Spokesperson said that on 28 March 2014, high-ranking representatives from the Thai public and private sectors led by Mr. Saroj Chavanaviraj, Secretary-General of the Thailand Foundation; Mr. Nuttavudh Photisaro, Deputy Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Prof. Dr. Apinan Poshyananda, Deputy Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Culture; Mr. Sek Wannamethee, Director-General of the Department of Information, Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Mr. Pisanu Suvanajata, Ambassador of Thailand to Myanmar; Mr. Visute Poolvoralaks, President of the National Federation of Thai Film Associations (NFTFA); Mr. Weerasak Kowsurat, Secretary-General of NFTFA; Miss Panita Shinawatra, Deputy Director-General of the Office of Small and Medium Enterprises Promotion; Mr. Boon Intiratana, Minister Counsellor (Commercial) of the Royal Thai Embassy in Yangon; and Thai film entrepreneurs participated in the following activities at the Thai Film Festival 2014 in Yangon:

1. A friendship soccer match between the Mangpor Lorkloen team of Thai actors and the Myanmar actors’ team at the Yangon United Sports Complex.  The game was attended by the Thai representatives and over 200 Myanmar fans.

2. The festival’s opening ceremony at People’s Park.  Apart from the Thai representatives, U Myint Swe, Chief Minister of the Yangon Region, and Daw San San New, Minister of Culture of the Yangon Region, graciously presided over the opening ceremony of Thai Film Festival 2014.  Director (Mr. Banjong Pisanthanakun), script writer (Mr. Chantavit Dhanasevi), and actors (Mr. Attarut Kongrasri and Mr. Kantapat Permpoonpatcharasuk) of ‘Pee Mak Phra Khanong’, a Thai romantic, horror, and comedy movie which is very popular in Myanmar, were present on the stage. Mos Patiparn Pataweekarn, a Thai renowned actor and singer, also performed for the audience of over 1,500 people.

Thai Film Festival 2014 took place in Yangon from 28 to 30 March 2014.  The other activities, held between 29 and 30 March 2014, included the screening of Thai movies, namely 1) ATM Er Rak Error 2) 3AM Part 1 and 3) Muay Thai Chaiya; an exhibition of Thai products; a business matching session, a film seminar, and several concerts by both Myanmar and Thai artists, such as Neko Jump and Buddha Bless.  These activities were live broadcasted on Sky Net, a Myanmar satellite TV channel that reaches out to an estimated audience of 4.5 million people.

This Thai Film Festival, held for the first time in Myanmar, was well-received by the local public. This reflects the fact that cinema is a universal medium of communication that can reach out to people in different cultures, enhancing people-to-people contact and thereby fostering international cultural cooperation.