During 29 August – 3 September 2014, H.E. Mr. Maris Sangiampongsa, Thai Ambassador to the Papua New Guinea, with residence in Canberra, Australia, together with Dr. Vanida Khumnirdpetch, Minister Counsellor, Agricultural Affairs, Ms. Suratchaya Palawongse, First Secretary, and Mr. Thanabordee Joothong, First Secretary, paid an official visit to Papua New Guinea.  The summary of the said visit is as follows:

 

               On 29 August 2014 at 09.30 hrs.

               The delegation visited the University of Papua New Guinea to follow up on the Thai Corner which was donated by Ms. Yingluck Shinawatra, former Prime Minister, during the official visit by the Head of Government of Thailand to the Papua New Guinea in March 2013. The delegation was warmly received by Professor Pulapa Subba Rao, Pro Vice Chancellor, and the teachers and librarians who so delighted with the return of Ambassador Maris to the University.  Building on the success of Thai Corner; the University requested for the increasing in scholarships and the establishment of E-Library.  Ambassador Maris believed it is feasible for Thailand to share its expertise on E-Library because many universities in Thailand already had the E-Library available for their students.  As forthe scholarships, Ambassador Maris informed it is the responsibility of Thailand International Development Agency (TICA) which is a special agency under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.  However, the Papua New Guinean must first identify the subject areas that are suitable for their needs and development.

 

               On 29 August 2014 at 11.00 hrs.

               Ambassador Maris chaired a Round Table Meeting with Mr. Ron Seddon, President of Port Moresby Chamber of Commerce and a group of local businessmen. The objectives of the meeting are to explore ways to strengthen relations between the private sector of the two countries as well as  to set-up “Friends of Thailand” network in Papua New Guinea. The meeting agreed that the relationship between governments is most cordial after the visit of Prime Minister Yingluck im 2013.  However, there are 2 levels of relationships that still need further effort; business-to-business and people-to-people.  Ambassador Maris emphasized the important role that the private sector can play in promoting the relations between the two countries. For example, Homestate Co., Ltd. has invested in Papua New Guinea for nearly 20 years and established a largest stock of Thai rice in the South Pacific in Papua New Guinea. The Company also released 60 tons of Thai rice to help the flood victims.  At the same time, Ambassador Maris explained to the businessmen about the politicalsituation in Thailand and reassured them on the resilience of Thai economy. Today, Thailand has slowly regained trust from international community and its economic indicators are improving. The forecasted GDP for 2014 is 3%. Thailand is also situated in strategic location. It is between the zones and can be a gateway to both China and India. In addition, Thailand is a member of ASEAN. This regional grouping is on the rise and will become the ASEAN Economic Community by 2015.    

 

               On 29 August and 3 September 2014, at 13.00 - 16.00 hrs.

               Ambassador Maris presided over the opening ceremony of “Thailand Trade Show 2014”    on 29 August 2014 at the Crown Plaza Hotel in the Port Moresby and on 3 September 2014 at the Lae International Hotel in Lae. The event was organized by the Royal Thai Embassy together with Homestate Co., Ltd. to showcase variety of Thai products. Today, Thai products are considered a high quality by Papua New Guinean but many of them go through middlemen leading to a price too high. The Royal Thai Embassy tried to create a new channel of distribution of Thai product in the Papua New Guinea. By cooperating with Homestate Co., Ltd., Thai products can increase their comparative advantage and Papua New Guineans can buy high quality products at a reasonable price. It is a win-win situation. Both trade shows had received a lot of attention from Papua New Guinean Government, Diplomatic Corps, local and international businessmen, as well as the local media.

 

              On 2 September 2014, at 10.00 hrs.

              The Royal Thai Embassy donated the medical equipments together with 1 ton of Thai rice from Homestate Co., Ltd. to Angau Memorial General Hospital in Lae.  Mr. David Wissink, Chairman of Board Management, was the representative of the hospital to receive this donation.  The event demonstrated that Thai Government and private sector placed an importance on people. By contributing the saving and some of the profit back to the society, this helped strengthen the relation between people-to-people of the two countries. This bigheartedness was well received and greatly appreciated by the Hospital staffs and Papua New Guineans who attended."