The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Thailand, through the Royal Thai Embassy in Lima, in collaboration with the Ministry of Culture of Thailand, organized a cultural event entitled “Discover Thainess” at the Grand National Theatre of Peru, Lima during 16 - 17 July 2015 to celebrate the 50^th Anniversary of Diplomatic Relations between Thailand and Peru.  On this occasion, Mr. Vira Rojpojchanarat, Minister of Culture of Thailand and Mrs. Diana Álvarez-Calderón Gallo, Minister of Culture of Peru signed an “Agreement on Inter-institutional Cooperation in Museology and Museography between the Ministry of Culture of the Kingdom of Thailand and the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Peru”.  The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Thailand was represented by Mr. Suvat Chirapant, Deputy Permanent Secretary for Foreign Affairs, who led a cultural troupe from the Department of Fine Arts to showcase the Thai traditional and classical dances and music at the event.  Also, Thai craftspersons demonstrated handicrafts technique, including Fruit and Vegetable Carving, Bor Sang Umbrella Painting, Traditional Puppetry Making and Ceramic Producing to welcome the audience before the show.

              The activities included :

1) A Thai learning session or “Formación de Públicos” was set up at the Grand National Theatre of Peru in the morning of 16 July 2015.  Around 1,000 pupils from  12 public and private schools in Lima joined the session to learn about Thailand through cultural performances and interaction with Thai dancers.

2) Thai classical and traditional performances and handicraft demonstration were staged at the Grand National Theatre of Peru in the evening of 16 July 2015.  Approximately 1,200 invited VIP guests attended the show including the Minister of Culture of Peru, high rank officials from various Ministries, representatives from private sectors and media.

3) Thai classical and traditional performances and handicraft demonstration at the Grand National Theatre of Peru were staged in the evening of 17 July 2015 for general public and the guests of the Ministry of Culture of Peru.  Roughly 1,000 persons enjoyed the Thai cultural performances, many of which expressed their interest to see more Thai cultural events in the future.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 The event “Discover Thainess” is one of the Thai cultural roadshow projects which was co-hosted by the Ministry of Culture and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, with an aim to introduce Thainess and promote Thailand’s good image to the world, as well as to boost Thailand’s tourism through an exhibition on Thai arts and crafts and tourist attractions.

              In a broader context, the aforesaid event has been implemented in line with Thailand’s cultural diplomacy policy that aims to strengthen relationship and enhance better understanding between Thailand and foreign countries as well as among their peoples.