On 8 November 2015, Mr. Sawanit Kongsiri, Assistant Secretary-General for External Relations of the Thai Red Cross Society, presided over the Offering Ceremony of His Majesty the King’s Royal Kathin Robe to the congregation of Theravada Buddhist monks at Ananda Kuti Vihar, Kathmandu, Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal.
Also present at the ceremony were H.E. Mr. Vutti Vuttisant, Ambassador of Thailand to the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, Mr. Manopchai Vongphakdi, Director-General of the Department of South Asian, Middle East and African Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Thailand, Mrs. Sirima Senevirathna, Spouse of His Excellency the Ambassador of Sri Lanka to Nepal and senior Nepali and Thai monks as well as over 200 Nepali and Thai Buddhists.
The Offering of the Royal Kathin Robe Ceremony in Nepal has been organized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for eight consecutive years since 2008. Nepal is an important country for Buddhists as it is the birthplace of Lord Buddha. Ananda Kuti Vihar is also a symbol of the long standing religious ties between Thailand and Nepal. His Holiness Somdet Phra Nyanasamvara, the late Supreme Patriarch of Thailand, visited the monastery in November 1985; whilst Somdet Phra Maharatchamongkhalachan, the chief abbot of Paknam Bhasicharoen Temple and Acting Supreme Patriarch, resided at the monastery during the three-month Buddhist rain retreat in 1975. Following the destructive earthquake in April 2015, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Thailand contributed over THB 1 million for the reconstruction of the damaged monastery.
Each year, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Thailand is graciously granted royal approval to offer Royal Kathin at approximately 10 Buddhist temples abroad. This is considered as part of its cultural diplomacy policy to promote Thailand’s role as a global center of Buddhism. Furthermore, it is hoped that Thailand’s bilateral relations with other countries will be strengthened through shared religious belief. This year’s Royal Kathin ceremony in Nepal received the cash donation amounting to THB 434,728, which included contributions made by His Majesty the King, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Thai and Nepali Buddhists.