On 8 February 2016, H.E. Mr. Panyarak Poolthup, Deputy Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, hosted a luncheon for 31 Australian students visiting Thailand under the Australian Thai Youth Ambassador Programme (ATYAP). H.E. Mr. Paul Robilliard, Ambassador of Australia to Thailand, and Mr. Damrit Viriyakul, Regional Editor in Chief of Thairath newspaper were also present.

         During their visit from 14 January - 12 February 2016, 31 ATYAP students had engaged in volunteer activities which included teaching English at primary and secondary schools in Ubon Ratchathani province. The objective was to give both Thai and Australian students an opportunity to learn about each other’s culture. ATYAP was initiated in 2013 and is annually organized by the Royal Thai Consulate-General in Sydney. This year marks the fourth year of the programme, which continues to be a great success. The project is also supported by the Australian Government through the Australian-ASEAN Council (AAC), which is an organization under Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), the University of Technology Sydney (UTS), and the Thai community in Sydney.