On 13 March 2016, Ms. Sutthiluck Sa-ngarmangkang, Consul-General of Thailand, presided over the launching of the 1st Thailand Corner in 2016 at Okanagan Regional Library, Kelowna Branch, with the attendance of Mr. Dan Albas, Member of Canadian Parliament for Central Okanagan Similkameen—Nicola, Mr. Norm Letnick, Minister of Agriculture, British Columbia, Ms. Mohini Singh, Councillor, City of Kelowna, and Ms. Stephanie Hall, CEO of the Okanagan Regional Library. The opening ceremony began with an opening speech by the Consul-General and the congratulatory speeches by all honoured guests. It was followed by a ribbon cutting ceremony and a presentation ceremony of books by the Consul-General to Ms. Hall, who received the books on behalf of the Okanagan Regional Library, Kelowna Branch.

 

            Activities during the Thailand Corner comprised the display of books on various aspects of Thailand such as Thai novel, Thai boxing or Muay Thai, Thai cuisine, Thai architecture, and children tales about Thailand, all of which were later donated to the library; the display of Thai products and handicrafts; the exhibition on Thai tourism; the presentation of video featuring a preparation of Thai dessert; the tasting session for Thai food and drink; and the Q&A session about Thailand. All participants to this event, which included leading Canadian politicians, businessmen, students, and library users in Kelowna, expressed their appreciation for the donation of books and the interesting activities carried out by the Royal Thai Consulate-General during the project.

 

            The Royal Thai Consulate-General initiated Thailand Corner in 2015 to promote understanding and appreciation of Thainess in Western Canada. Last year, 6 Thailand Corners were established in 4 public libraries in British Columbia, including Victoria, Vancouver, Richmond and Coquitlam, as well as 2 public libraries in Alberta, including Calgary and Edmonton. This year, more Thailand Corners will be established in 4 public libraries in British Columbia, starting from Okanagan Regional Libraries in Kelowna and Vernon, followed by library of Thompson River University in Kamloops and library of University of British Columbia in Vancouver.