On 7 August 2023, the Department of ASEAN Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, organised ASEAN Day 2023 Celebration, commemorating the 56th anniversary of the establishment of ASEAN at Vithes Samosorn, with approximately 250 attendants during the all-day event.

H.E. Mr. Don Pramudwinai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Thailand (DPM/FM) presided over the ASEAN Quiz 2023. In his opening remarks, DPM/FM greeted and emphasized to 80 secondary school students from 18 schools that youth are the agents of change in driving forward the future of ASEAN. The outcomes of the competition showed that Rajinibon School was awarded the first prize with 10,000 THB grant, with Saint Gabriel’s College and Chitralada School received second (with 7,000 THB grant) and third (with 5,000 THB grant) prizes respectively. The Ministry also organised other ASEAN-related activities and games in English for the participating students.

In the morning prior to the aforementioned Quiz, the Ministry organised the ASEAN Flag Hoisting ceremony, of which Mrs. Pornpimol Kanchanalak, Advisor to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, presided over the ceremony and was joined by Ambassadors and diplomatic representatives of ASEAN member States and Timor-Leste in Thailand, along with the Ministry’s executives. The procession of ASEAN flag hoisting was carried out by 16 students from Phratumnuk Suankularb School.

This year’s ASEAN Day celebrations concluded with an ASEAN Seminar entitled “Thai Foreign Policy at the Crossroads: ASEAN’s Perspective” organised in hybrid format with Facebook live broadcasting, which was attended by about 120 participants. DPM/FM gave an opening remarks, while panelists included (1) Mr. Kavi Chongkittavorn, Editor and Senior Journalist; (2) Associate Professor Dr. Jittipat Poonkham, Associate Dean for International Affairs, Faculty of Political Science, Thammasat University; (3) Dr. Soonthorn Chaiyindeepum, Deputy Secretary to the Prime Minister; and (4) Associate Professor Dr. Piti Srisangnam, Executive Director of the ASEAN Foundations. Ms. Usana Berananda, Director-General of the Department of ASEAN Affairs took part as the moderator. The seminar had objectives to analyse directions of current Thailand’s foreign policies through an ASEAN perspective, and of ASEAN dynamics through Thailand’s international perspective, while taking into account future opportunities, challenges, and complexity, including the necessity for Thailand to consistently adapt to global changes to maintain an important role in both regional and world stages.

With Thailand as one of the founding member States of ASEAN whose constructive roles contribute to the ongoing development of ASEAN, the Department of ASEAN Affairs, as Thailand’s National ASEAN Secretariat, attaches great importance to the ASEAN Day celebration with an expectation to continuously raise awareness on ASEAN among general public, supporting education and development of knowledge on ASEAN which, in turn, will be a driving force for the ASEAN Community for the years to come.