The Royal Thai Embassy in Bern organized the 23^rd Thai Festival during 9 - 10 July 2022 at the Embassy compound and its adjacent areas to showcase and promote multi-faceted aspects of Thailand. There were more than 60 booths offering authentic Thai cuisine, food, beverages, fruits, Thai products as well as Thai Spa and traditional Nuad Thai (Thai massage). Information booths from Team Thailand, which included Thai Trade Centre, Office of Board of Investment (BOI) and Office of Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) in Frankfurt together with Thai Airways International Co.Ltd., were also presented and open for any enquiries. There was also lucky draw! to win the prizes for two round-trip Zürich-Bangkok air tickets sponsoring by Thai Airways International and three of two-night hotel accommodations in Thailand sponsoring by Tourism Authority of Thailand.

The Thai Festival by the Royal Thai Embassy has long been one of important annual events for local communities in Bern and nearby, who had been waiting for the event to take place. The festival was first organized in 1998, by then Ambassador Don Pramudwinai, who is now the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Thailand. This year, bearing in mind of the economic and social recovery as well as sustainable development after the COVID-19 pandemic, the Embassy emphasized on “Eco-friendly, Food-Fit-Fun” as the theme of the 23rd Thai Festival. A variety but uniqueness of Thai food and culture, ranging from cuisine fromdifferent regions of Thailand, children’s activities, workshops and demonstrations for people of all ages, were presented at the festival. Thai crispy pancake, vegetable and fruit carving, Thai fish-shaped ornament making were demonstrated and welcomed passers-by to try. In addition, an information board on the relationship between Thailand and Switzerland in commemoration of the 90^th year anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries and the overview about Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) 2022, of which Thailand is the host economy this year, was also on display.

On 9^th July 2022, H.E. Mr. Chittipat Tongprasroeth, Ambassador of Thailand to Switzerland, presided over the opening ceremony of the 23^rd Thai Festival, joining by Mr. Heinrich Schellenberg, Head of Asia Pacific Division, Federal Department of Foreign Affairs of Switzerland, and Mrs. Birthe Lehmann-Büttner, Vice Rector of the Gymnasium Lerbermatt, which has lent the Embassy its areas in organizing the festival all these years. Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Thailand to the UN in Geneva, members of diplomatic corps and spouses, for example from Embassy of China, India, Viet Nam, South Korea, Czech Republic and Malaysia, Thai Honorary Consuls-General in Zürich and in Basel, and members of Team Thailand were also invited to attend the opening ceremony. Thai festival was like a meeting point to many people. Over 15,000 Swiss, Thais and foreigners who resided in Switzerland, visited the two-day event, where they had fun while learning about Thailand, its arts, culture, and Thainess. We hope that the event would make our guests fond of and feel good about Thailand, which could bring more tourists back to our country as well as strengthen our cooperation in other fields further.