On 17 May 2022, the delegation of the Royal Thai Consulate-General in Kolkata comprising Ms. Acharapan Yavaprapas, Consul-General of Thailand in Kolkata, Mr. Kasemsan Thongsiri, Deputy Consul-General and Mr. Nutt Svasti-Salee, Consul, participated in a consular meeting with members of the Thai Buddhist communities in Bodhgaya, Gaya and nearby areas, which was organised at the Royal Thai Monastery Buddhagaya, Bodhgaya, Gaya, Bihar, India. Among the participants from the Thai communities were Thai Buddhist monks, nuns and lay persons from Wat Thai Magadh, Watpa Budhagaya, Wat Paknam Bodhgaya, and Buddha Savika Monastery.

The delegation exchanged information with the members of the Thai communities, listened to the latest updates regarding the situation of the Thai monks and lay persons in Bodhgaya, Gaya and nearby areas, and provided consultancy service related to visas, stays in India, renewal of Thai passports, issuance of emergency travel documents (ETD), procedures pertaining to entry to and exit from the Republic of India, including the requirement of an exit permit when travel documents are lost, invitation for Line group for Thai nationals, as well as the preparation for registration of Thai nationals residing in the states under the jurisdiction of the Royal Thai Consulate-General in Kolkata.

Furthermore, the delegation explained the Royal Thai Consulate-General in Kolkata’s role in evacuating Thai citizens in eastern India, especially in Bihar, as well as consular assistances extended to stranded Thai monks during the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak in 2020.

At present, with the betterment of overall COVID-19 situation in India, Thai pilgrims have started coming back to Bodhgaya. The Royal Thai Consulate-General in Kolkata believes that it is a good opportunity to pursue the project of sending a Thai officer from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kingdom of Thailand, to be stationed at the Consular Office at the Royal Thai Monastery Buddhagaya in order to help facilitate the Thai pilgrims and provide preliminary assistance in Bodhgaya and nearby areas. The said project is the Royal Thai Government’s commitment to closely provide consular assistance to Thai nationals overseas and support the missions of Thai Buddhist monks in the Land of the Lord Buddha.