On 17 May 2022, the Royal Thai Consulate-General in Kolkata’s delegation comprising Miss Acharapan Yavaprapas, Consul-General of Thailand in Kolkata, Mr. Kasemsan Thongsiri, Deputy Consul-General and Mr. Nutt Svasti-Salee, Consul, Royal Thai Consulate-General in Kolkata, jointly organised a volunteer community service with the Royal Thai Monastery Buddhagaya under the Sacred Bodhi Tree at Maha Bodhi Temple in Bodhgaya, Gaya, Bihar, India.

This volunteer community service consisted of cleaning the inner pathways surrounding the Maha Bodhi Temple’s main edifice and in the vicinity of the Sacred Bodhi Tree. It was an activity which followed His Majesty King Maha Vajiralongkorn Phra Vajiraklaochaoyuhua (Rama X)’s Royal Initiative to make public and private sectors contribute to the society by means of community service, which is also in synchronisation with Lord Buddha’s teachings about abstaining from evil deeds, cultivating good deeds and purifying one’s mind.

The aforementioned volunteer community service in Bodhgaya was specifically dedicated to Her Majesty Queen Suthida Bajrasudhabimalalakshana on the occasion of Her Majesty’s Birthday Celebration on 3 June 2022. In performing such volunteer community service duty, the Royal Thai Consulate-General in Kolkata dedicated itself at the service of Thai and international Buddhist pilgrims who travelled to Bodhgaya, especially during the time of Buddha Jayanti or Thai Visakha Puja (Vesak) Day, following betterment of COVID-19 situation in the state of Bihar.