Summary of Weekly Press Briefing

Friday, 28 April 2023 at 11:00 hours

Conference Room 3, MFA and via MFA Facebook Live

1. Updates on relief measures for Thai nationals in Sudan

• Following the ongoing clashes between the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in Khartoum, MFA and all Thai authorities have attached utmost importance to assisting and protecting Thai nationals in the area. As a front-line Mission, RTE in Cairo (with accreditation to Sudan) has been closely monitoring the situation and preparing for the evacuation of the affected Thai people.
• On 27 April 2023, 78 Thais, the first batch of the evacuees from Sudan, arrived safely in Thailand at Bangkok's Don Muang RTAF Base. The evacuees were warmly received by PM, DPM/FM Don, and representatives from relevant agencies.
• Previously, a total of 212 Thai nationals in Sudan requested to return to Thailand. On 24 April 2023, they boarded buses and traveled over 830 km. to Port Sudan. The first batch of 82 were transported to Jeddah by a Saudi ship. Upon their arrival in Jeddah, they were facilitated by Thai Amb to Saudi Arabi and CG to Jeddah while waiting to board the RTAF plane back to Bangkok. Among 82, 78 arrived in Thailand last night (while 4 decided to stay on in Saudi Arabia).
• On 27 April 2023, 66 Thais reached Jeddah safely by Saudi aircrafts. On 28 April, additional 34 Thais arrived in Jeddah by Saudi ship while the other 32 are now their way.
• MFA and all concerned authorities have been working to ensure the safety and protection of all Thai people. Thailand also appreciates the kind assistance provided by our friends, especially Saudi Arabia and Egypt.

2. Updates on Thailand’s Upcoming Overseas Voting

• During 25 March – 9 April 2023, a total of 115,139 Thai nationals registered for the overseas voting.
• As of 28 April 2023, RTEs in Prague and Kathmandu have successfully completed the elections in their respective countries. The ballots from both missions will be arriving in Thailand today (28 April 2023), and more are expected to follow through in time for vote counting.
• At present, all 94 RTEs/CGs have received ballots from the Election Commission of Thailand (ETC). The top-5 countries with highest registered voters are Australia, the United States, the United Kingdom, Japan, and Germany.
• Each RTE/CG has set the advance voting date and voting procedure in accordance with the local context of the host country. In this connection, polling booths are available at 65 overseas polling stations, mail-in ballots at 58, and mobile voting services at 25.
• For postal voting, every RTE/CG has been working to ensure a timely receipt of ballots, with the accurate candidates list, for all voters.
• Regarding the recent mistake regarding information on candidates, concerned RTEs/CGs have coordinated with the ECT and promptly inform the voters with the accurate information of the candidates. Moreover, on 27 April 2023, Dept of Consular Affairs and ECT also discussed ways to prevent such issues and other related issues in the future. MFA and concerned agencies are committed to ensuring smooth and transparent arrangements.
• Voters can now check their eligibility to cast ballots from abroad via the Ministry of Interior’s website (click here), Smart Vote, ThaID, and RTEs/CGs’ social media platforms. For future polls, MFA will advocate for the iVOTE system to encourage more political participation through digital technology.

3. 8th Session of Joint Thai-Russian Commission (JC) on Bilateral Cooperation

• On 27 April 2023, MFA hosted the 8th session of the Thai-Russian JC co-chaired by DPM/FM Don and H.E. Mr. Aleksei Chekunkov, Minister for the Development of the Russian Far East and Arctic of Russia.
• The Meeting attached importance to Thailand-Russia cooperation in key areas, notably trade and investment, energy, science, technology, and innovation (STI), NTB reduction in agricultural and fishery products, education, culture, sports, transport, tourism, environment, and health.
• The Joint Commission adopted the Agreed Minutes of the Session and MOU between the Ministry of Tourism and Sports and the Ministry of Sports of Russia on Physical Education and Sports Cooperation. The MOU will bring closer sports cooperation and foster closer ties and friendship at the people-to-people level.
• After the Session concluded, DPM/FM and Minister Chekunkov delivered welcoming remarks for the Seminar on "Russian Far East and Arctic — Exploring New Perspectives and Opportunities" at the Sukosol Hotel. The Forum was co-organized by the Federation of Thai Industries and the Russian Far East and Arctic Corporation to provide an opportunity for the private sectors to network and explore friendly cooperation.

4. 5th Thai-Argentine Political Consultations & Bilateral Economic Consultation

• On 27 April 2023, MFA hosted the 5th Session of Thai-Argentine Political Consultations & Bilateral Economic Consultation co-chaired by DPS Busadee as well as Mr. Claudio Javier Rozencwaig, Undersecretary for Foreign Policy, and Mr. Ramiro Ordoqui, Undersecretariat for Multilateral and Bilateral Economic Negotiations.
• The Meetings discussed ways to advance and expand cooperation in trade and investment, smart agriculture, and renewable energy, among others. Both sides also expressed their shared commitment to work together to seek new opportunities and address global challenges on both bilateral and multilateral levels.

Weekly Press Briefing: https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=779690010127768

* * * * *

Press Division
Department of Information