On 14 August 2025, Ambassador Arunrung Phothong Humphreys, together with Mr. Natouch Thammanuruk, Counsellor at the Royal Thai Embassy in Stockholm, paid a courtesy call on and held discussions with Mr. Somchai Lertprasitphan, Governor of Phrae Province, on the occasion of their visit to Phrae to organise a seminar entitled “Jump-Start Wood City: From Local Empowerment to Global Partnerships” on 15–16 August 2025. The seminar forms part of the Sustainable Development Forum 2025 (SDF 2025), hosted this year by the Royal Thai Embassy in Stockholm, with the Embassy of Sweden in Thailand co-organising the Wood Life Sweden exhibition as part of the event.

The Ambassador expressed her appreciation to the Governor of Phrae and all local stakeholders for their strong cooperation in organising this seminar, which aims to explore ways and means of collaboration between Thailand and Sweden to translate the concept of a sustainable wood city into concrete action in Phrae Province, as Thailand’s sustainable wood city sandbox. The Governor emphasised the province’s strengths, including its vast forest areas, the close connection between local livelihoods and forest resources, as well as expertise in wood-based products. The Ambassador reaffirmed the Embassy’s readiness to provide support by linking Swedish innovations and best practices in sustainable forest management with Phrae.