His Excellency Mr. Vijavat Isarabhakdi, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Thailand, hosted the National Capital Area Chapter of the Fulbright Association’s Annual 2013 Fall Embassy Reception at the Royal Thai Embassy on 22 November 2013.  Ambassador Vijavat praised in his welcoming remarks the Fulbright program’s “powerful contribution” to the enduring Thai-U.S. partnership, as the two countries marks this year the 180th anniversary of official relations.  He also underscored the importance of people-to-people connections as being the fundamentals, and exchange programs, such as Fulbright, are proven and effective instruments to foster people-to-people ties across cultures. “In short,” he noted, “the program benefits everyone involved.”  The Fulbright program began in Thailand in 1950 when the U.S. Education Foundation was established in the country.

     The Ambassador said, in addition, that the event – held in conjunction with the U.S. International Education Week – was the Embassy’s opportunity to honor the efforts in the promotion of programs that prepare both Thais and Americans, as well as people from other nationalities, for a global environment, and served as a clear signal that the Embassy would like to reach out and engage with every sector in the United States, as all sectors have a role to play in building the strong foundation of the relations between Thailand and the United States.

Among the guests attending the reception were diplomats from the Embassy of Myanmar, Turkey, and Botswana, representatives from the State Department's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, President of the United Nations Association of the National Capital Area, and Executive Board members of the Fulbright Association, as well as former and current Fulbright alumni.