On 15 November 2018, H.E. Mr. Lee Hsien Loong, Prime Minister of Singapore, ASEAN Chairman of 2018, handed officially the ASEAN Chairmanship of 2019 to H.E. General Prayut Chan-o-cha, Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Thailand, at the end of the Closing Ceremony of the 33rd ASEAN Summit and Related Meetings in Singapore.

 

The Prime Minister of Thailand announced the theme of Thailand's Chairmanship in 2019 as “Advancing Partnership for Sustainability.”

 

The Prime Minister also unveiled Thailand’s logo for the ASEAN Chairmanship which is inspired from Phuang Malai, or flower garland, which is commonly used in Thailand to welcome and honour our guests. “Flowers” that are put together and arranged into a circle shape, represent “the people” of the ASEAN Community and their collective cooperation to drive forward together the ASEAN Community. Ten tassels hanging from the Malai symbolise the ten ASEAN Member States. They collectively form the shape of an upward arrow, representing their striving together in “Advancing Partnership for Sustainability”, which is the theme of Thailand’s ASEAN Chairmanship, towards a people-centered ASEAN Community, that leaves no one behind and looks to the future. The logo’s theme colour is inspired by the colour of purple mangosteen, Thailand’s “Queen of Fruits”.

 

The Department of ASEAN Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Thailand, as the ASEAN National Secretariat of Thailand, together with the Faculty of Decorative Arts, Silpakorn University, and network universities, organised the ASEAN Chairmanship Logo Competition during June – September 2018. The competition specified as a requirement that the design submitted must reflect the theme of Thailand’s ASEAN Chairmanship as well as a refection of Thai culture in a contemporary manner. The winning design was chosen by the Prime Minister as Chair of the National Committee on the Preparations for Thailand’s ASEAN Chairmanship in 2019. 

 

As host, Thailand will use the logo in all of the ASEAN meetings, at all levels, as well as in its promotional media and various activities to raise awareness of ASEAN throughout the year starting from 1 January 2019.