On 4 December 2018, the Royal Thai Consulate-General, Kolkata, hosted a Dinner Reception on the occasion of the Thai National Day, Birthday Anniversary of His Majesty the Late King Bhumibol Adulyadej, and Thailand’s Father’s Day, at ITC Sonar, Kolkata, West Bengal, India. Mrs. Vandana Yadav, IAS, Managing Director, West Bengal Industrial Development Corporation, graced her presence as the Chief Guest of the event as well as the representative of the government of West Bengal. The event was attended by 200 persons, including representatives from the Consular Corps of Kolkata, Team Thailand, India’s public and private sectors, as well as members of the Thai community and Thai students.

 

        Miss Sweeya Santipitaks, Consul-General of Thailand in Kolkata and host of the Reception, delivered her speech to honour Thailand’s His Majesty the Late King Bhumibol Adulyadej, ‘Father of the Nation’, whose lifelong contribution in the field of development was not only recognised by the Thai people, but also by the United Nations. 5 December of every year was declared “World Soil Day” in remembrance of His Majesty the Late King’s legacy and to raise awareness about the importance of soil for the humanity. The royal initiatives, as laid out by His Majesty the Late King and Her Majesty Queen Sirikit Consort will see the continuity under the reign of Their Majesties’ son, His Majesty King Maha Vajiralongkorn Bodindradebayavarangkun.

  

          Moreover, the Consul-General commended the cordial relations between Thailand and India, especially with regard to exchanges of visits, with the Royal Visit of Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn in New Delhi, Manipur and Tripura in November 2018, to be marked in the most recent record. She also mentioned the excellent people-to-people linkages, which were testified by the increasing number of Indian tourists, especially at the end of 2018 with Thailand’s fee exemption for Visa on Arrival (VoA) until 13 January 2019. Moreover, in light of Thailand’s chairmanship of ASEAN in 2019 and Thailand’s coordinatorship for ASEAN-India Dialogue Relations between 2018-2021, the Consul-General expressed Thailand’s confidence in bringing the Southeast Asian and South Asian regions closer together with inclusiveness, prosperity and sustainability for all.

 

         At the end, the host proposed a toast to His Majesty King Maha Vajiralongkorn Bodindradebayavarangkun, to His Excellency Shri Ram Nath Kovind, President of the Republic of India, to the prosperity of the Republic of India, as well as the long-lasting friendship between the two countries and peoples.

 

          Apart from celebrating Thailand’s aforementioned auspicious occasions, this Dinner Reception was an opportunity to showcase Thai cuisine, ranging from coconut milk soup with galanga to papaya salad, stir-fried fish with basil, Pad Thai noodles with prawns, green curry and banana custard, concocted under the care of the in-house Thai chef of ITC Sonar. The menus were further enriched with sticky rice with coconut milk and corn, and miniature fruit-shaped mung beans, proudly presented by the Consul-General’s cook.

 

          Besides culinary treats, the event also featured selections of video presentations about tourism in Thailand, as well as fresh orchid boutonnieres sponsored by Thai Airways International PCL, Kolkata.