On 7 August 2026, H.E. Mr. Parnpree Bahiddha-Nukara, Chairman of the Advisory Board to the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, gave a keynote speech on “Resilient ASEAN: Connectivity as a Competitive Advantage,” at the C asean Forum in Bangkok. The event was organised by C asean, a social enterprise, as a way to join in celebrations of the 59th anniversary of ASEAN with over 270 participants from embassies of ASEAN Member States, members of the public and private sectors, and academia attending the event.

The Chairman of the Advisory Board expressed appreciation to C asean for organising the C asean Forum to promote public-private partnership to advance ASEAN Community-building. He also highlighted key priorities for ASEAN and members of the private sector to advance connectivity across the region. These include strengthening regional integration, accelerating and deepening cooperation within ASEAN, especially in areas such as the economy, security, health, digital, creative economy, green agenda, and clean energy transition, and building greater synergy between ASEAN Cooperation and Cooperation in the Subregion, and Cooperation under the UN frameworks. He reiterated Thailand’s readiness to work closely with ASEAN Member States in preparation for Thailand’s ASEAN Chairmanship in 2028.

At the evening reception, Mr. Vathayudh Vichankaiyakij, Acting Director-General of the Department of ASEAN Affairs, gave congratulatory remarks and expressed appreciation to C asean for organising this forum at the 59th ASEAN Celebration Day. He highlighted ASEAN’s achievements over nearly six decades and commended C asean for creating a platform to promote closer partnership among the public sector, businesses, and youth across the region. In addition, Ms. Suchada Maktara, Deputy Director-General of the Department of ASEAN Affairs, participated as a judge for the ASEAN Youth Speech Contest 2026.

C asean is a social enterprise with a mission to promote collaboration and enhance connectivity in ASEAN by creating a platform that connects the public and private sectors in business, arts, and culture across the region.