On 6 November 2026, H.E. Mr. Chettaphan Maksamphan, Deputy Permanent Secretary for Foreign Affairs, presided over the Presentation Ceremony of the Royal Kathina Robes graciously bestowed by His Majesty King Maha Vajiralongkorn Phra Vajiraklaochaoyuhua at Machimmaram Temple in Tumpat District, Kelantan, Malaysia.

The ceremony was presided over by Phra Phisan Samanakit, Chief Monastic Leader of Kelantan, together with Phra Khru Udomdhamapatiphan, Chief Monastic Leader of Terengganu and Pahang, and Phra Samuh Chai Irantamo, Abbot of Machimmaram Temple, along with other monks.

The ceremony was attended by Mr. Lim Guan Seng, Special Tasks Officer for lnter-Ethnic Relations to the Chief Minister of Kelantan as a representative of Kelantan; Mr. Phasit Chudabuddhi, Consul-General of Thailand in Kota Bharu; Mr. Anan Pikultipsakorn, Minister at the Royal Thai Embassy in Kuala Lumpur; Mrs. Maratee Nalita Andamo, Deputy Director-General of the Department of Information; officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Royal Thai Consulate-General in Kota Bharu, the Southern Border Provinces Administrative Centre, and government agencies in Narathiwat Province; representatives of the Siam Kelantan Association; as well as Thai, Malaysian, Siamese in Kelatan and neighbouring areas (Orang Siam), and foreign Buddhists residing in Malaysia.

This year’s Royal Kathina offering received contributions from His Majesty the King, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Thai and Malaysian devotees, with total donations amounting to 342,900 Baht and 2,221 Ringgit (approximately 42,927 ringgit).

Machimmaram Temple is a Theravada Buddhist temple with a history spanning more than 400 years. It is recognised by Malaysia’s Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture as one of the four important temples in Kelantan. The temple is home to Phra Buddha Barameedharm Chamrat Lok, a 30-metre-high Buddha image in the Maravijaya posture, whose name was graciously bestowed by His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej The Great. The temple serves as an important centre for Buddhist activities, Thai language and Buddhist studies, as well as community welfare initiatives. It previously received the Royal Kathina Robes graciously bestowed by His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej The Great in 2009.

This year marks the 14th year of the Royal Kathina project in Malaysia, with a total of 22 ceremonies having been held in the country. The initiative reflects the deep and longstanding cultural ties between Thailand and Malaysia.

Since 1995, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has organised the Presentation of the Royal Kathina Robes annually at Buddhist temples abroad as part of Thailand’s cultural diplomacy efforts to strengthen friendship and foster people-to-people ties through Buddhism.

The initiative has gradually expanded from neighboring countries to ASEAN members, South Asia, and East Asia. In 2026, the Royal Kathina Robes are being presented in six countries - Malaysia, India, Viet Nam, Lao PDR, Myanmar and Sri Lanka.

The project forms part of Thailand’s cultural diplomacy and public diplomacy efforts to strengthen international relations, particularly people-to-people ties, through shared Buddhist traditions and cultural connections.