On 4 December 2024, the Royal Thai Embassy in Jakarta and the Permanent Mission of Thailand to ASEAN co-hosted the Reception on the Occasion of the National Day of the Kingdom of Thailand, the Birthday Anniversary of His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej The Great and Thai Father’s Day at The St. Regis Jakarta. The Reception was attended by H.E. Mr. Airlangga Hartarto, Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs of Indonesia, as the Guest of Honour, as well as H.E. Mrs. Widiyanti Putri Wardhana, Minister of Tourism of Indonesia, and H.E. Mr. Sultan Bachtiar Najamudin, Speaker of the Indonesian Regional Representative Council, and other high-ranking officials from the Indonesian Government and Parliament. Also present were members of Team Thailand in Jakarta, the diplomatic corps, Indonesian public and private sectors, and the Thai community.
In his remarks, Ambassador Prapan Disyatat paid tribute to the contributions of King Bhumibol Adulyadej The Great in shaping and maintaining the nation’s identity and unity, as well as improving the livelihoods of the Thai people through various development projects. He also reiterated the significance of Indonesia as Thailand’s long-time strategic partner and looked forward to closer cooperation in areas such as clean energy, energy security, food production, and sustainable development as the two countries celebrate the 75th Anniversary of Diplomatic Relations next year.
Ambassador Phantipha Iamsudha Ekarohit reiterated the significance of ASEAN as the central pillar of Thai diplomacy and a cornerstone for regional peace, stability, and prosperity, and highlighted Thailand’s key roles in fostering closer regional cooperation within the ASEAN framework. She also reaffirmed Thailand’s readiness to work closely with other ASEAN Member States and partners to achieve goals under the ASEAN Community
Vision 2045 and its Strategic Plans.
H.E. Mr. Airlangga Hartarto extended his congratulations to His Majesty King Maha Vajiralongkorn Phra Vajiraklaochaoyuhua, the Royal Thai Government, and the people of Thailand on this significant occasion. He emphasised that, with both countries having welcomed new administrations and preparing to celebrate the 75th Anniversary of the Diplomatic Relations, it is a valuable opportunity for both sides to strengthen bilateral ties at all levels. It also provides a chance to explore new areas of cooperation, such as food and energy security, while working together within multilateral frameworks such as BRICS and OECD that both countries are on their path towards their membership to enhance the voice of developing countries and to promote south-south cooperation.
The Reception, organised with the support of Team Thailand in Jakarta, Thai businesses in Indonesia, and Thai restaurants in Jakarta and Surabaya, also featured the musical performances of royal compositions and popular Thai songs by a talented group of the Indonesian singer and Indonesian and Thai musicians. Guests also enjoyed an array of Thai food and beverages, including Tomyum Kung, a Thai shrimp spicy soup that was just inscribed on Representative List of UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity on 3 December 2024.