Thai Ambassador Panyarak Poolthup (third from left) hands over the Asean Committee in Doha chairmanship to Vietnam ambassador Le Hong Phan (centre).
By Joey Aguilar/Staff Reporter
There will be more cultural cooperation between Qatar, Thailand and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) in the coming years, Thai Ambassador Panyarak Poolthup has said.
Citing the successful staging of the Thai cultural show in Doha recently, the ambassador believes that bridging different cultures is the best way “to lay a firm foundation on which both countries could further build up closer relations.”
“Having different culture is advantageous because it provides a very good opportunity for two countries to learn more from each other and appreciate the differences,” he said.
Poolthup noted that the establishment of an Asean Economic Community (AEC) in 2015 will further enhance both Qatar-Thailand and Qatar-Asean cultural co-operation. Asean countries had signed an agreement allowing businesses to expand easier inside the region. It is expected to take into effect on December 31, 2015.
He has expressed confidence that AEC will make the region a stronger bloc, creating more activities and cooperation between Asean and Qatar.
As part of its tourism plan, the Thai embassy is mulling to make the cultural show an annual feature and hopes to expand it to more than a day event.
“The embassy will do its best in bringing different types of show for the people in Qatar. We still have more ‘Unseen Thailand’ in our pocket to present to the world,” said Poolthup.
The show also taps local performers comprising embassy staff and students from the Thai Language and Culture School for their regular events year-round.
Asked about the challenges in holding this kind of cultural show in the Middle East, he said it is mainly on how to cater to the expectation of the audience. Another is looking for the perfect venue for the audience: considering the size and the proximity of the place.
“We are very happy that they turned up in full force at the prominent Katara Hall where we had to add additional chairs to accommodate up to 600 people,” he added. “After seeing the smile on their faces, we know that everyone really enjoyed the show.”
Impressed with the presentation, the ambassadors who attended the event also want to hold a similar cultural show in the coming months.
Poolthup disclosed that although many people have visited Thailand, those who watched the live performance were amazed by various sets of the show. These, he said, represent certain aspects of the Thai culture that had not been seen before.
Besides diplomatic corps, the audience included figures from the public sector, high profile businessmen, academia and media.
“To be frank, even if you are in Thailand, you will not be able to watch some of the shows which are unique to certain regions of the country,” said the ambassador, lauding the cultural troupe for their excellent performance. “It made us proud for being Thai.”
In a separate development, Poolthup turned over the chairmanship of the Asean Committee in Doha to Vietnam Ambassador Le Hong Phan on June 30 in simple ceremony at the Thai Ambassador’s Residence. Vietnam will be the chair for six months.