On 24 November 2020, the Devawongse Varopakarn Institute of Foreign Affairs hosted a special lecture for a group of 73 students and lecturers from the Southeast Asian Studies Programme of Thammasat University.  They were joined by 30 newly recruited Thai diplomats who are currently attending the second half of their orientation program for the year 2020.

             Ms. Lada Phumas, Director of the Devawongse Varopakarn Institute of Foreign Affairs, welcomed and briefed the audience on the roles and missions of the Institute as the Royal Thai Government’s main agency responsible for providing training for MFA officials and their spouses, as well as officials from other agencies who will represent Thailand overseas and work under the umbrella of “Team Thailand”.  She emphasized the significance of the institute as the only main English language testing center for the Thai government sector, state enterprises and other state agencies, apart from its role in disseminating knowledge of diplomacy and foreign affairs to the public at large.

             The lecture, the second to be arranged for the Southeast Asian Studies Programme, focused on Thailand’s relations with countries in the East Asian and Southeast Asian regions. It was delivered by Mr. Prapan Disyatat, Deputy Director of the East Asian Affairs, and Mr. Patawee Treekarunasawad, Counsellor of the Department of East Asian Affairs and covered various issues pertaining to Thailand’s foreign policy, its strategic plans towards East Asia, Thailand’s overall relations with its neighbors – Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, Philippines, Brunei and Timor Leste. It also looked at internal developments in neighboring countries as well as Thailand’s cooperation with China and Japan.

             The audience showed their keen interest in the topic and followed up with questions on Thailand’s relations with North Korea, the use of soft power as a foreign policy resource, the ongoing relations between the US and China and their implications for Thailand.  The students thanked the lecturers and expressed their gratitude to the Devawongse Varopakarn Institute of Foreign Affairs for arranging this event. 

             The Devawongse Varopakarn Institute of Foreign Affairs has continued its cooperation with Thammasat University through special lectures on various topics.  The Institute takes pride in these efforts which provide an opportunity to promote better understanding on the role of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Thailand’s foreign policy.