The 2nd Annual Thai Students in Turkey Meeting was held in Ankara between 13-17 February 2013 by the Royal Thai Embassy to Turkey. Forty-five out of ninety Thai students from all over Turkey, who were not engaged in their examinations or in the process of concluding their term papers or theses, actively participated in the meeting which was the biggest gathering of Thai students in Turkey ever. Representatives of the Thai Students Associations in Egypt and Morocco were also invited to share their experiences in studying and living in their respective countries. 

 

In addition to the Thai students, representatives from relevant Thai government agencies, including Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Education and Southern Border Provinces Administration Centre, were also invited to attend the Meeting as observers. The meeting gave them an opportunity to appreciate the students’ wishes and inspiration and their future contribution to the country. 

In his opening remark, H.E. Mr. Rathakit Manathat, Ambassador of Thailand to Turkey, stressed the importance of the peaceful coexistence of different believes and urged the students to go back to develop their hometowns after the completion of their study.  

 

The meeting was held in an informal atmosphere conducive to free flow of ideas and exchanges of views between participants and the speakers. Asst. Prof. Dr. Chookiat Panaspornprasit, Middle East specialist from Faculty of Political Science, Chulalongkorn University, gave a special lecture on “the Role of Turkey in International Context after Arab Springs and the Thai Foreign Policy Direction towards Turkey and the Middle East” 

 

A seminar on the  “Role of Thai  Students in the Middle East and Africa in the Development of Thailand in the Future” was chaired by Mr. Isorn Pocmontri, Ambassador attached to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs while experts in the relevant fields, including Asst. Prof. Chidchanok Rahimmula, Dean of the Faculty of Political Science, Prince of Songkhla University, Mr. Danai Moosa, Director of the Strategic Security Southern Provinces and Ethnic Cultures Bureau, Office of National Security Council, Mr. Donman Phongmahung, a regular contributor of articles on educational issues to Khom Chad Luek, a leading Thai Newspaper, Mr. Musunna Vongson, Mr. Apichart Muenthong, and Mr. Sakda Soheng, Chairpersons and Former Chairperson of the Thai Students Associations in Turkey, Morocco and Egypt accordingly gave and shared their views with the participants. They were of the view that Thai students wherever they study are valuable human resources, whose knowledge and experiences can significantly contribute to the development of the country.

 

In addition, workshops on basic translation and interpretation techniques and on English writing for academic purposes were conducted by Dr. Dhiravat Bhumichitr, Director of the Devawongse Institute of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Thailand.   

 

During the meeting, Mr. Isorn Pocmontri, on behalf of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Thailand, awarded ten scholarships, each amounting to THB 25,000 (TL 1,413.80), to ten Thai students in Turkey who won the essay contest, passed the interview examination and met merit and need criteria. The scholarships were aimed to ease the students’ financial burden and to recognize their academic success. 

 

The meeting was first of its kind in the region in terms of participation which included representatives of Thai students from other countries and observers from relevant Thai authorities. The objectives of the meeting were to enhance acquaintance among Thai students in Turkey and the Middle East and to promote cooperation and networking between them as well as to provide the participants and observers an opportunity to share their experiences.