GOVPH

24 June 2014- The Philippine Embassy in Bangkok successfully hosted a reception for members of the diplomatic corps, representatives of the Thai public and private sectors, close friends and supporters of the Embassy, business contacts, and members of the Filipino community on June 16 at the Grand Ballroom of the Shangri-la Hotel in Bangkok.

The reception formally opened at 5:00 p.m. and promptly ended at around 8:00 p.m.  One side of the entrance to the ballroom near the receiving line was festooned with an exhibit of colorful photos of Philippine festivals. Guests entering the ballroom were treated to this visual delight while  being              serenaded by a Filipino family band whose repertoire included Philippine pop music and traditional Filipino folk songs.

The guests included a member of the Privy Council, the exclusive body of advisors to His Majesty the King; the Chairman of the Thai Election Commission and two (2) of his Commissioners; representatives of the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) Head and Chief of the Royal Thai Army, General Prayuth Chan-Ocha, the Supreme  Commander of the Royal Thai Armed Forces, and the Air Chief Marshall of the Royal Thai Air Force; Deputy Commissioners of the Royal Thai Police; a former Deputy Prime Minister of the Yingluck Shinawatra government; the Chief Ombudsman of Thailand and the Secretary General of the Office of the Ombudsman; the former and   incumbent      Executive Secretaries of the UNESCAP; members of the diplomatic corps; officers of the Thai Chamber of Commerce and other business contacts; members of the print and broadcast media; and leaders of the Filipino community. Congressman Walden Bello of AKBAYAN Citizens’ Action Party was an honored guest at the reception.

In her National Day message, Philippine Ambassador to Thailand Jocelyn Batoon-Garcia highlighted the past and present political and economic achievements of the Philippines.  These include the recent signing of the Bangsamoro Framework Agreement, the Philippines’ active    involvement in the realization of the ASEAN Community in 2015, increased bilateral trade, investment and tourism volumes between the Philippines and Thailand, recent   upgrades in the country’s sovereign credit-rating by the world’s leading credit-rating   agencies, and   continuing attractiveness of the Philippines as a tourism destination and investment haven in Southeast Asia.   

After delivering her National Day message and asking the guests to join her in ceremonial toasts to His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej and President Benigno S. Aquino III, Ambassador Batoon-Garcia invited the guests to partake of the delectable Filipino cuisine and treats such as adodo, lechon kawali, lumpiang sariwa, leche flan, halo-halo, and other delectable Filipino food, as well as taste the wine and beverages brought for the special occasion from the Philippines.  END