Bangkok: The Prime Minister is advancing efforts to promote "Thai traditional dress" on the global stage, aiming to elevate Thailand's international role.
According to Thai News Agency, the Prime Minister is collaborating with UNESCO to further develop culture, artificial intelligence, and world heritage, reinforcing Thailand's international presence.
His Excellency Mr. Khaled Ahmed El-Enany Ali Ezz, Director-General of UNESCO, recently paid a courtesy call on Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Anutin Charnvirakul to discuss cooperative initiatives between Thailand and UNESCO. These discussions spanned areas such as culture, technology, education, and sustainable development. Following the meeting, Ms. Ratchada Thanadirek, the Prime Minister's spokesperson, indicated that the Prime Minister acknowledged and congratulated the Director-General on his recent appointment, highlighting the robust partnership and evolving collaboration between Thailand and UNESCO. The Prime Minister emphasized Thailand's preparedness to collaborate with UNESCO to boost Thailand's global standing and create new opportunities for its people in economic, cultural, and technological domains.
Key issues were discussed during the meeting:
1. Promoting "Thai Traditional Dress" as a World Heritage Item: The government seeks to register "Thai traditional dress" as an intangible cultural heritage with UNESCO, aimed at raising awareness and enhancing the value of Thailand's creative economy in fashion, handicrafts, tourism, and Thai soft power internationally. Concurrently, Thailand is set to host the exhibition 'Royal Thai Dress: From Tradition to Modernity' at the Mus©e des Arts D©coratifs in Paris, France, on May 25th. This exhibition will feature royal garments of Her Majesty Queen Sirikit, the Queen Mother, along with eight styles of traditional Thai dresses favored by the royal family, showcasing Thai attire's beauty and uniqueness globally.
2. Sustainable Preservation of Thailand's World Heritage Sites: The Prime Minister reiterated the government's ongoing commitment to conserving Thailand's cultural and natural World Heritage sites, ensuring these vital resources are preserved for future generations.
3. Establishing Thailand as an International Hub for AI Governance: Plans are underway to create an "AI Governance Center" under ETDA, in partnership with UNESCO, positioning Thailand as a regional and global hub for AI knowledge, research, and standards exchange. This initiative will bolster Thai personnel's capabilities, instill confidence in the technology, and enable Thailand to play a crucial role in formulating ethical and safe AI usage guidelines.
UNESCO proposed that Thailand host the Global Education Conference in early 2027, building on the success of the Global Education and AI Conference (GFEAI 2025), previously co-hosted with UNESCO. Thailand has pledged full support for this initiative, aiming to establish itself as a central hub for significant international cooperation.
4. Honoring Important Thai Figures with UNESCO: Thailand is preparing activities to commemorate His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej and Her Majesty Queen Rambhai Barni, highlighting their royal achievements and significant global contributions. UNESCO has been invited to collaborate in these activities.
The Director-General of UNESCO expressed his endorsement for all Thai initiatives and committed to fully supporting Thailand's policies on education, science, and human resources. The Prime Minister also conveyed that this collaboration with UNESCO would bolster Thailand's global role, generate economic and cultural opportunities, and propel the nation towards becoming a regional hub for cultural and technological cooperation in the future.