President Benigno S. Aquino III visit Thailand (May 26-27) upon the invitation of Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva.
Department of Foreign Affairs said the official visit of the President is aimed to further strengthen the Philippines deep and strong bilateral ties with Thailand.
“The visit aims to further strengthen the Philippines’ deep and strong bilateral relations with Thailand, as well as cooperation within the Association of Southeast Asian Nations in order to help build a secure and prosperous Asean community by 2015,” the DFA said in a statement.
During the visit, President Aquino and PM Abhisit is set to discuss important issues including combating drug trafficking, agriculture cooperation, cooperation in regional and multilateral forums and most importantly explore ways to further strengthen bilateral ties of the two nations.
It is also expected that the President will take the opportunity to present his administration’s Public-Private Partnership (PPP) program to PM Abhisit and the Thai business community.
Dating back to 1949, bilateral relations between the Philippines and Thailand are among the most robust and stable in the Asian region.
The DFA noted that the two countries have regular exchanges of high-level government visits, healthy trade and investment environments that have encouraged major Philippine and Thai companies to invest in each other’s countries, and friendly people-to-people interactions that have promoted closer social and cultural understanding between and among their citizens.
He will then also meet the Filipinos living and working here in Thailand to personally thank them for their hard work and ability to participate in the Kingdom's economic growth and development
Aquino meets with top Thai business execs during his 2-day state visit to Thailand
President Benigno S. Aquino III will be meeting with top Thai business groups as part of the agenda of his 2-day state visit here on May 26 to 27 aimed at further strengthening the long-standing bilateral ties between the two countries.
The President is scheduled to meet with Thai key business executives of prominent business companies that include the Charoen Pokphand (CP) Group, Siam Cement Group (SCG), and Petroleum Authority of Thailand (PTT) Public Company Limited.
First to meet with the President are leaders of the CP group led by its chairman and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Dhanin Chearavanont, president and CEO of CP Foods PLC Adirek Sripratak and senior vice president CP Foods PLC Pinij Kungvankij.
Following the CP group, the Chief Executive will be meeting with Siam Cement Group (SCG) president and CEO Kan Trakulhoon, SCG vice president for finance and investment Chaovalit Ekabut, vice president for corporate administration Aree Chavalitcheewingul, SCG Paper president Roongrote Rangsiyopash, SCG Building Materials president Pichit Maipoom and corporate planning director Bunn Ksemsup.
President Aquino will also be meeting with PTT Public Company Limited president Prasert Bunsumpun, executive vice president Chavalit Punthong and senior vice president Sarun Rungkasiri.
Founded in 1921 by the Chia brothers, the CP Group is currently one of Asia’s leading conglomerates, with businesses and affiliates operating within the agribusiness, retail and telecommunications markets. It currently employs over 250,000 people. In the year 2009, CP group’s sales were recorded at 18 billion US dollars.
SCG, Thailand’s top company for the third consecutive year from the Asian Wall Street Journal was established nearly 100 years ago following a Royal Decree of His Majesty King Rama VI, as a means to eliminate reliance on imports of cement, as well as taking fuller advantage of the natural resources available in the country.
On the other hand, the PTT was established on December 29, 1978 where the period of the second world crisis of petroleum shortages. Since its establishment, PTT played an important role in solving the second world oil problem.
President Aquino will be arriving at the Suvarnabhumi International Airport in Bangkok on Thursday, May 26 where he and his delegation will be welcomed by both Thai and Filipino officials.
Aquino all set for bilateral meeting with Thai Prime Minister
The president will be attending to a busy schedule as he embarks on a 2-day state visit to the Kingdom of Thailand on May 26 to 27, which aims to further strengthen bilateral ties between the two countries.
Upon the invitation of Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva, President Aquino will depart for Bangkok via Philippine Airlines flight PR730 on Thursday, May 26. The President and his delegation are expected to arrive at the Suvarnabhumi International Airport past noon where they will be welcomed by Thai officials led by Deputy Prime Minister H. E. Trairong Suwannakhiri, Chief ProtocolOfficer of the Thai Ministryof Foreign Affairs Bansarn Bunnag, and other Thai government officials.
Also expected to be part of the welcoming party are Philippine officials led by Philippine Ambassador to Thailand Linglingay Lacanlale, Philippine Embassy Deputy Chief of Mission Maria Teresa Taguiang and Defense and Armed Forces Attache Col. Manuel Gonzales.
Topping the line up of activities of the President is a bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Vejjajiva where the two leaders are expected to discuss several issues that include combating drug trafficking, agricultural support, cooperation in regional and multilateral forums and exploring ways to further strengthen ties between the two nations.
Right after the event, the two leaders will hold a joint press conference to share and discuss with the members of the local and international media the issues they have tackled and agreed upon.
An official dinner at the Outer Santi Maitri Building will be hosted by Prime Minister Vejjajiva in honor of President Aquino.
The Chief Executive will also be conferred with an Honorary Doctorate Degree in Economics by the Kasetsart University, one of Thailand’s leading public universities. The conferment will be led by university president Vudtechai Kapilakanchana.
Now a national research university after being endorsed by the Commission on Higher Education of Thailand, Kasetsart University is envisioned to become “the world’s leading research academic institutions in agriculture, food, technology and innovation.”
The President will also pay a visit to His Majesty King Bhumibol Aduljadej at Siriraj Hospital in Bangkoknoi, Bangkok where he will sign the well wishing book for the King’s speedy recovery.
Touted as the world’s longest-ruling monarch, the 82-year old king’s health has substantially improved but Queen Sirikit reportedly said that he still needed further treatment.
King Bhumibol, Thailand's sole unifying figure through decades of on-off political upheaval, has been receiving physical rehabilitation at the Siriraj Hospital since September last year for fatigue and lung inflammation.
President Aquino will also be meeting with the Filipino community in Thailand. Data shows that as of December 2010, there are at least14,910 Filipinos residing and working in Thailand as english teachers, musicians, corporate executives and administrative and technical staff of the United Nations agencies and other international organizations.
Following his meeting with the Filipino community, the President will leave for Manila ending his 2-day official visit to the country
