Islamabad : Royal Thai Embassy, Islamabad organized a reception to commemorate the National Day of Thailand, to commemorate the birthday of His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej (Rama IX), observed as Father’s Day in Thailandwith the participation of The Honourable Chief guest Bilal Azahar Kayani State Minister for Finance, Federal Minister Qaisar Ahmed Sheikh, Ambassador of Thailand Rongvudhi VIRABUTR and others posing for a picture on the occasion of the National Day of Kingdom of Thailand, as well as members of diplomatic corps, representative of Pakistan’s government, and private sectors.
Prime Minister of Pakistan and Railways Bilal Azhar Kayani congratulated the government and people of the country on the National Day and reiterated the commitment to promote cooperation between the two countries.
Speaking on the occasion of Thailand’s National Day, Minister of State Bilal Azhar Kayani expressed satisfaction at the current level of excellent bilateral relations and said the partnership between the two countries “is founded on the principles of mutual trust, cooperation, and the common goals of global peace and development.”
Minister stressed the importance of promoting comprehensive and long-term partnerships in areas including trade and investment, education, defense, security, culture, and tourism.
Minister of State Bilal Azhar Kayani appreciated the importance of close cooperation between Pakistan and Thailand in multilateral forums, ranging from climate change and food insecurity to economic and regional security issues. He appreciated the services of Ambassador Rongwuddi Wirabbitar in improving relations between Thailand and Pakistan.
Earlier, Rongvudhi Virabutr Ambassador of the Kingdom of Thailand on the Occasion of Thai National Day, address the ceremony thah 5th of December is an auspicious occasion as we commemorate National Day of the Kingdom of Thailand, the Birthday Anniversary of the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej The Great, and Thailand’s Father’s Day. Today event is taking place during the period of national mourning for the passing of Her Majesty Queen Sirikit, the Queen Mother of the Kingdom of Thailand” This evening, we also recall the immense and lasting legacy of His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej. Throughout his 70-year reign, His Majesty dedicated his life to the well-being of his people, initiating over four thousand Royal Projects.
This auspicious day is also recognized by the United Nations as “World Soil Day,” acknowledging the late King’s remarkable contributions to soil science—a clear example of science applied directly to improve people’s livelihoods. This philosophy—that the people’s suffering cannot wait—is the principle guiding our enduring friendship with Pakistan, particularly as we approach the 75th anniversary of our diplomatic relationship in 2026. The year 2025 has been a year of intense progress, and our commitment to our partners here is driven by that simple, profound goal: to bring the happiest possible smiles to the faces of our Pakistani friends. In the video clip you are about to see of the Royal Thai Embassy’s activities, you will witness these smiles—smiles that are truly inspiring. The Power of Smiles: Women’s Empowerment Thailand places great importance on key areas, especially women’s empowerment. We believe that when women are given opportunities, they become an unstoppable force for national development. With nearly half the population being female, empowering women is not just a matter of fairness; it is about unlocking the full potential of a nation. We are immensely proud of our program, co-organized with UN Women, which focuses on upskilling women entrepreneurs in Swabi and Sialkot. We firmly believe the most powerful way to empower a woman is through income generation; when women can earn for themselves, they gain confidence, independence, and the ability to contribute meaningfully to their family and community. To achieve this, this year we have focused on two vital sectors: Beauty and Livelihood and Regenerative Agriculture.
For the first sector, we provide professional training in the beauty industry, a flexible field that enables women to work from home and build a sustainable livelihood while balancing family life. For the second, recognizing that women are the heart of agricultural communities, we help transform backyard gardens into reliable sources of income and confidence. To guide this effort, we are honored to introduce Miss Jennifer Innes Taylor—Jane, a Thai girl whom her father is British, the owner of Udon Organic Farm, who embodies sustainable and resilient farming. Khun Jane shared practical, regenerative practices to help turn women farmers into pillars of strength for their families. Those activities are not an end, but a commencement—the first step in a growing friendship between the Royal Thai Embassy, UN Women, Pakistani authorities and the women of Swabi. From small seeds, great forests grow. Forward-Looking Partnership: Trade and Region On the government-to-government level, while building smiles remains our highest priority, we are simultaneously boosting our economic ties. While global factors caused fluctuations, we saw strong recovery with two-way trade registering approximately 1.6 billion US Dollars last year. We believe we can, and must, do much more. The prompt conclusion of the Pakistan-Thailand Free Trade Agreement (FTA) remains the most important vehicle in boosting our trade in 2025 and beyond. Therefore, Thailand strongly supports finalizing our FTA at the earliest opportunity. Looking ahead, we are keen to explore new investment collaborations, especially in high-value sectors like halal industry. As one of the world’s leading Halal food producers, Thailand brings our strength in high standard agricultural production to enhance this partnership. Finally, as the chair of the ASEAN Committee in Islamabad during the second half of this year, Thailand is working closely with our ASEAN family to enhance cooperation with Pakistan. Our focus is clear: Visibility, Tangibility, and Bring into Reality. We are actively working to raise ASEAN’s profile and expand our engagement, which will serve as a foundational step for Pakistan to elevate its status to a full dialogue partner in the future. Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen, We began by honoring the enduring legacy of our late King, who taught us that the suffering of the people cannot wait. Tonight, our celebration has been a clear demonstration of that commitment in action. Our relationship is not defined by abstract agreements, but by the smiles we create together. As a true friend, Thailand will continue to work hand-in-hand with Pakistan to achieve our common goals, for for the benefit of our peoples and the world. Thailand Pakistan Dosti Zindabad!
The event highlighted the strong diplomatic relations between Thailand and Pakistan, showcasing the mutual respect and friendship between the two nations and the broader ASEAN region.
Sohail Majeed is a Special Correspondent at The Diplomatic Insight. He has twelve plus years of experience in journalism & reporting. He covers International Affairs, Diplomacy, UN, Sports, Climate Change, Economy, Technology, and Health.
