Ministry of Foreign Affairs Organized a Seminar Commemorating the 50^th Anniversary of  

the Establishment of ASEAN on 5 April 2017 at Mae Fah Luang University, Chiang Rai

          Department of ASEAN Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in collaboration with the ASEAN Association-Thailand and Mae Fah Luang University, organized a Seminar titled “ASEAN@50: For Now and Posterity” on 5 April 2017 at Mae Fah Luang University, Chiang Rai, to commemorate the 50^th Anniversary of the Establishment of ASEAN.

          The seminar covered  4 topics namely 1) “ASEAN and Thailand’s Foreign Policy” by      Dr. Suriya Chindawongse, Deputy Director-General of Department of ASEAN Affairs. The Deputy Director-General pointed out the importance of ASEAN by asking the audience to imagine a world without ASEAN. Without ASEAN, there would not be a framework for cooperation that helps forge close collaboration among neighbors and bargaining power of countries in the region, while trade and investment would have been much less. However, when it comes to the question of what do we see ASEAN in the future? He reiterated that is a question for the posterity to answer. 2) “Building a Caring and Sharing ASEAN” by Dr. Chitriya Pinthong, President of ASEAN Association-Thailand and Vice President for International Affairs, Rangsit University, who elaborated on ASEAN cooperation on various social issues, ranging from human rights, migrant workers, environment, education, human development to public health, which makes ASEAN a community that leaves no one behind. 3) “Economic Opportunities and ASEAN Connectivity” by Assistant Professor Anusorn Tamajai, Dean of Faculty of Economics and Vice President for Research and Academic Affairs, Rangsit University.  He discussed about how AEC Blueprint lays out groundwork for the promotion of single market and production base. Nonetheless, for successful implementation of the Blueprint, it is necessary that ASEAN reduces, if not eliminates, social disparity and at the same time increases its competitiveness by fully integrating into global economy. And 4) “English Language for the ASEAN Community Building” by Mr. Christopher Wright, a host of a variety entertainment English show, Chris Delivery. Mr. Wright, who also acted as a moderator for the seminar, encouraged the Thais not to put too much emphasis on grammar nor accent when speaking English. Instead he suggested the “VIPS” tip as a way to improve English competency. “V” is for “Vocabulary,” the more vacabs you know, the better. “I” is for “Idioms,” which help speakers better express what he/she wants to communicate. “P” is for “Pronunciation,” correct pronunciation means correct understanding for listeners. And “S” is for “Sentences,” to improve English skills, it is necessary to speak in sentences not just in words.         

          The Seminar at Mae Fah Luang University was a great success.  Not only it served as a commemorative activity but also one of the Ministry’s outreach projects to raise awareness about ASEAN, economic opportunities from AEC and what it means to have a shared ASEAN identity as well as the importance of English competency as a key to reap benefits from the ASEAN Community among more than 700 students and teachers who attended the seminar. Aside from the seminar, the special ASEAN@50 exhibition was on display at the University.