Ambassador Tomwit Jarnson welcomed a large number of guests to celebrate the Royal Birthday Anniversary of the King of Thailand Bhumibol Adulyadej on December 5, which also forms the country’s National Day. The chief guest on the occasion was Rana Tanveer Hussain, federal minister for defence production.

In Islamabad, the large dinner reception took place in the elegant hall and adjacent courtyard of Thailand’s embassy in the Diplomatic Enclave. Thai sports acrobats entertained guests, which was especially appreciated by the young, including Thai students in Pakistan. In Thailand’s recent turbulent years, the King is said to have played an important unifying role. Pakistan has close cooperation with Thailand, and there have been several high-level meetings between countries in 2013 and 2014, including at the prime ministerial level.

—Text and photo by Atle Hetland & Shahbaz Chaudary

Published in Dawn, December 7th, 2014