Songkran Festival is upon us. With the encouraging opening of Thailand after more than two long years of the pandemic, Elite+ has invited some of the newly arrived ambassadors as well as some who will soon be completing their postings in Thailand to offer New Year messages to our readers and the Thai public.
HE Ambassador Sibille de Cartier d’Yves of Belgium
The last years have taught us to accept uncertainty. They have reminded us to build bridges - to embrace the duality of our world. As this year is asking us to show resilience, allow me to wish you all a New Year filled with Love and Joy. We are experiencing a time of incredible changes, offering us an opportunity to plant seeds for a more truly loving and caring society globally. May the water of Songkran bring us the inspiration to do so. Happy Songkran to you and your families!
HE Ambassador Kinzang Dorji of Bhutan
My team and I at the Royal Bhutanese Embassy would like join the people of Thailand in celebrating this Songkran festival – a celebration that embraces the beauty of joy, goodwill, compassion, love and togetherness.
On this happy occasion, we pray and wish that the positivity of this festival will bring an end to the pains and uncertainties brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic for the last two years and herald a new beginning of a pandemic-free world. May the Thai New Year bless the people of Thailand with continued good health, happiness and prosperity. Wishing everyone a happy Songkran!
HE Ambassador Jose Borges dos Santos Junior of Brazil
On the occasion of the celebration of Songkran, I wish to convey to the friendly nation of Thailand, in my own name and on behalf of the Brazilian people, warmest and best wishes for the Thai New Year. The world is just starting to recover from a pandemic that has affected our lives in a dramatic way. Let us take the meaning of this beautiful celebration as an opportunity for each of us to contribute to the making of a fairer and safer world, where people can fulfil their potential and live their lives to the fullest.
HE Ambassador Alex Geiger Soffia of Chile
The Embassy of Chile in Thailand would like to share with you our best wishes for the upcoming Thai New Year. We hope this Songkran 2022 provides you the chance to spend a wonderful time with your family and prepare for a year full of new beginnings, travels and enriching experiences. We know the last two years have been difficult and challenging, but we wholeheartedly believe this year will bring new opportunities and dreams for Thailand.
HE Ambassador Moustapha Mahmoud Moustapha Elkouny of Egypt
Sawasdee krap, dear Thai friends! Happy Thai New Year! We wish you a very happy Songkran Festival celebration! The festival is always enjoyed not only by Thais but also by millions of foreign tourists in Thailand. As the year ends, let us look forward to a year full of joy, fun, health, and prosperity. Let the coolness and positivity of Songkran spread in your life and make this coming year more blessed for you. May the showers of water wash away all your problems and sorrows. Happy Songkran Festival! Suk San Wan Songkran!
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HE Ambassador David Daly of the European Union
We wish all of our Thai friends a Happy Songkran and Happy Thai New Year. This is my first time experiencing Songkran as the EU Ambassador here. While we may not be able to enjoy the spectacular water throwing in the height of summer, it is a good time to reflect on the previous year. Being here for half a year, I have learned that Songkran is more than just a fun festival; it is also about family reunions, which Thais and Europeans both value. We wish you and your family a happy and healthy Songkran and Thai New Year.
HE Ambassador Georg Schmidt of Germany
It is with great joy that I remember my first Songkran in 2019 after coming to Thailand. No one could have thought then that the next two Songkran holidays would be overshadowed by SARS-Cov2. As we are moving from pandemic to endemic, it is time to take a deep breath and enjoy the coming of the New Year. Thailand has weathered many storms and is opening up to visitors again. However, Russia’s war against Ukraine brings new uncertainties. Let us hope that peace will be found. In this spirit, I wish everyone in Thailand a happy, healthy and peaceful New Year.
HE Ambassador Rachmat Budiman of Indonesia
On behalf of the Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia in Bangkok and also the Indonesian community in Thailand, I wish you a very happy Songkran Festival celebration. As the New Year arrives, let us look forward to a year full of joy, health, happiness and prosperity. May the brightness and happiness of this occasion fill your life with new energies and good opportunities. Happy Songkran Festival! Suk San Wan Songkran!
HE Ambassador Orna Sagiv of Israel
On behalf of the People of Israel, I am pleased to extend best wishes to the Thai people and Elite+ readers. May the water sprinkled during Songkran wash away your problems and sorrows. As we hope that the era of the Covid-19 pandemic is coming to an end, may the Thai New Year bring you new hopes, renewed energies, good health and happiness! Have a safe and happy Songkran!
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HE Ambassador Lorenzo Galanti of Italy
I think of Songkran with amazement and regret. In the four years since my first Thai New Year, we have been able to celebrate this wonderful occasion only once due to the pandemic! But notwithstanding the difficult times, I am grateful for these were four fascinating years in Thailand for my family and me. On behalf of the Embassy of Italy, I wish the Thai people peace, well-being and prosperity in the year ahead. May relations between Italy and Thailand continue growing stronger, tourism resume to its full potential and our respective communities in both countries prosper and live in harmony.
HE Ambassador Kiptiness Lindsay Kimwole of Kenya
On behalf of the staff of the Kenya Embassy in Bangkok, Kenyans in Thailand, my family and my myself, I wish to convey happy Songkran greetings, best wishes and blessings to the people and Royal government of Thailand. As you celebrate the New Year in traditional style, let us be vigilant of the Covid-19 pandemic and maintain all public health protocols at all times. I wish you good health, happiness and prosperity in all your endeavours.
HE Ambassador Abderrahim Rahhaly of Morocco
Sawadee Krap! As the Kingdom of Thailand celebrates Songkran Festival and welcomes the Thai New Year, it gives me great pleasure to offer to the Royal Thai Government and people of Thailand my warmest congratulations and best wishes for good health and happiness. May this Thai New Year open up more opportunities to consolidate as well as further strengthen the distinguished relations between our two kingdoms in the spirit of an enterprising and promising South-South Cooperation. I wish all Thai people a joyous festival with family and friends and a healthy and prosperous New Year. Happy Songkran! "Sook San Wan Song Kran"!
HE Ambassador Sahebzada A. Khan of Pakistan
On this auspicious occasion of Songkran, I extend my heartfelt New Year’s greetings to our Thai friends. ‘Suksan wan Songkran’. May this festival of unity and joy bring health, happiness and prosperity to us all and peace and harmony around the world. Long live Pakistan-Thailand friendship.
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HE Ambassador Waldemar Dubaniowski of Poland
On the occasion of the Thai New Year, Songkran, I wish to extend my warmest wishes of good health and happiness to our Thai friends and all fans of this splendid, full of flower-scented water splashing celebration! We are particularly grateful that we can celebrate this joyful occasion with our Thai friends in this special year marking the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Poland and Thailand. Hope to see you in Poland soon! Even in this festive season, our thoughts are with our brothers and sisters fleeing Ukraine after the Russian invasion.
HE Ambassador Joao-Bernardo Weinstein of Portugal
All at our embassy, both Thai and Portuguese staff members, have been talking about their plans for this occasion, and it is with great pleasure that our Embassy joins this important Thai celebration by respecting the three-day holiday so all can travel and visit relatives and temples. I am pleased that during this coming new period, Portuguese and Thais can travel again, visit each other’s country and learn more about our respective cultures. On this special occasion, let me encourage all to visit Portugal and discover the many differences and similarities that have long contributed to making our two nations such good friends … for more than half a millennium already! Happy Songkran to all!
HE Ambassador Jaroslav Auxt of the Slovak Republic
On behalf of the Slovak people, I extend warm wishes to the people of the Kingdom of Thailand on the celebration of Songkran. Songkran water festival marks the beginning of the traditional Thai New Year by splashing others with water to symbolically cool them down on hot summer days in addition to the opportunity for reunions with family and friends. It reminds me of Easter “Wet Monday” in Slovakia, the last day of the Easter holiday, when people traditionally visit families. Splashing of water means purification and celebration of new life. During these Songkran splendours, I wish all Thai people a joyous festival and a healthy and prosperous New Year. Happy Songkran!
HE Ambassador Chaminda I. Colonne of Sri Lanka
I convey my warm best wishes to His Majesty King Maha Vajiralongkorn Phra Vajiraklaochaoyuhua, the Royal Thai Government and people of Thailand on the happy occasion of the celebration of Songkran. Songkran, the traditional Thai New Year festival resembles to the Sinhala and Tamil New Year celebrations in Sri Lanka. Both festivals embrace goodwill, love, compassion and thankfulness, and fall on the 13th, 14th and 15th of April every year. It is my earnest hope that these celebrations will enhance our peoples’ Eastern traditional values of family, society and religion, making all our lives more meaningful. I express my sincere felicitations for the progress and prosperity of the Kingdom of Thailand.
HE Ambassador Helene Budliger Artieda of Switzerland
Switzerland and Thailand just celebrated 90 years of bilateral relations! The friendship between our countries is reflected in numerous agreements on economic cooperation, tourism, education, research and innovation. What really makes this friendship special is, however, the many people to people connections between our two countries. New Year festivities mark new beginnings. After more than two years of a global pandemic, we need new horizons more than ever. With our friendship in mind and on the occasion of the Thai New Year, I wish the Thai people a blessed Songkran and a year full of happiness and health!
