On 13 February 2016, Consul-General Dusit Manapan delivered the opening remarks at the panel discussion on “The Charm of Thai – to Enter the Priesthood” organized by the Thai Club of Japan at Mengyo Kaikan, Osaka.
            The panel discussion was moderated by Prof. Dr. Osamu Akagi, President of the Thai Club of Japan, with Dr. Yukio Hayashi of the Center for Integrated Area Studies (CIAS), Kyoto University, as the keynote speaker. About 200 participants attended the event.
            In his opening remarks, the Consul-General emphasized the 600 years of contact between Thailand and Japan and on 26 September 2017, Thailand and Japan will celebrate the 130^th anniversary of the two countries’ formal diplomatic relations. The Consul-General commended the Thai Club of Japan on its active role in carrying out various activities to strengthen the bilateral relations between Thailand and Japan. The panel discussion organized by the Thai Club of Japan has enabled the Japanese people who are interested in Thailand to have a better understanding about Thailand. The topic of the panel discussion about Buddhist ordination in Thailand is interesting as Buddhism is embedded in the life of the majority of Thai people.
            Moreover, the Consul-General invited the participants to the 14^th Thai Festival in Osaka which will be organized by the Royal Thai Consulate-General in Osaka between 21-22 May 2016 at Taiyo no Hiroba, Osaka Castle.
            The Thai Club of Japan is a network of Japanese people who love Thailand. It has carried out activities, including Thai language teaching, organizing seminars on matters related to Thailand, and educational and cultural exchanges between Thailand and Japan, to enhance the ties of friendship between Thailand and Japan for over 25 years.