To mark
the 175h anniversary of U.S.-Thai relations on March 20, 2008,
U.S. Ambassador Eric G. John and Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej,
along with senior representatives from the Royal Thai government
and the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration, celebrated 175 Years
of U.S.-Thai Friendship with a special tree planting ceremony at
Bangkok's Jatujak Park on Thursday, March 20. The
Ambassador and Prime Minister Samak opened this commemorative
ceremony with warm, personal remarks highlighting the long
standing partnership shared between the United States and
Thailand. Following the remarks, more than 100 local school
students assisted the special guests in planting 175 trees in the
new U.S.-Thai garden, which now stands as a symbol of the deep
and enduring friendship between our two countries.
In
addition, the American Chamber Of Commerce in Thailand (AMCHAM)
was honored to host Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej and
Ambassador Eric G. John at a luncheon at the Conrad Hotel.
More than 250 AMCHAM members and business leaders were on hand to
hear remarks by Prime Minister Samak, who confirmed his
government's commitment to strengthen Thailand's position as an
attractive investment destination in the region. Several measures
that the Thai government has taken are, for example, the
mega-projects of urban mass-transit routes and suburban dual-rail
tracks, “Thailand Investment Year” and “Thailand Tourism
Year” campaigns plus several favorable investment regulations.
The same day, AMCHAM also announced a donation of baht 1.75 million to the AMCHAM Thailand Charitable Foundation. This donation is part of a total pledge of baht 8 million that the Chamber and Foundation will use to fund educational projects around Thailand in 2008, including 175 student scholarships to needy Thai university students.