Bangkok, June 16, 2025 — On June 12, a hallmark event was celebrated at Thammasat University (TU) in Bangkok, Thailand. The event was the “6th Pakistan-Thammasat Day”. The event was jointly organized by TU and Ambassador for Buddhist Heritage Promotion, GTPL, Mr. Imran Shauket. Ambassador of Pakistan Rukhsana Afzal was the Chief Guest.
The event was hosted by Vice Rector Supreedee of International Affairs. Other notables included ambassadors from Azerbaijan, Iran, Qatar, Indonesia, Bangladesh and Malaysia.
After VRs initial welcome remarks, Mr. Imran Shauket spoke on the history and activities under the partnership. The activities initiated when TU set up a “Pakistan Corner” in its Library in 2013 under the tutelage of VR Nitinant and Amb. Sohail Mahmood.
Thanking TU for setting up the Pakistan Corner, Imran apprised the gathering that his engagement with TU started in 2015 and since then, there have been around 50 activities that have been conducted to promote the partnership between Pakistan and Thailand and Pakistan and TU.
The activities have entailed diplomatic talks, signing of multiple MOUs, cultural exchanges, faculty exchanges, making of documentaries and books on Gandhara, and visits of senior monks to Pakistan.
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Furthermore, TU students have also become permanent features as performers, models and dancers in every notable Pakistan Embassy function in Bangkok.
He noted that on the flip side, TU, which did not have any Pakistani students in 2015, now has more than 40 Pakistani students. He added that education at TU is premiere. The quality of TU education can be gauged by the fact that the current and past two Thai Ambassadors to Pakistan are graduates of TU.
Ambassador Rukhsana presented on the past and the future partnership between Pakistan and Thailand. She apprised the audience of the plan to bring the Thai Royalty to Pakistan in 2026 on the occasion of 75th anniversary of Pak-Thai diplomatic relationship. She also highlighted the work underway to finalize a bilateral FTA between Pakistan and Thailand and a Gandhara artifacts exhibit in Thailand.
The formal event ended with a presentation of 50 books on various aspects of Pakistan to the TU library donated by Imran. This donation makes a total of 300 books that have contributed to the TU library on behalf of Pakistan.
In conversation after the event, Azeri and Irani ambassadors noted that they were very surprised at the P2P work that has taken place between Pakistan and Thailand and asked for assistance from Imran to launch similar programs for their countries.
