Remarks by HE Ms. Busaya MATHELIN

Ambassador of Thailand to Senegal

A reception to launch the Fine Thai Cultural Week Ocean Lounge, Hotel Radisson Blu

Thursday, April 25, 2013, 18h30-20h30

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Good evening.

Mr. Jorgensen thank you for your welcome speech and also for the excellent partnership with the Radisson Blu Hotel. I would also like to thank the Ministry of Culture of Senegal and Daniel Sorano National Theatre for their collaboration. 

Excellencies,

Distinguished Guests,

Ladies and gentlemen,

It is a pleasure and an honor to welcome you at the reception to launch the Fine Thai Cultural Week in Dakar. From 23 to 28 April 2013, the Royal Embassy of Thailand and our partners invite you to a journey through Thailand, here in Dakar - indeed all regions of Thailand will be represented by their kitchens and dances and music traditional.

This is a first in Senegal and West Africa. We hope that this event will usher in a new chapter of cultural exchanges between Thailand and Senegal and will strengthen relationships and affinities between our two peoples. I believe that cooking and music are languages ​​without borders that allow people not speaking the same language to understand and appreciate each other.

Through this culinary trip to Thailand, we present the Thai buffet supper buffet at Restaurant Avenue, which began April 23 and runs through Sunday brunch, 28 April. Through the cultural trip, we invite the Senegalese public representation of traditional Thai dancing and music at the Daniel Sorano National Theatre on 26 and 27 April at 19:30. Admission is free and free. On this occasion, an exhibition will be held in Thailand in the lobby of the theater.

I warmly thank the Thai Chefs and the cast of dancers and musicians who made the long journey from Thailand. I present our two Thai Chefs: Mr. Teerawat Wongvoratat and Mr. Somkuan Chanthana. They both have significant international experience in organizing food festivals in Europe, Asia and Africa.

The Head Teerawat is also the President of the Association of Thai Tea and Coffee. The Head Chef is Somkuan in a five star hotel in Thailand and currently holds the title of national champion "Som Tam" or Papaya Salad. We can enjoy the Som Tam and see it in action at the culinary event every night at the Avenue Restaurant.

The dancers and musicians come from the Arts Development Institute. Tonight they will perform for us a selection of Thai dance and traditional music taste of their shows at the National Theatre.

Before you leave room for the dancers and musicians, thank you for being with us tonight. I invite you to honor the appetizers prepared by our chefs, and to taste the fruit and juice products from Thailand. Hope to see you at the Daniel Sorano National Theatre, tomorrow and after tomorrow and in the meantime I wish you a very pleasant evening.

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