ASEAN community in Kuwait rings in traditional New Year celebrations

By Ricky Laxa
Staff Writer

• The event showcased exhibitions of ‘Muay Thai,’traditional boxing of Thailand and cultural dances, and traditional delicacies from Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, and Myanmar

The traditional New Year celebrations of Kingdom of Cambodia, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Kingdom of Thailand, and Republic Union of Myanmar were held at the Embassy of Thailand in Bayan on Thursday afternoon. The event was attended by members of the ASEAN community in Kuwait, guests, and members of the diplomatic corps.

Khalid Al Yaseen, Deputy Assistant of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for Asian Affairs, graced the occasion.

The embassies of Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, and Myanmar, along with other ASEAN embassies and invited guests, gathered at the Embassy of Thailand to celebrate the beginning of a new solar year on their traditional calendar.

The celebration marked the start of “Maha Songran” for Cambodia, “Pi Mai” for Laos, “Thing Yan” for Myanmar, and “Songkran” for Thailand.

The event also aims to enhance cordial cooperation among the ASEAN community in Kuwait. In his opening remarks, His Excellency Ekapol Poolpipat, Ambassador of the Embassy of Thailand in Kuwait, highlighted that the four countries share a common tradition in celebrating the New Year based on their religious traditions and that the event was a collective effort among the four embassies.

The event showcased exhibitions of “Muay Thai,”traditional boxing of Thailand, cultural dances, and traditional delicacies from the four countries. Ambassadors from Peru, China, South Korea, and Japan were also present at the celebration.

“We deeply thank everyone for joining us at the event and sharing this joyous occasion with other embassies. This collaboration with the State of Kuwait as an ASEAN partner,” said the Thai ambassador.