The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has launched a project to promote better understanding of the situation in the southern border provinces in the international community and among Thai Muslim students abroad.

Mr. Pongprach Makchang, Ambassador attached to the Ministry, and Pol. Lt. Col. Piya Raksakul, Deputy Secretary-General of the Southern Border Provinces Administrative Center (SBPAC), led officials from the Ministry and the SBPAC to visit Karachi and Islamabad from 21 to 26 August 2025.

The visit was part of the 2025 Project to Promote Understanding of the Situation at the Southern Border Provinces in the International Community and among Thai Muslim Students Abroad in the Islamic Republic of Pakistan.

The delegation met with Dr. Noman Naeem, President of Binoria University (Jamia Binoria Aalamia), and university executives in Karachi, to discuss a potential Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on academic cooperation with educational institutions in Thailand’s southern border provinces, particularly in the field of Halal Food Science. 

The delegation, together with the Royal Thai Consulate-General in Karachi, also hosted a luncheon with Thai Muslim students studying in Karachi and took this opportunity to learn more about their academic progress, well-being, and challenges faced during their studies. 

It paid a courtesy call on Mr. Surashete Boontinand, Consul-General in Karachi, to exchange views and attend a briefing on the role of the Consulate-General in promoting welfare, as well as developing essential skills for Thai Muslim students in the area.

Afterwards, the delegation met with Prof. Dr. Abdul Raheman, Vice President of the International Islamic University Islamabad (IIUI), and university executives in Islamabad, to explore avenues for educational cooperation and the possibility of signing an MOU between IIUI and educational institutions in the southern border provinces. 

The delegation also paid a courtesy call on Mr. Rongvudhi Virabutr, Ambassador of Thailand to the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, and attended a briefing on the Embassy’s efforts in supporting Thai Muslim students in the area. 

In addition, it observed a training program for leadership and personality development organized by the Royal Thai Embassy in Islamabad, aimed at empowering Thai Muslim students with personal development and equipping them with essential Artificial Intelligence (AI) skills for their future careers.