Mrs. Sudruetai Lertkasem, Director-General of the Government Public Relations Department (PRD), led the Thai delegation to participate in the 59th Meeting of ASEAN Committee on Culture and Information(59th ASEAN-COCI) from November 27 to 28, 2024 in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. During this event, Mrs. Sudruetai also held Bilateral discussions on media cooperation with Cambodia’s Ministry of Information, represented by two Deputy Ministers, H.E. Mr. Prak Thaveak Amida and H.E. Mr. Has Sam Ath, along with other Cambodian ministry officials.

Thailand and Cambodia have maintained a partnership under the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on Communication Cooperation for 18 years. Both sides agreed to advance collaboration in mass communication to address evolving challenges comprehensively, including digital technology, media literacy, combating fake news, and modern broadcasting systems.

In these discussions, both nations concurred on reviewing and upgrading the MOU to enhance communication efficiency. Cambodia also requested Thailand to host broadcasting technology training for Cambodian personnel, recognizing PRD’s capacity to develop media professionals through the Public Relations Institute. Details of joint activities will be discussed further.

Cambodia also accepted Thailand’s invitation to attend the 12th Thailand-Cambodia Joint Technical Committee Meeting, scheduled to be hosted by PRD in February 2025.

Mrs. Sudruetai noted the close collaboration between PRD and Cambodia’s Ministry of Information, including exchanges of television, radio, and online media content and personnel. A standout initiative is the Thai-Cambodian Twin Radio Project, which features bilingual programs jointly produced by Surin Provincial Radio Station and Oddar Meanchey Provincial Radio Station. This project aims to improve access to information for people in both countries.

As ASEAN members, PRD and Cambodia’s Ministry of Information share a longstanding partnership at both executive and operational levels, fostering mutual support and regional cooperation.