Welcome Message
Welcome Message
Dear Honorable Education Ministers, Senior Officials, Colleagues, and Guests:
As the Minister of Education of Thailand, I am honored to welcome you all to the 13th ASEAN Education Ministers’ Meeting (ASED) and Related Meetings. The Meetings under the theme “Transforming Education in the Digital Era” will be held on 23-26 August 2024 in Buriram Province, Thailand. These Meetings are very crucial, as they serve as important platforms for strengthening cooperation among ASEAN Member States, ASEAN+3, ASEAN+8 as well as ASEAN and Timor-Leste, toward transforming education and ensuring more inclusive, innovative, and resilient communities.
The lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic, paired with shifting global landscapes on digital disruption, underscore the pressing need for enhanced regional and global collaboration in education. As such, we are committed to working together to synergistically shape and transform education to cope with the ever-changing environment in the digital era. I am confident that the upcoming Meetings will bring about effective and tangible results and outcomes in bolstering a prosperous future for our communities, that will truly be beneficial to all of our citizens.
Buriram province, chosen as the venue of the Meetings, is situated in the Northeastern part of Thailand and is about 410 kilometers from Bangkok, the capital city of Thailand. The literal meaning of “Buriram” is “City of Happiness” or “Peaceful City”. It is a city with rich culture and is the location of several archaeological discoveries and ancient ruins. Buriram is a land of extinct volcanoes and an ancient civilization site, making it an important historical tourist attraction. To emphasize its richness in cultural heritage, the city also showcases prominent crafts like silk and Na Pho Mudmee. Buriram, meanwhile, takes pride in its popular football team which boasts a stadium with facilities up to international standards and a motorsport race track that captures the interest of tourists from all around the world. I am sure everyone will be pleased with their time spent in the city.
Honorable Education Ministers, Senior Officials, Colleagues, and Guests; I strongly believe that, with our collective strengths and determination, we are able to empower our citizens to become happy learning individuals and provide them with opportunities to learn anytime, anywhere, through the power of digital disruption. This will also help pave the way for quality lifelong learning for all, in alignment with the global SDG4. To that end, let us seize this auspicious moment to chart a course toward Transforming Education in the Digital Era for the betterment of our citizens, both present and future generations. Once again, I wholeheartedly welcome you all to the Meetings and look forward to receiving you in Thailand.
His Excellency Police General Permpoon Chidchob
Minister of Education, Thailand,
Chair of the 13th ASEAN Education Ministers Meeting,
Co-Chair of the 7th ASEAN Plus Three Education Ministers Meeting, and
Chair of the 7th East Asia Summit Education Ministers Meeting