ภาษาไทยLuncheon for Members of the International Club Number One
On 18 November 2015, Madam Wanchana Manawapat hosted a Luncheon for Members of the International Club Number One at the Thai Residence.
At the event, all guests were warmly welcomed by both Ambassador Pisan Manawapat and Madam Wanchana Manawapat.
They also had an opportunity to meet Dr. Joyce White, Founder and Executive Director of a non-profit Institute for Southeast Asian Archeology (ISEAA), who is widely recognized as World’s leading expert on the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Ban Chiang. She is also a Director of Ban Chiang Project at the University of Pennsylvania Museum. Most recently, in partnership with the Royal Thai Embassy in Washington, D.C., Dr. White has initiated a 21st Century Digital Archaeological Archive of the Ban Chiang research program in order to advance the archeology and research in this field.
During her talks, titled “Thailand’s World Heritage of Ban Chiang: sharing experiences from the Ivory Tower and beyond”, Dr. White shared a wonderful story about her work and passion towards Ban Chiang, a prehistoric site age about 4,000 years situated in Udorn Thani province in the northeastern part of Thailand, one of Thailand’s most important national treasures.
Dr. White also explained that the site of Ban Chiang was inscribed a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1992 on the criteria that it “bears a unique or at least exceptional testimony to a cultural tradition or to the civilization … which has disappeared.”
After the talks, all guests were specially treated with a selected menu of famous Thai dishes including Pad Thai, Som Tum (papaya salad), Beef Panaeng Curry, Tod Mun Pla (fish cake), Chicken Satay as well as Mango with Sticky Rice, one of Thailand’s most popular desserts among the Americans.
Apart from the wonderful talks by Dr. Joyce White and delicious Thai meal, attending members also received a set of Thai souvenirs, as token of appreciation and cordial friendship, including brochures on Ban Chiang and Thai tourism, handicraft from “Sai Jai Thai” Foundation (a kitchen towel with ‘Som Tum recipe’ pattern), a book titled “Beyond Fair Trade: How One Small Coffee Company Helped Transform a Hillside Village in Thailand” which demonstrates how His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej’s projects on crop substation has helped improve living conditions of the hill tribe people in Thailand.
Last but not least, all guests were also delighted with a souvenir of a “Craved Rose”, made from carrot. This came as a wonderful surprise especially after everyone’s impression with a demonstration of Thai fruit and vegetable carving by a Thai Residence staff upon their arrivals.
Members of the International Club Number One attending the event included Dr. Susan Blumenthal, former U.S. Assistant Surgeon General; Mrs. Elaine Chao, former U.S. Secretary of Labor; Mrs. Jane Roberts, wife of Chief Justice John Roberts; Dr. Younsook Lim, wife Dr. Jim Yong Kim, President of the World Bank Group; Mrs. Kari McDonough, wife of Mr. Denis McDonough, White House’s Chief of Staff; Mrs. Betty Lieu, former California Deputy Attorney General; Mrs. Anne Dickerson, Director of 15 Minutes Production and wife of Mr. John Dickerson, Anchor of Face The Nation on CBS News; Mrs. Ann Friedman, Chairwoman of the board of directors of the SEED Foundation and wife of Mr. Thomas Friedman, Foreign Affairs Columnist at the New York Times; Mrs. Megan Beyer, former PBS and ESPN reporter as well as spouses of House Representatives and Senators from Maryland, Georgia, Texas, and Wyoming and spouses of Ambassadors of Belgium, Brazil, Columbia, Italy, Mexico, Sweden, South Africa and the United Kingdom.
Suchada Maktara