On June 8, a delegation of the Kingdom of Thailand headed by the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Kingdom of Thailand to Russia Sasiwat Wongsinsawat visited the Headquarters of the Russian Geographical Society in St. Petersburg.
The guests got acquainted with the history and modern activities of the Society, visited the Scientific Library and the Scientific Archive of the Russian Geographical Society, where they saw diary entries, documents and photographs from the collection of Nikolai Miklouho-Maclay belonging to the period of his travels in Siam and the Malay Peninsula. The Thai side expressed a desire to publish these documents in their homeland, wishing to draw the attention of the scientific and public circles to the important historical evidence of that time.
Делегация Королевства Таиланд во главе с Чрезвычайным и Полномочным послом в Научной библиотке РГО. Фото: Татьяна Николаева
During the visit, which took place on the initiative of the Ambassador of the Kingdom of Thailand in the framework of cooperation between the Russian Geographical Society and the Siam Geographical Society, a working meeting was held with the participation of the Vice-President of the Russian Geographical Society Kirill Chistyakov and the adviser to the President of the Society for international activities Sergey Katikov. During the meeting, the discussion was held on promising areas of cooperation, including the joint exhibitions, lectures, film screenings, and also the possibility of translating the films of the Russian Geographical Society into Thai with subsequent demonstration on national television. The Thai side was invited to take part in the international events "Geographical Dictation" and "Night of Geography". At the end of the conversation, the ambassador assured all those present about his full support for bilateral cooperation between the geographical societies of Russia and Thailand.
В Малом зале Штаб-квартиры РГО в Петербурге на выставке из фондов Музея РГО. Фото: Татьяна Николаева
Since the signing, in 2018, of an agreement on cooperation between the Russian Geographical Society and the Siamese Society Under Royal Patronage, delegations of the Russian Geographical Society and the Siamese Society have visited Russia and Thailand. In October 2017, Princess of the Kingdom of Thailand Maha Chakri Sirindhorn visited the Headquarters of the Russian Geographical Society in St. Petersburg, which was subsequently also visited by a delegation of the Siam Society in 2018.
In 2019, a delegation of the Russian Geographical Society paid a return visit to Thailand. The visit included a lecture on the history of the Russian Geographical Society, a presentation of the Society's tourist routes for the representatives of the Thai tourism industry, the opening of the "Week of Russia" at the Russian Embassy in the Kingdom of Thailand with a demonstration of the interactive photo exhibition "The Most Beautiful Country", evening screenings of films from the Russian Geographical Society.
In December 2020, an event dedicated to the 200th anniversary of the discovery of Antarctica by Russian sailors took place at the Siam Society. A corresponding thematic exhibition of archive materials from the Russian Geographical Society was opened in an in-person format. A lecture on the contribution of Russian discoverers to the development of world science, dedicated to the 175th anniversary of the Russian Geographical Society was held, as well as a film screening of the Society's films.
The Siamese Society Under Royal Patronage is a non-profit organization, a scientific society founded in Bangkok in 1904. The purpose of the Society is to collect historical chronicles, study the history, culture and art of Siam, conduct archaeological research, study the anthropology and ethnography of the country.
The conclusion of an agreement between the Russian Geographical Society and the Siamese Society became possible thanks to the initiative of the Princess of the Kingdom of Thailand Maha Chakri Sirindhorn, who patronizes the Siamese Society. The princess visited the Headquarters of the Russian Geographical Society in St. Petersburg in October 2017 as part of a visit timed to coincide with the 120th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Russia and the Kingdom of Thailand.
