– Chonburi Province continues to support a youth exchange initiative designed to promote cultural understanding and peaceful coexistence.
– Host families in Banglamung, Sri Racha, and Sattahip districts welcomed participants in the project’s 47th edition.
– Activities included visits to local attractions and businesses, offering insights into Chonburi’s economy, tourism industry, and the Eastern Economic Corridor.
Pattaya, Thailand: Chonburi Province and Pattaya City have continued their support for the “Sarn Jai Thai Soo Jai Tai” (Connecting Thai Hearts to Southern Hearts) project, which gives young people from Thailand’s southern border provinces an opportunity to learn about different ways of life, build cross-cultural understanding, and develop youth networks that support peaceful coexistence.
Kwanruen Srichan, Chonburi’s Deputy Provincial Governor’s Office Permanent Secretary, delivered a report outlining the project’s objectives and achievements. This is to bring young people from the southern border provinces into communities elsewhere in Thailand, allowing them to gain first-hand experience of different cultures, lifestyles, and local economies.
Chonburi Province has supported the project over successive editions, with local host families welcoming participating youths into their homes and treating them as members of the family. Through these stays, participants can learn about everyday life, employment opportunities, and how people of different religious and cultural backgrounds live together.
For the project’s 47th edition, host families and accommodation arrangements were based in Banglamung, Sri Racha, and Sattahip districts.
The programme also included educational visits highlighting Chonburi’s economic, industrial, and tourism sectors. As a key part of Thailand’s Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC), the province offered participants opportunities to learn about economic development, career opportunities, and tourism management.
Among the destinations visited were Nong Nooch Tropical Garden and Pattaya Dolphinarium, where the young participants could explore aspects of the province’s tourism industry and gain a broader understanding of local development.
Pattaya, as a major tourism destination and local administrative area, also provided an opportunity for participants to learn about urban management, local development, and the challenges and benefits of communities with diverse social and cultural backgrounds. Organisers said the practical experiences could help the young people apply what they learned to their future education, careers, and community development.
During the event, representatives of Muslim and Buddhist host families, along with male and female youth participants, shared their experiences and reflections on taking part in the programme and living with their host families.
Organisers also presented gifts to 14 host families and souvenirs to the head of the visiting delegation, participating youths, and accompanying teachers, as a gesture of appreciation and to strengthen relationships among those involved.
The “Sarn Jai Thai Soo Jai Tai” project seeks to promote mutual understanding through direct experience, encourage respect for cultural and religious differences, and develop peaceful coexistence.