17 November 2023: At Meeting room, 1st floor, Royal Library Building, Wang Srapathum, Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn graciously granted a royal audience to Prof. Dr. Pairash Thajchayapong, the Member of the Executive Board and Secretary General of the Information Technology Foundation under the Initiative of Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn (PSIT), to lead the delegation of member countries of the Asian Forum for Polar Sciences (AFoPS), to give a report on the work progress and future cooperation in polar science in the region.

     PSIT has carried out the polar research project under the initiative of Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn who envisioned that Thai researchers participate in polar science research studies to develop the country’s progress in polar science to be on par with international ones.  Furthermore, Her Royal Highness has encouraged Thai academicians, scientists and researchers to establish cooperation in research about the polar regions in various areas which will be beneficial to the planning and preparation to sufficiently support and alleviate the effects of climate change and global warming.  The Polar Science Consortium of Thailand (PSCT) was established to oversee the planning and monitoring the operations.

     The Asian Forum for Polar Sciences (AFoPS) is a non-government organization established in 2004 to encourage cooperation to promote the advancement of polar science among countries in Asia. Thailand, through PSCT, has joined AFoPS since 2016. Currently, AFoPS consists of 6 members from the following countries: China, Japan, South Korea, India, Malaysia and Thailand, and 4 observers, from Indonesia, Philippines, Sri Lanka and Vietnam.

     At the AFOPS General Meeting in 2022, the meeting appointed Thailand as the Chairman of AFoPS during the period 2023-2024.  Main duties are (1) to organize 2 meetings per year for AFOPS country members and (2) to represent AFoPS in various international meetings related to the Arctic and Antarctic.

     On the occasion that Thailand will host the AFoPS general meeting between 17-18 November 2023,  PSIT has requested a royal permission to lead the delegation of AFoPS member countries who attend the Meeting in Thailand, to have an audience with Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn, along with the PSIT committee members and researchers from Chulalongkorn University, who serve as the secretariat of PSCT,  to report on the work progress of AFoPS and the role AFoPS will play in promoting future cooperation and advancement in polar science.