On 7 October 2025, H.E. Ms. Lada Phumas, Ambassador of Thailand to Malaysia, was invited to attend the opening ceremony of the ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community (ASCC) High-Level Forum (HLF) 2025, under the theme “Advancing an Inclusive and Sustainable ASEAN Community,” hosted by the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture Malaysia at Sunway Pyramid Convention Centre, Selangor, during the 34th ASCC Council Meeting and Related Meetings on 6 – 8 October 2025. The ceremony featured remarks by Dr. Kao Kim Hourn, Secretary-General of ASEAN, and a welcoming remark by Dato Sri Tiong King Sing, Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture (MOTAC) Malaysia. Also in attendance were Dato’ Ng Suee Lim, Member of the Selangor State Executive Council, Dato’ Shaharuddin bin Abu Sohot, Secretary-General, MOTAC Malaysia, high-level delegates from ASEAN Member States and Timor-Leste, as well as representatives from government agencies and foreign embassies in Malaysia, including Ms. Tarinee Limchularattana, Minister Counsellor (Labour) of the Royal Thai Embassy in Kuala Lumpur, totaling more than 500 participants.

 

The Ambassador was pleased to meet with the Thai delegation led by Mrs. Jatuporn Rojanapanich, Deputy Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Social Development and Human Security, who served as a panelist in the session on “Opportunity and Risk in Gig Economy in ASEAN.” Mrs. Jatuporn shared perspectives on the opportunities presented by the gig economy and approaches to promoting fair and decent work aligned with workers’ skills and income. In this connection, the Ambassador reaffirmed the Embassy’s readiness to support the missions of relevant Thai agencies in advancing social and cultural cooperation with Malaysia.

 

The Ambassador and the head of the Thai delegation also accompanied the Minister of MOTAC and other participants to visit the booth of “Sala Silver,” a silver jewelry producer and distributor from Nan Province, which represented Thailand at the ASEAN Arts and Crafts Bazaar 2025 held in parallel with the Forum. The Bazaar showcased and offered for sale arts and handicrafts from ASEAN Member States and Timor-Leste, attracting significant interest from participants who visited and purchased various products.