On 9 April 2025, H.E. Ms. Lada Phumas, Ambassador of Thailand to Kuala Lumpur, was invited to preside over the opening ceremony of the “Small Scale Chemistry Workshop”, jointly organized by the Chemical Society of Thailand under the Patronage of Her Royal Highness Princess Chulabhorn Krom Phra Srisavangkavadhana and Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), with the support of Bangkok Bank Public Company Limited. The Ambassador was warmly welcomed by Professor Dr. Supawan Tantayanon, Director of the BBL–CST Small Scale Chemistry Project, and her team, as well as Mr. Surayud Kanchanabhogin, Deputy CEO of Bangkok Bank Berhad; Mr. Kamarulzaman bin Abd Rahman from Ministry of Education of Malaysia; and Professor Dr. Ishak Ahmad, Dean of the Faculty of Science and Technology, UKM, who also delivered remarks at the opening ceremony. This initiative in Malaysia is part of the 3-year timeframe project.

 

In her remarks, the Ambassador emphasized that the Workshop reflects the vision of the Chemical Society of Thailand in support of the advancement of education and science and shared commitment of Thailand and Malaysia to strengthening scientific and educational development, particularly in STEM field and related technological advancements, both at the national and ASEAN levels. She also reiterated the Royal Thai Government’s full support for Malaysia's ASEAN Chairmanship 2025.

 

The Workshop was held on 9 – 10 April 2025 at UKM, with the primary objective of equipping Malaysian secondary school chemistry teachers of over 50 participants with hands-on, practical knowledge and skills through more simple, accessible, cost-effective, and sustainable experimental methods. Previously, the Workshops were successfully conducted by the Society in other ASEAN countries, including Myanmar, Cambodia, Indonesia, Vietnam, and the Philippines.