On 15 July 2023, Ambassador Tanee Sangrat and Embassy and Team Thailand officials attended the 33rd Annual Reunion of the Descendants of the Siamese Twins at First Baptist Church Fellowship Hall, Mount Airy, North Carolina. There were over 100 of the twins’ 3rd – 6th generation descendants as well as Thai guests from nearby cities in attendance.

The Ambassador gave remarks on the strength of Thai-U.S. people-to-people relations, which has laid a strong foundation for the advancement of multi-faceted Thai-U.S. cooperation. The legacy of the Siamese twins has played a significant role in the history of Thai-U.S. relations, and the special ties between the Bunker descendants and Thailand had led to the establishment of sister city relationship between Samut Songkhram and Mount Airy in 2019. The Royal Thai Embassy stands ready to support the implementation of sister city activities that will promotes closer relations and truly benefit the peoples of both cities.

On this occasion, Ambassador Tanee also visited White Plains Baptist Church Cemetery to pay respect to the twins’ grave, and later visited Surry Arts Council to view progress of the new Siamese Twins Exhibition planned to open in 2024.

The Siamese twins settled down in Mount Airy, where they spent more than 30 years with their wives and 21 children before they passed away in 1874. Today, there are around 1,500 living descendants of the twins.