On August 12, 2023, Mr. Tanee Sangrat, Ambassador of Thailand to the US met President of Chiang Mai University and officials to consult and move forward Thai-US cooperation. Gist as follows:

 

1. Start-ups, technology, and innovation - Both sides agreed to promote access for start-ups and MSMEs in Chiang Mai and Thailand to capital, tech, and innovation in the US, particularly between Chiang Mai and Austin, Texas, including having Thai start-ups participate and present their products and innovation in related exhibitions in the US.

 

2. Education - President of Chiang Mai University agreed to promote cooperation with University of Texas-Austin and other US universities in many fields including the environment as well as in the forum of Meeting of Presidents of Universities of Thailand. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Thailand and Royal Thai Embassy in Washington, DC, will facilitate the cooperation.

 

3. Medical diplomacy - The Ambassador proposed that cooperation on exchange of medical knowledge and innovation to build on skills of physicians be organized where by the Association of Thai Physicians in the US will lead a delegation of doctors of second generation Thai Americans and US doctors to Thailand to share best practices, starting with Chiang Mai universities before replicating the cooperation with other universities in Thailand. The Association and the Chiang Mai University will share the costs of the delegation.

 

4. Sister Cities Relationship between Chiang Mai and Austin, Texas- The Ambassador supports the initiative of the US Consul-General in Chiang Mai to establish sister cities relationship between Chiang Mai and Austin, Texas to promote cooperation education, urban planning, start ups and innovation, and other fields. The Thai and US delegations including the Governor of Chiang Mai are coordinating the cooperation which is planned to be in Austin, Texas in November this year.