C asean underlines its leadership in fostering connectivity and reinforcing the ASEAN community through the organization of the Common Culture Heritage "Maori & Thai Song Dam" project. The ASEAN Matariki Night 2023 was organized to commemorate the Maori New Year, Matariki, and celebrate cultural similarities of Maori and Thai Song Dam ethnics groups which can serve as foundation for enhanced economic, social and cultural collaboration, ultimately leading to development of the ethnic communities.
Organized at the Queen Sirikit National Convention Center, the ASEAN Matariki Night 2023 comprised of special talks, the Common Culture Heritage "Maori & Thai Song Dam" exhibition and a gala dinner. Honorable guests attending the event included H.E. Jonathan Kings, Ambassador of New Zealand to Thailand, Laos and Cambodia, and Professor Siah Hwee Ang, Director of the Southeast Asia Center of Asia-Pacific Excellence.
Various ethnics group across the globe take pride in their unique cultures and languages. Surprisingly, amidst these differences, there exist common threads that bind them together, regardless of boundaries. The Common Cultural Heritage project showcases the uniqueness of each ethnic groups to inspire individuals from different backgrounds to engage in cultural exchange, reduce inequality, deepen an understanding of one another. By embracing their cultural legacies with pride, people can contribute to the development of a robust economy and society, promoting stability and sustainability in their way of life. The partnership between C asean, the New Zealand Embassy, and the New Zealand ASEAN Business Alliance (NZABA) and the Southeast Asia Centre of Asia-Pacific Excellence (SEACAPE) brings forth a captivating presentation of Maori and Thai Song Dam, and encourage creative cultural exchange between the two ethnics groups that share numerous cultural commonalities.
The Thai Song Dam ethnic groups dwell in many parts of Thailand, and efforts have been made to develop local tourism and community economies. As a result, cultural attractions have flourished the Thai Song Dam Ban Khao Yoi community, Khao Yoi subdistrict, Khao Yoi district in Phetchaburi province, and the Thai Song Dam Ban Wang Nam community in Wang Yang subdistrict, Khlong Khlung district, Kamphaeng Phet province.
Thai Beverage Public Company Limited gives high priority to artistic and cultural development with an objective to "bring Thainess to the world" and to "create and share the values of growth". In this endeavor, the company strives to continue, preserve and build upon existing cultural legacies. Recognizing the striking similarity between the culture of the Maori people and that of the Thai Song Dam community, ThaiBev has taken steps to foster mutual understanding and create awareness of both cultures on an international scale.
