The Hungarian embassy recently organised a Teqball-table handover ceremony with donations to several Thai organisations.
Teqball, invented in Hungary in 2012, is a football-based sport played on a curved surface called a Teq table.
Seven Thai organisations received the tables: the Tourism and Sports Ministry, the Thailand Paralympic Committee, Chiang Mai University, Chulalongkorn University, the Sports Authority of Thailand, the Football Association and the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration.
According to the embassy, it donated eight Teqball tables each at a cost of 1,599 euros (about 60,000 baht).
Hungary's ambassador to Thailand, Sandor Sipos, said Teqball represented creativity and innovation.
"In an often divided world, sport is a uniquely unifying and important connective tissue that binds people together, both across and within societies. Sport is a safe space for everyone and Hungary shares with many other countries its love for sport," he said.
He said the sport would be popular in Thailand and help tighten the bonds between the two countries.
Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn, the Tourism and Sports Minister, said Teqball has been growing in popularity thanks to the work of the Federation Internationale de Teqball (FITEQ) and also because of Brazilian football superstar Ronaldinho Gaúcho who loves the sport and is known widely as a Teqball ambassador.
Mr Phiphat said the sport, which combines football and table tennis techniques, is already included in the Asian Beach Games and the upcoming 2023 European Games, and it may soon be added to the Olympics.
He mentioned that Hungary and Thailand will celebrate the 50th anniversary of their bilateral relationship next year, adding that cultural exchanges including sport are an important part of diplomacy between the two countries.
"I strongly believe that the Teqball tables will be a great contribution to Thai sport, especially in developing Teqball players among Thai people in the future," he said.