David John Hurley, Governor-General of Australia, and his spouse will visit from Feb 13–17 to celebrate the longstanding relationship between Thailand and Australia, according to a statement by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
During the visit, the couple will have a royal audience with His Majesty King Maha Vajiralongkorn Phra Vajiraklaochaoyuhua and Her Majesty Queen Suthida Bajrasudhabimalalakshana, it said.
Mr Hurley and the King were classmates at the Royal Military College, Duntroon, from 1972–1975, the ministry said, adding the meeting will reflect the personal connections that underpin the two nations' friendship.
"Australia is proud of our close relationship with Thailand. It is a friendship that spans many areas of cooperation and is based on mutual respect, trust and understanding. I am looking forward to celebrating and strengthening that relationship," Mr Hurley said as quoted by the statement.
Mr Hurley and his wife will also have an audience with the Supreme Patriarch of Thailand. They will also meet with Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin and cabinet members. They will visit the Doi Tung Development Project and the Mekong-Australia Partnership climate resilience project site in Chiang Rai to learn how both nations are working to realise new opportunities and address challenges.
Margaret Beazley, Governor of New South Wales, will serve as Administrator of the Government of Australia during the visit.