August 2026, Thailand: FAO Director-General QU Dongyu in a visit to Thailand has reaffirmed FAO’s longstanding partnership with the country and paid tribute to the enduring legacy of a vision for rural development championed by Her Majesty Queen Sirikit The Queen Mother who passed away in 2025.
In Bangkok, the Director-General participated in a ceremony in honour and commemoration of the royal benevolence of Her Majesty Queen Sirikit The Queen Mother. The ceremony was presided over by Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn, who is also the FAO Regional Goodwill Ambassador for Asia and the Pacific.
In 1979, FAO awarded Her Majesty Queen Sirikit the Ceres Medal in recognition of her contribution to rural development and her efforts to improve the lives of rural people, particularly women, while preserving traditional livelihoods.
“FAO awarded Her Majesty Queen Sirikit the Ceres Medal in 1979, and later awarded His Majesty King Bhumibol the Agricola Medal in 1995, making the Thai Royal Family the only one in the world to receive FAO’s highest awards. ”The Director-General spoke with Her Royal Highness Princess Sirindhorn during the ceremony, praising the late King and Queen’s outstanding contribution to regional and international agricultural development and the Royal family’s long-standing support for FAO.
The Director-General also honored the memory of Princess Bajrakitiyabha Narendiradebyavati, who passed away in June.
During his visit, the FAO Director-General met with H.E. Suriya Jungrungreangkit, Thailand’s Minister of Agriculture and Cooperatives, and held discussions with H.E. Sarun Charoensuwan, Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs.
A living legacy in Ayutthaya
In Ayutthaya, the Director-General visited the Bang Sai and Koh Kerd sites of the SUPPORT Foundation, which were established under the patronage of Her Majesty Queen Sikrit and where the connection between cultural heritage and rural livelihoods remains visible in everyday life.
At the Koh Kerd SUPPORT Arts and Crafts Centre, traditional arts and crafts are made alongside rice fields, orchards, vegetable plots and fisheries. Community-based activities provide families opportunities to generate income while building on skills and knowledge passed down through generations. During his visit the Director-General went to a paddy rice field and encouraged the young generation to go into the fields to understand the importance of agriculture and experience first-hand the hard work of farmers.
Her Majesty’s work was based on the fundamental principle that rural development should enable people to improve their lives by building on the strengths already present within their communities.
For women in particular, traditional crafts have provided an important pathway to economic opportunity. The Director-General met with a local female honey melon grower and commended her work, which benefits not only her own family but also the wider community. Silk weaving, basketry, woodcarving and other forms of craftsmanship have enabled rural women to turn local skills into sources of income while preserving Thailand’s cultural heritage.
At the Art of the Kingdom Museum and the Queen Sirikit Museum of Textiles, the Director-General explored how these traditions have been nurtured over the years, and the role they continue to play in Thailand’s economic landscape.
From local knowledge to new frontiers
The FAO Director-General also visited the National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (BIOTEC), where he was briefed on advances in cassava and rice research, biocontrol technologies, mushroom production, smart agriculture and plant genomics that showcase Thailand’s efforts to bring together community-based experience with scientific research and emerging technologies to develop new solutions for agriculture.
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