Jatuporn, MNRE’s Permanent Secretary Prepares to Welcome New Giant Pandas from China, Celebrating 50 Years of Thai-Chinese Relations

On October 28, 2024, at 10:00 a.m., Mr. Jatuporn Buruspat, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MNRE), chaired a meeting to discuss preparations for receiving two new giant pandas from the People’s Republic of China. Representatives from relevant agencies, including the Zoological Park Organization of Thailand, Chiang Mai Zoo, Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation, Department of East Asian Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Bureau of Budget, attended the meeting on the 17th floor of the MNRE building. The handover ceremony for the new pandas will commemorate the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Thailand and China in 2025.

Mr. Jatuporn expressed MNRE’s readiness to care for the new panda pair on behalf of the Thai government, symbolizing the strong friendship between Thailand and China. After the Zoological Park Organization recently returned the bodies of pandas Chuang Chuang and Lin Hui to China on January 30, 2024, along with a 20-year report on the pandas’ time in Thailand, China confirmed in October its intention to send a new pair of giant pandas to Thailand as goodwill ambassadors. To ensure their comfortable and suitable living environment, Mr. Jatuporn directed the Zoological Park Organization of Thailand to prepare an appropriate exhibit design, allowing Thai citizens to enjoy the giant pandas once again. This design will prioritize compliance with Chinese standards.