'Namaste Thailand' aims to strengthen Indo-Thai ties

New Delhi: Aimed at strengthening bilateral ties and increasing cultural exchange between India and Thailand, the 3rd edition of Namaste Thailand festival started with a delectable array of Thai cuisine and a lineup of cultural events on Friday.

Introducing the people of Delhi to the unique and diverse culture of Thailand, the three-day festival was organised by the Royal Thai Embassy at the Select Citywalk here.

"What we do have is good people-to-people cultural relation and we want to build on that foundation and let it deliver political and economic dividends. So that trade and investment is much larger than this.

Namaste Thailand Festival is an initiative in that direction. "In terms of bilateral relationship, India has had a good, peaceful relationship with Thailand. But we are still in the early stages.

Our trade has had an increase of 30 per cent year on year in 2017 and 2018, which is about 12 billion, but we have much more to achieve," Chutintorn Gongsakdi, Ambassador of Thailand to India, said in a statement.

The festival will feature stage performances by Thai artistes, including the much popular Thai folk-jazz band Asia-7.