On 23 August 2025, the Royal Thai Embassy in Astana, joined the Astana ASEAN Committee (AAC) in co-hosting the ASEAN Summer Festival 2025 at the Indonesia Cultural Center in Astana. The event was a collaboration among the Embassies of Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, and Vietnam in Astana, to celebrate the 58th Anniversary of the founding of ASEAN and promote ASEAN’s visibility as well as showcase ASEAN Member States to the public in Kazakhstan. This festival marked the first-ever ASEAN cultural festival in Astana, and was a resounding success, with over 700 participants comprising members of the diplomatic corps, representatives from government and private sectors of Kazakhstan, as well as Kazakh and international communities in Astana.

In her opening remarks, H.E. Mrs. Piyapin Niyomrerks, Ambassador of Thailand to Kazakhstan, commended the strong commitment of the AAC in working together to raise ASEAN’s profile and promote its Member States in Kazakhstan. The Royal Thai Embassy, on this occasion, presented all-time favorite Thai dishes, including Tom Yum, Pad Thai, and Som Tam (Green Papaya Salad), along with displays of Thai food products, cooking ingredients, and premium-grade dried tropical fruits. These were kindly supported by the Office of Agricultural Affairs in Moscow and Thailand’s Siam Fresh Co., Ltd. The Embassy also organized an exhibition to promote Thailand’s tourism and festivals, with souvenirs from Thailand sponsored by the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) Moscow Office. Moreover, the Embassy introduced Thai traditional massage and related wellness products in cooperation with Kazakhstan’s Wellness SPA Company, which drew great interest from the public.

The festival was an opportunity to showcase Chud Thai, as the Ambassador, together with Thai officials and local staff, proudly put on Thai traditional attires such as Chitralada and Ruean Ton dresses, as well as Thai elephant pants, and took part in the Kebaya fashion show to represent the shared cultural heritage in Southeast Asia. This iconic attire was inscribed on the UNESCO List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2024. In addition, the Royal Thai Embassy presented a unique cultural performance highlighting Thai-Kazakh connection through the Kazakh traditional instrument “dombra” accompanying the Thai folk song “Ngam Saeng Duan” (Beautiful Moonlight), symbolizing how music can be a powerful bridge between cultures.

The Embassy’s participation in the ASEAN Summer Festival 2025 was highly successful in advancing Thailand’s Proactive Economic Diplomacy Policy, particularly by raising awareness and expanding market opportunities for Thai products and food items in Kazakhstan. It also served to promote the Royal Thai Government’s policy of “Kitchen of the World”, aiming at making Thai cuisine more widely recognized globally and to strengthen Thailand’s position as a major food exporter. Furthermore, the event provided a platform to showcase Thailand’s Soft Power across multiple dimensions, including tourism, food, fashion, music, performing arts, and wellness. Most importantly, the event reflected the strength of ASEAN unity through AAC’s collective efforts to project a positive image of ASEAN in Kazakhstan.