BANGKOK, November 2, 2018 at Central World Shopping Complex, Bangkok – The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Thailand International Cooperation Agency (TICA) organized the 5^th TICA Connect in order to showcase the development cooperation partnership supported by both sides in various sectors namely public health, environment, energy in Thailand and in the Asian region over the past 7 decades as well as exchange experiences and knowledges of both sides to other developing countries and the development cooperation in future for sustainable development.

             On this occation, H.E. Mr. Chaisiri Anamarn, Advisor to the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Thailand, delivered a statement emphasizing the technial cooperation between Thailand and the U.S. implemented by Department of Technical Cooperation (DTEC) and the United States Operation Mission (USOM).  At present, DTEC and USOM became TICA and the USAID respectively. The both sides have initiated the development cooperation partnership by sharing their expertises based on mutual interest to other developing countries. Besides the existing projects, TICA and USAID signed MOU on “Trilateral Cooperation” on 28 November 2012 to expand development cooperation by sharing and transferring Thailand and the U.S. experiences and expertises to other developing countries in Asian region and to promote global partnership for the achievement of SDGs. In Thailand, Thailand has her home-grown approach towards sustainable development known as Sufficiency Economy Philosophy or SEP. Thailand and the U.S. are now development partnership in the dimentions of diplamatic, securiy and development.

             Meanwhile, the U.S. Embassy Chargé D’Affaires Peter Haymond announced a new collaboration with TICA to expand the Kaem Ling (monkey cheek) Water Resource Management in the Mekong River Basin project. USAID and TICA are partnering with Coca-Cola and a civil society organization in Thailand to implement a community water resource management initiative in the Lower Mekong region, beginning with Laos. The water retention project seeks to alleviate the impacts of floods and droughts in the region, and builds off the successes achieved in Thailand.

             The 5^th TICA Connect is an event featuring U.S Alumni talks, videos, panel discussions, information booths, and exhibitions on the theme of “Development Cooperation Partnership: Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow” that showcase the history of long relationship between TICA and the USAID from past to present.