Welcome Remarks

By

Dr. Surachai Srisarakam

 Governor of Nakhonnayok Province

To

  Participants of International Conference

on “Energy and Environment Sector Cooperation

of the GMS Countries (Phase 3)” , Saturday 19  May 2012,

Phukhaongam Resort, Nakhonnayok Province

……………………………………………………………………………………………….

Prof.Dr. Chira Hongladarom, Secretary General of the Foundation of International Human Resource Development,

Distinguished Guests,

GMS delegates,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

It is a great honor for me  to preside over the Welcome Dinner and Cultural Night Reception for the International Conference on “Energy and Environment Sector Cooperation of the GMS Countries (Phase 3)”organized by Foundation for International Human Resource Development.

Nakhonnayok is proud of being part of this important International Conference.

First and foremost, allow me to extend a very warm welcome to all delegates of GMS and resource persons, particularly to those of you who are visiting Thailand and Nakhonnayok for the first time. I hope your stay in Nakhonnayok will be both educational and enjoyable.

I should congratulate the Foundation for International Human Resource Development for its commendable effort it has put into this privilege International Conference.

 I would like to urge all participants and GMS delegates to grasp this golden opportunity to learn from experts, resource persons, and in the process, develop new insights and perspectives to guide you in discharging your responsibilities more effectively upon your return to your respective organizations.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

            Now, let me walk you through salient features and the beautiful ambience of Nakhonnayok province.

Nakhonnayok is a right place for learning about environment. Its vision emphasizes on the development towards a city with abundant supply of natural resources for supporting tourism and sustainable agriculture.

To facilitate the development under Sufficiency Economy framework to reach this vision, Nakhonnayok’s missions have been set as follows.

The first mission is to promote sustainable agriculture development and soil and water resources rehabilitation for agricultural purposes.

             The agriculture is developed based on knowledge, innovation and creativity. The growth rate of rehabilitated soil and water resources is 4,500 rais per year. The irrigation is systematically planned and developed to appropriately support agriculture in each area. Moreover, private sector and community are involved in reforestation especially for sour soil and deserted areas with no accessibility to irrigation.

The second mission is to promote natural resources rehabilitation to support ecotourism and cultural tourism.

           There are campaigns on the balance of natural resources exploitation with preservation. NGOs and community are involved in natural resource preservation, rehabilitation, development, exploitation and efficient management. In addition, there are forest fire prevention and solution.

The third mission is to develop Nakhonnayok to be a nice-to-live city near Bangkok.

          Private sector’s eco-friendly investment is promoted. Flowers, decorative plants and edible plants are grown to expand green area in urban and community areas. Waste is effectively managed. Agricultural knowledge is developed and shared. The study on nature is promoted to gather knowledge of rare species.

Besides concentrating on the academic aspect of environment, I would like to encourage all of you to take time off for sightseeing to appreciate the natural beauty of Nakhonnayok.

Nakhonnayok features refreshing natural beauty, including waterfalls and parks, renowned historical sites, a number of soft adventure activities, and a variety of delectable fruits.

The northern part of Nakhonnayok is located in the Dong Phaya Yen mountain range, an area covered by the Khao Yai National Park. The total area of Khao Yai National Park is 2,168 square kilometers covering Nakhonnayok and the other 3 provinces namely, Nakhonratchasima, Prachinburi and Saraburi. Its beautiful scenery comprises of Tropical Rain Forest, Mixed Deciduous Forest, steams, waterfalls, wildlife, and plants. Its highest peak is 1,292 meters above sea level. It was announced to be Thailand’s first National Park on September 18, 1962 and was recognized as the Natural World Heritage Site on July 14, 2005.

In addition, please do not miss to visit Sarika Waterfall which is the most famous waterfall in Nakhonnayok. It is the nine-tiered waterfall cascading down the cliff to a forested hillside has a large natural pool on each level which is perfect for swimming. Luang Pu Man, the famous and revered monk, had resided in nearby Sarika Cave for his religious meditation from 1917-1920. Other than Luang Pu Mans meditation place, there is also a chapel located at the top-end of the cave. Moreover, there are residences of monks and nuns who pursue inner-path meditation.

In contrast, the central part of the province is a rather flat river plain formed by the Nakhonnayok River, a river popular with white water rafting enthusiasts.

For ones who love shopping, you can buy local products such as Sweet Plum, Mangoes, Torch Ginger flowers, carpets, marble products, and syrupy fruits.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

On that note, I would like to wish all of you every success and enjoy your stay in Thailand and hope to have an opportunity to welcome all of you again soon.

I would like to declare open. THANK YOU