Photos courtesy Tonga High Commission, Canberra.

On a visit to Thailand recently Tonga’s Princess Angelika Lātūfuipeka Tuku‘aho fed cows and fish at a self-sustainable enterprise called the Chitralada Royal Project.

The Princess, who is the High Commissioner of Tonga to Australia, reported that the project tour was a highlight of her visit, which looked at community-building initiatives and explored commercial links to contribute towards the socio-economic development in Tonga.

The Chitralada Royal Project, an initiative by King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand, is based on self-sufficiency as a developmental model. The Princess looked at sustainable production that would suit village-level enterprise in Tonga. 

The Princess also visited the Bumrungrad medical facility and learned about medical tourism as a prosperous industry; toured the Grand Palace; and visited the Museum of Textiles, where she appreciated the preservation of prized royal garments. 

During the visit Princess Angelika Lātūfuipeka attended a human trafficking workshop, and met with officials of the Royal Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs. She stated that she hoped for technical cooperation in areas of disaster management and disaster mitigation.

She also met with key members of the Thai Chamber of Commerce and was briefed on the commercial opportunities that Tonga would potentially be able to access in the flourishing Thai market.

The Princess is the concurrent Ambassador-Designate to the Kingdom of Thailand with residence in Canberra. She reported that Tonga has been implementing a proactive ‘Look East’ foreign policy.