On Saturday 11 April 2026, Mrs. Nadariya Nopakun Phromyothi, Minister and Deputy Chief of Mission, opened the Thai food - Music - Culture Festival at Stadsfeestzaal, Aarschot, Flanders, Belgium. Mr. Nutt Svasti-Salee, Consul, also attended the event.

 

The Festival was organised by Hello Thailand vzw, a non-profit organisation comprising Thai entrepreneurs in Belgium, especially owners of Thai restaurant and massage parlours. The objective of this event was to raise awareness and promote cultural understanding of the Songkran tradition, one of Thailand's most prominent cultural events. Participants had the opportunity to engage in a wide range of activities, including merit making, joining workshops on Thai art of fruit and vegetable carving, exploring Thai gastronomy, attending the Miss Songkran beauty contest, and enjoying various cultural performances—such as concerts by Patiparn Patavekarn (Mos), a renowned Thai pop singer of the 1990s, as well as other contemporary Thai artists. Moreover, OASIS Belgium also set up an information booth on the available assistance provided to Thais in Belgium.

 

The event welcomed approximately 1,300 participants, most of which were Thai-Belgian families residing in Flanders. The event organisers aim to establish this festival as an annual event in the future.