Ambassador and Mrs. John Accompany Chiang Mai Consul General on a Visit to Northern Thailand

February 20, 2009

Ambassador and Mrs. John Accompany Chiang Mai Consul General on a Visit to Northern Thailand

Ambassador and Mrs. John travelled to Mae Hong Son, Sukhothai and Kamphaengphet for a multi-day visit from February 18-20, 2009.  During their time in the region, on which they were joined by Consulate Chiang Mai’s Consul General Michael Morrow, the group held meetings with provincial governors and visited various community and refugee groups in the area.  In Mae Hong Son, they met with camp residents at the Baan Mai Nai Soi refugee camp and spoke with UNHCR and other officials who run United States government-funded programs in the camp.  They also visited Mae Hong Son Community College’s Information Technology training center, which is equipped with computers donated by Microsoft.  In Sukhothai and Kamphaengphet, they toured the area’s three UNESCO World Heritage Sites that are home to 700-year-old temple ruins dating back to ancient Siam.  Wrapping up their visit to the region, Ambassador and Mrs. John met with staff at the Armed Forces Research Institute of Medical Sciences’ (AFRIMS) Virology Research Unit.  For over 40 years, AFRIMS -- a joint scientific collaboration between the United States and Royal Thai armies -- has been a benchmark of success in tropical infectious disease research and development.  To learn more about AFRIMS, click here.