Public Relations Department of Thailand and Its Work in International Public Relations

(01/05/2013)

The Government Public Relations Department (PRD) celebrates its 80th anniversary in 2013. As the major public relations organization and information center of Thailand, PRD has carried out both domestic and international public relations work.

Regarding international public relations, its mission is to promote better understanding of the Thai government’s policies and strategies in the world community through information dissemination and foreign media relations activities.

The Media and Information Management Division under the PRD Foreign Office is responsible for international media monitoring, press card services for members of the international media, and other media relations activities, such as those concerning press tours, press conferences, and press centers. It also produces publications in English and publicizes information about Thailand and government policies.

As for international cooperation, PRD has signed Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) in the fields of broadcasting, news exchange, information, and communication with six countries: Brunei Darussalam, Vietnam, China, Cambodia, Myanmar, and Australia. Apart from exchanging media activities under the MOUs, it has also promoted cooperation with international media organizations and other cooperation frameworks, namely the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), the Asia-Pacific Institute for Broadcasting Development (AIBD), the Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union (ABU), the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), and the Southeast Asia-Pacific Audio Visual Archive Association (SEAPAVAA).

International public relations are also carried out through Radio Thailand World Service, which broadcasts to international audiences in 10 languages, namely English, Chinese (Mandarin), German, Lao, Khmer, Vietnamese, Myanmar, Japanese, Malay, and Thai, through the English programs of the National Broadcasting Services of Thailand (NBT), and through the National News Bureau of Thailand’s English website and NBT World.