It gives me great pleasure to send a message of congratulations to the Ministry of Education of Thailand, UNESCO, and SEAMEO on the occasion of the dedication of the Mom Luang Pin Malakul Centenary Building.

His Excellency Mom Luang Pin Malakul was one of Thailand's greatest scholars and has won the highest respect from both Thai and foreign educators. His achievements in various fields were also widely recognised in the international community. These achievements were such that, on the occasion of the centenary of his birth in 2003, he has been acclaimed by UNESCO to be one of the world's great personalities in the fields of education, communication and culture, including his many outstanding literary works.

In looking at His Excellency's complete devotion and dedication to his country and to the cause of education, it is evident what a leading role Mom Luang Pin Malakul played in initiating the reform of Thai education. He had a long and illustrious professional career, starting as a teacher and rising to the positions of director-general of different departments, Permanent Secretary, and ultimately Minister of Education for four consecutive periods over a period of eleven years. During his lifetime, His Excellency devoted himself entirely to the advancement of education in all aspects. He also set himself as an exemplary figure for the attainment of goodness, integrity, and moral and ethical values. He was indeed one of the greatest scholars in the Thai education world.

Regarding the promotion of international cooperation in the field of education, His Excellency Mom Luang Pin Malakul played an important role in leading Thailand to become a member of UNESCO. He was also among the founders of SEAIVIEO and initiated the establishment of the SEAMEO Secretariat in Thailand as well as the setting up of Regional Centres of Excellence in various fields of Education. These initiatives reflected his wide vision and wisdom in strengthening educational cooperation in all parts of the world, with an emphasis on developing human resources for the benefit of the Southeast Asian region.

His Excellency Mom Luang Pin Malakul's achievements, resulting from the devotion of his physical, intellectual and spiritual energies, are evident in the various important projects which have been passed on to succeeding generations. These projects are within the framework of cooperation with both UNESCO and SEAMED. The programme of cooperation between Thailand and UNESCO includes the establishment of the Thailand-UNESCO Fundamental Education Centre, with the main aim of providing basic education to the people in remote rural areas. The programmes and acti Jdes of the Centre have in fact paved the way for non-formal education as provided at present. Cooperation with UNESCO has led to the implementation of the Thailand-UNESCO Rural Teachers Education Project, which has contributed significantly to greater equality in education provision. His Excellency's initiatives also include application of technologies for education and establishment of leading educational institutions at all levels.

On this auspicious occasion, I would like to invite all distinguished guests attending the dedication of the Mom Luang Pin Malaktrl Centenary Building to jointly show our recognition and gratitude to this acclaimed scholar of Thailand on the commemoration of his centenary in 2003. Let us Join efforts in honouring him, widely disseminating information on his achievements, and enhancing further his educational initiatives so that education in Thailand will reach greater heights.

(Thaksin Shinawatra)
Prime Minister of Thailand