On the occasion, the Vice Minister of Sports and Tourism hosted a dinner which was attended by Ambassador Senewiratne and the staff of the Embassy, the Rugby teams and officials of both countries. Professor Tongroach in her welcome speech alluded to the strong traditional and historical relations between the two countries and the need to further strengthen these ties. Ambassador Senewiratne, speaking on the occasion, observed that the Rugby match launched a new facet in the bilateral links by forging ties through youth, who were the national assets of the future. The Ambassador, therefore, concluded that the Sri Lanka – Thai ties would continue to flourish and deepen. Ambassador also noted that the Thai people occupied a special place among Sri Lankans, particularly, sharing of a common religious culture.
Sri Lanka and the Kingdom of Thailand have traditionally shared close ties since ancient times, dating back to the 18th Century, when Buddhist Monks from Thailand (then Siam) established Upasampada and pioneered the establishment of the Malwatta and Asgiriya Chapters.
