PARIS — Their Majesties the King and Queen arrived in France on 28 June for a state visit at the invitation of French President Emmanuel Macron, marking the 170th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Thailand and France. The visit, which runs until 2 July, aims to further strengthen the longstanding friendship and cooperation between the two countries.
Representatives of the French president welcomed Their Majesties upon arrival. Her Royal Highness Princess Sirivannavari Nariratana Rajakanya and the Thai ambassador to France were also present to receive the royal couple.
On 29 June, Their Majesties will attend an official welcome ceremony at Les Invalides, where they will be received by President Macron and First Lady Brigitte Macron. They will then hold talks at the Élysée Palace, followed by a state banquet hosted by the French president and first lady in the evening.
The programme also includes a wreath-laying ceremony at the Arc de Triomphe in honour of the Unknown Soldier, a visit to Paris City Hall to learn about the city’s “Paris for Sustainability” initiative, and a cruise on the Seine River to hear about efforts to preserve its ecosystem. Their Majesties will also visit the exhibition La Mode en Majesté: Royal Thai Dress From Tradition to Modernity at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris, held at the invitation of Princess Sirivannavari.
On the final day of the visit, Their Majesties will travel to Toulouse to visit Airbus facilities, where they will receive briefings on the latest developments in aviation technology, observe the assembly of the A350 aircraft, and visit a pilot training centre, including a flight simulator.
The visit is the third official state visit to France by a Thai monarch. It also marks 340 years since the first recorded contact between Siam and France and coincides with the 170th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two nations.
