Bangkok, 16 September 2026 – The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), led by Governor Ms. Thapanee Kiatphaibool, yesterday welcomed Hon. Vijitha Herath, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism for Sri Lanka, hosting him on a heritage walk through Bangkok’s historic Songwat neighbourhood. H.E. E.A.S. Wijayanthi Edirisinghe, Sri Lanka’s Ambassador and Permanent Representative to Thailand, joined the walk with members of the Sri Lankan delegation.
The “Walking Journey on Songwat Road”, developed by the TAT Bangkok Office, tells its story through culture, community and creativity. The character of old Bangkok is interwoven into the curated walk, where multicultural communities, traditional commerce, historic architecture, contemporary art and everyday local life coexist.
Nine distinctive stops, beginning with Lan Chang’s elephant mural and continuing to Play Art House, Soul Songwat, historic Trok Masjid, restored Baan Ya Was – Lost in Songwat and the I Wanna BKK Sign, were introduced along the route. The journey also featured the 100-Year-Old Wooden Door at Songwat Lane, Lao Pun Tao Kong Shrine at Puey Ying School and Charoen Lert Thawee, combining moments of architecture, faith, food heritage, commerce and community life.
These stops illustrate how Songwat retains its historic identity while embracing contemporary creativity and new uses of heritage space. The neighbourhood offers visitors a closer connection to Bangkok through local narratives, longstanding communities and living traditions. It also shows how historic districts can evolve into valuable assets for meaningful, high-value travel experiences rooted in place.
The visit followed the 4th Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) Working Group on Tourism in Thailand from 14–15 September 2026. As fellow BIMSTEC members, Thailand and Sri Lanka are exploring closer tourism cooperation in cultural and Buddhist travel, regional connectivity and two-way visitor flows, with scope to develop new travel products and culturally enriching experiences across both countries.
From 1 January to 10 September 2026, Thailand welcomed 72,236 visitors from Sri Lanka, up 11.7 per cent year on year. The growth reflects potential for future tourism exchange between the two countries, supported by stronger air connectivity and travel experiences built around shared cultural connections.
