Indian Sailing Ship Arrives in Bangkok Port

To commemorate 20 years of India-ASEAN partnership, India’s Training Sail Ship ‘INS Sudarshini’ is on its historical six month ASEAN expedition which started from Kochi, India on 15 September 2012. Ambassador Anil Wadhwa and senior officials from the Government of Thailand welcomed the ‘INS Sudarshini’ at Bangkok Port at 11:30 a.m. this morning. Ambassador Anil Wadhwa is hosting a reception on 19 January 2013 at Bangkok Port to mark the arrival of ‘INS Sudarshini’ in Thailand. A ‘Shwaas Band’ cultural troupe from India will perform on this occasion.

INS Sudarshini expedition is retracing the sea routes developed during the 10th to 12th centuries, linking India with South East Asia, covering most of the modern and ancient ports in ASEAN countries. The ship expedition was conceptualized to demonstrate India’s historical proximity with its ASEAN neighbors and to commemorate the longstanding ASEAN-India maritime and trade relationship. The objective of the expedition is also to enhance people-to-people and naval links between India and the ASEAN nations. INS Sudarshini is a ‘Sail Training Ship’ built by the Goa Shipyard Ltd and was commissioned in 2011.

During last four months, INS Sudarshini has called on three Ports in India namely Kochi, Chennai and Port Blair and eight Ports in ASEAN countries namely Padang, Bali, Manado, Brunei, Cebu, Manila, Da Nang, and Sihanoukville Port. After the Bangkok Port call, INS Sudarshini is scheduled to call at Singapore, Klang, Phuket and Yangon Ports. Embassy of India, Bangkok is organizing marker events such as a Business Seminar focusing on Thailand and India’s North East on 18 January 2013 and an Exhibition titled “Merging Metaphors” by ASEAN artists from 18-25 January 2013.

All are cordially invited to visit ‘INS Sudarshini’ on 19-20 January 2013 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Source: Press Release