The Royal Thai Consulate General in Jeddah in cooperation with the Thai Community Club in the Western Region of Saudi Arabia held a Songkran Day Festival or Thai New Year celebration at the Consul General's residence on Thursday. A Charity Food Bazaar was organized to raise funds for the nonprofit Thailand Non-Formal and Informal Education Learning Center in Jeddah. More than 1,000 Thai and non-Thai residents of Jeddah, Makkah and Taif took part in the the celebrations and, at the same time, helped to contribute funds to the Learning Center run by the Consulate General for Thai children in Jeddah and nearby areas. Acting Thai Consul-General, Surin Jema, delivered a welcome address to all participants and wished everyone a happy and prosperous new year. He also expressed his thanks and gratitude to the Thai community and to all sponsors for their contributions and support for the Learning Center. A variety of delicious Thai dishes were offered for sale by local Thai restaurants and members of the Thai community in the western region. All proceeds from the sales will be used to help charity and support the Center. The audience was entertained by traditional dances performed by Thai students and by a singing contest in which members of the Thai community demonstrated their musical talents. The highlight of the event was a lucky draw with the two first prizes being Jeddah-Bangkok return airline tickets contributed by Qatar Airways. There were also many other prizes contributed by members of the Thai community, Consulate General's staff, and Thai restaurants in Jeddah. The lucky winners of the two first prizes were Thai residents in Makkah and Jeddah. __
