On 6 September 2025, the Royal Thai Embassy in Dili and the Alumni Association of Timorese Students in Thailand (AATST) jointly organized a reception to officially launch the Association at Galeria Memória Viva. The event was attended by around 80 participants, including high-level representatives of the Timorese government, namely H.E. Mrs. Milena Maria da Costa Rangel, Vice Minister for ASEAN Affairs of Timor-Leste, Mrs. Maria Filomena Guterres Lay, Director-General of Higher Education, as representative of the Minister of Higher Education, Science and Culture, as well as former Ambassadors of Timor-Leste to Thailand. Participants also included AATST executives and members, Embassy’s official and staff, as well as media representatives.

 

In her remarks, Mrs. Chandra Lemos, President of AATST, outlined the Association’s background and work plan. She noted that AATST had been formally registered under Timor-Leste’s regulations since October 2024 but had not been officially introduced to the public until this occasion. The Association’s objective is to serve as a platform for Timorese who have studied or received training in Thailand for at least six months, as well as to harness their knowledge and expertise for community activities and youth development in Timor-Leste. On this occasion, the Association also launched its Facebook Page and invited interested alumni to join as members.

 

H.E. Mr. Atipat Rojanapaibulya, Ambassador of Thailand to Timor-Leste, and H.E. Mrs. Milena Maria da Costa Rangel, Vice Minister for ASEAN Affairs of Timor-Leste, commended the initiative of AATST’s founders and expressed confidence that the Association would play an important role in strengthening people-to-people relations between the two countries, particularly as Timor-Leste prepares to become a full member of ASEAN this October.

 

Earlier in the day, the AATST members and Embassy staff also organized a beach cleaning activity from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation of Timor-Leste to the Royal Thai Embassy. The initiative highlighted environmental awareness and social responsibility, reflecting the guiding spirit of AATST’s future work.