Bilingual ASEAN storybooks granted to Bangkok Administration

Praphansarn Publishing Company and the Bangkok Bank have jointly donated bilingual storybooks on ASEAN to the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) in a project to prepare Thai youths for the opening of the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC).
Praphansarn Publishing Company and the Bangkok Bank have jointlydonated bilingual storybooks on ASEAN to the Bangkok MetropolitanAdministration (BMA) in a project to prepare Thai youths for the openingof the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC).

Governor of Bangkok M.R.Sukhumbhand Paribatra accepted the books on behalf of the BMA in aceremony attended by executives of both sides.

The storybooksentitled ‘Bilingual ASEAN Series’ are aimed at preparing Thai youths forthe opening of the AEC in 2015. They will be distributed to 438 schoolsunder the jurisdiction of the BMA, as well as 40 People’s Librariesacross the capital. The event also hosted a workshop for teachers,librarians, and education workers on how to master the art ofstorytelling. In addition, an exhibition on the current development ofBangkok as a “reading metropolitan” was also showcased to promotereading among the people of Bangkok.-VNA

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