Hong Kong Week 2023@Bangkok is the first overseas Hong Kong Week presented by the current-term Government. We are delighted that this event is held in Bangkok, which will elevate our exchanges and collaborations in arts, culture and creative industries to new heights. The Week not only allows the audiences to appreciate arts and cultural programmes presented by arts groups in Hong Kong, blending East and West in-setting with rich Chinese culture, it also provides a platform for talents in Thailand and Hong Kong to exchange ideas and spark inspirations.

Hong Kong Week 2023@Bangkok also features programmes that foster collaborations of young artists in Hong Kong and Bangkok. The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts and Mahidol University in Bangkok join hands to organise a cultural exchange programme, which allows students of both cities to learn from each other, and unleash their potentials and talents through concerts and masterclasses.

For creative industries, Create Hong Kong also presents two specially curated projects. JUXTAPOSED 2023 Hong Kong Fashion in Bangkok, a fashion exhibition cum fashion show, aims to bring a multi-sensory feast of fashion, culture and high technology to the audiences. In addition, Next Generation: Emerging Directors Exhibition & Hong Kong Film Gala Presentation featuring stills and posters of films by emerging directors will complement the screenings of outstanding Hong Kong films.

While Hong Kong Week 2023@Bangkok will bring to Thailand a taste of the diverse arts and culture offerings from Hong Kong, the new “Asia + Festival” to be held in Hong Kong from October to November 2023 will bring to Hong Kong a series of cultural programmes featuring Asian countries. These cultural exchanges are important to fostering a closer tie between places and we look forward to welcoming you in Hong Kong.

This year’s Hong Kong Week is made possible by the collaboration of the relevant government departments of Thailand and Hong Kong, Mahidol University, the performance venues and major shopping malls in Bangkok, as well as artists and arts groups from both cities. I wish Hong Kong Week 2023@Bangkok a resounding success.

On behalf of the Ministry of Culture of the Kingdom of Thailand and the Thai people, it is my pleasure to be honored by the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) to take part in the Hong Kong Week 2023@Bangkok. Thailand and Hong Kong have cooperated well, both in government and in public sector and have particularly strong tie in cultural cooperation. Hong Kong has placed Thailand as one of the priority countries for promoting cultural exchange through creative industries. Hong Kong Week 2023@Bangkok is a collaboration between the Ministry of Culture of the Kingdom of Thailand, the Leisure and Cultural Services Department of the HKSAR Government and related public and private sectors. It is consistent with the existing Thai cultural policies aimed to foster culture and creativity as drivers of social and economic transformation.

The Hong Kong Week 2023@Bangkok will be held between October and November 2023, featuring an array of activities which reflect the diverse cultural dimensions of Hong Kong, such as cultural heritage, performing arts, music, films, and fashion. This event is a significant milestone in strengthening cultural cooperation at the bilateral level and enhance mutual understanding and profound friendship between the two peoples.

On this occasion, I would like to express my sincere appreciation to all Thai and Hong Kong related agencies for contributing to the successful organisation of the Hong Kong Week 2023@Bangkok. As the host, I wish you all an enjoyable stay in Thailand and I look forward to reinforcing our connections and cooperation in the arts and culture in the years ahead.

Hong Kong Week is a major arts and culture extravaganza organised by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD). Following the successful staging of the first three editions of Hong Kong Week in cities of Mainland China, the LCSD is presenting the event in Bangkok this year with a view to connecting Hong Kong’s artists and cultural programmes with a wider overseas audience.

The Hong Kong Week 2023@Bangkok will kick off with two Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra’s concerts with Thai pianist Poom Prommachart and Thailand Philharmonic Orchestra respectively. Hong Kong Dance Company will perform its award-winning dance piece Convergence, a ground-breaking work incorporating martial arts of southern China into dance. To introduce Bangkok residents to the traditional culture of Hong Kong, we will hold an exhibition on Hong Kong’s intangible cultural heritage in a major shopping mall, featuring paper crafting techniques, Chinese unicorn dance, Cantonese Opera and other heritage items.

Following the overwhelming response to the launch of the first-ever Hong Kong Pop Culture Festival in April 2023, the LCSD is bringing Hong Kong’s pop culture through Hong Kong Week 2023@Bangkok to echo the equally thriving Thai pop culture. Programmes in this regard include matinee concerts in a shopping mall, where the SENZA A Cappella and the Respire Harmonica Ensemble and Friends will perform a variety of original songs and pop music classics to showcase the musical talents and creativity of young Hong Kong artists. The Hong Kong Film Archive will also partner with the Thai Film Archive to offer free screenings of a selection of Hong Kong film classics for all to enjoy.

I would like to extend my sincere thanks to all the partnering organisations and arts groups of Hong Kong Week 2023@Bangkok, and hope our Bangkok audiences will find the programmes enjoyable.