December 19, 2011 Dear Friend of Thailand, I hope you are ...

December 19, 2011
Dear Friend of Thailand,
I hope you are enjoying a lovely holiday season! We would like to thank you for your
continued support over the last year. It has been a busy one, what with 50th activities
throughout the nation and in Washington DC in September. Many thanks to so many
of you who travelled to the capital and joined in the fun. It was wonderful to meet so
many new people and to spend time with some very special “old” buddies.
And a heartfelt thanks to the National Peace Corps Association for the hard work they
did to provide the impetus for us to make the trip. Kevin Quigley and his staff did a
superb job, and we thank you for everything.
Speaking of the 50th, I have loaded a few more photo albums onto the FoT site from
Washington DC. You can find them at
http://www.friendsofthailand.org/50thanniversary/dc/main.html
But before I get into the news of the day, I want to also thank all of you who sent
donations for Flood Relief in Thailand. Early this month, I sent a cashier’s check to the
Thai Embassy in DC for $6,400. It arrived there on the King’s 84th (7th Cycle) birthday.
Here is what Khun Nicky (Nilobol Pimdee), the First Secretary and our hostess at the
Thai Embassy reception on September 22, wrote to all of us in response:
I would like to express my deep appreciation for the kind donation of 6,400 USD that you and
the Returned Friends of Thailand Peace Corps donated to help the victims of the recent flood in
Thailand. Your contribution serves to underscore your friendship with the people of Thailand,
which we cherish.
You are an amazing group of people, and your generosity is truly wonderful.
Okay, so on with the show! Here is what you will find in this evening’s message
• New PCV Project Funded: 2012 Thai Youth Theater Festival
• Peace Corps’ Thailand 50th Anniversary, July 11-18, 2012
New PCV Project Funded: 2012 Thai Youth Theater Festival
The Friends of Thailand Board of Directors is proud to announce it will send funding
for the 5th time in seven years to assist with the annual Thai Youth Theater Festival.
The Festival will take place in January in Phitsanuloke, and will feature performances
by students from ten schools throughout the Kingdom.
Thanks go to all FoT members, whose dues make it possible for us to continue to
support such find PCV projects as this one. And special thanks go to those who make
donations to FoT’s Project Fund. Those FoT members whose special donations are
being used for the TYT project are: Gerald Shogren (Thai I), Jan Hudanish (Thai I),
Nancy Ross (Thai III), Peter Coombs (Thai 27), Stanley Shipp (Thai 34), Mark Oshiro

(Thai 66), in memory of PCV Rick Hushaw, who died in a bus accident in Thailand in
1981; and Lindsay Dolin Sapp (Thai 118), in commemoration of her recent wedding.
Thank you everyone for making it possible for FoT to continue supporting the Peace
Corps effort in Thailand.
If you would like to have a look at the page for the 2012 Thai Youth Theater Festival on
the FoT web site, go to
http://www.friendsofthailand.org/projectsponsorship/projects2011/07TYT/main.html
And if you would like to make a donation to honor the 50 years of partnership between
the Thai people and Peace Corps Volunteers and assist with a future PCV project,
please go to
http://www.friendsofthailand.org/donate/main.html
Peace Corps’ Thailand 50th Anniversary, July 11-18, 2012
An updated schedule of activities in Thailand for this coming summer has been added
to the FoT web site at
http://www.friendsofthailand.org/50thanniversary/thailand/main.html
Please have a look at the page so you know more about what is in store for those of you
who plan to attend.
You will note there are two sets of activities related to the 50th celebration. The first are
those sponsored by Friends of Thailand over the course of the eight days of the
celebration. The second are those scheduled for the afternoon of July 12th and all-day
July 13th, and have been arranged by Peace Corps Thailand.
If you are planning to travel to Thailand for the 50th Anniversary of Peace Corps
Thailand and would like to attend the events organized by Peace Corps Thailand for
July 12 and 13, please contact me and I will send you more information about
participating in what promises to be very special and informative time.
Stay tuned for more information about Friends of Thailand’s activities. Certain of our
colleagues in Thailand involved with them were out of town during the flooding, and
have just returned to work and their Bangkok homes in the past three weeks. I will be
sending out more information in the next week or so.
Thanks, and I hope all of you will be in Thailand next summer. It promises to be a
memorable and fun-filled time!
Happy Holidays,
Carolyn