Cross cultural and religious ties between Israel and Thailand are extremely strong and this was clearly shown by the invitation of the Thai Embassy in Tel Aviv, to organise the visit in April 2009 of Dr. Phramaha Phairoh Thitasilo, Director of Buddhist Promotion and Social Services, and Abbot of Wat Sra Kaew in Angthong Province, Thailand.

The purpose of the visit was to provide the Thai community an opportunity to make merit by to the monks' Buddhist teachings as well as to ask for their blessings on the occasion of Songkran Day, the Thai traditional New Year Day.

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The monks travelled to meet Thai workers in many Moshavs all over Israel. Most notably in Hazeva, En Yahav and Paran in the Arava region, Ein Tamar at the Dead Sea, Ahituv, Kfar Vitkin and Lakhish in the Central Plain, Yadena at the Jordanian border. and even extended to Gadesh Barne’a at the Egyptia border, Yesod Hama’ala in the North.

The Thai Embassy also invited the monks and Phra Ofer Adi, a monk of Israeli nationality, to preside over the ceremony to inaugurate the new Embassy on April 16, which was attended by the Thai community as well.

_{(Issue JulyAugust 2009)}