Press Releases
Director-General of the Community Development Department welcomed the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Sri Lanka to Thailand and delegation to discuss and support Thai OTOP community products to reach international level

Ambassador Wijayanthi Edirisinghe Vice Chairs the Second Committee on Trade, Investment, Enterprise and Business Innovation of UNESCAP
Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Sri Lanka to the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP), Wijayanthi Edirisinghe was one of the Vice Chairs of the Second Committee on Trade, Investment, Enterprise and Business Innovation, held from 28 to 30 May 2025 in Bangkok.

Sri Lanka–Thailand Medical Partnership to Deliver 71 Free Knee Surgeries
A special Buddhist fundraising event was held in support of a landmark humanitarian medical initiative aimed at enhancing access to orthopedic care in Sri Lanka.

Director-General of the Community Development Department, Mr. Somkid Chanthamarik, together with Asst. Prof. Dr. Sasithon Chanthamarik, Chairman of the Community Development Housewives Club in welcoming H.E. Mrs. Colonne Appuhamillage Chaminda Inoka Colonne, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka to Thailand and Mrs. Vireshika Bandara, First Secretary (Commercial) attended a briefing on the implementation of the One Village, One Product project in Thailand and paid a visit to encourage entrepreneurs at the OTOP Midyear 2022 event with Mr. Panlop Tanjariyaporn, Director of the International Affairs Division and staff also attended the meeting at the Challenger Hall Impact, Muang Thong Thani, Pak Kret District, Nonthaburi Province.
Mr. Somkid Chantamarik, Director-General of the Department of Community Development, said it was a great pleasure to have H.E. Mrs .colonne Appuhamillage Chaminda Inoka Colonne, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka in Thailand, and delegation on the discussion to propel One Village, One Product (OTOP) Project. This is considered as an important mission of the Department and is a crucial mechanism for promoting the development of the country’s economic base. In this regard, there was a briefing on the implementation of the One Village, One Product (OTOP) Project, consisting of Background of the project, policies, concepts, objectives, registration of entrepreneurs and community products, product sales, marketing promotion and success factors and relevant partners of this project.
H.E. Mrs. Colonne Appuhamillage Chaminda Inoka Colonne, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka to Thailand expressed congratulation on the meeting to the Director General of the Department of Community Development and the President of the Community Development Housewives Club on the occasion of taking the position and discussed cooperation between the Department of Community Development, Ministry of Interior and Department of International Cooperation, Ministry of Foreign Affairs in implementing a sustainable community development model project based on the application of the Sufficiency Economy Philosophy in the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka for a period of 3 years 2017-2019 in order to develop in 3 following model villages 1) Deltota Pahalagama Village, Kandy Province, 2) Laksha Uyan Village, Polonnaruwa Province and 3) Watupola Village in Puttalam according to the Sufficiency Economy Philosophy and Learning Center Development in 3 targeted villages.
Then the Director General of the Community Development Department and the President of the Community Development Housewives Club accompanied H.E. Mrs. Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka to Thailand to visit the booth of community products in the event area, along with supported community products and encouraged entrepreneurs at the OTOP Midyear 2022 event as a guideline for raising the standards of Thai community products to advance to the international level as well.
Ambassador Wijayanthi Edirisinghe Vice Chairs the Second Committee on Trade, Investment, Enterprise and Business Innovation of UNESCAP
Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Sri Lanka to the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP), Wijayanthi Edirisinghe was one of the Vice Chairs of the Second Committee on Trade, Investment, Enterprise and Business Innovation, held from 28 to 30 May 2025 in Bangkok.
Sri Lanka–Thailand Medical Partnership to Deliver 71 Free Knee Surgeries
A special Buddhist fundraising event was held in support of a landmark humanitarian medical initiative aimed at enhancing access to orthopedic care in Sri Lanka.