On 26 January 2018, the Royal Thai Consulate-General in Vancouver, the Consulates-General of ASEAN member countries in Vancouver including Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam, the Centre for Southeast Asia Research as well as the student associations of countries in Southeast Asia jointly organized “A Taste of SEA” at University of British Columbia (UBC). This cultural event aimed to promote people-to-people contacts, tourism, as well as better cultural understanding about Southeast Asia. It was attended by more than 200 faculty members and students of UBC.
During the opening ceremony, Consuls-General and Acting Consuls-General of ASEAN member countries, a representative of the Centre for Southeast Asia Research, as well as presidents of the students associations jointly pour various kinds of rice reflecting the cordial ties and shared heritage of Southeast Asian region. Other activities organized during this event were cultural performances, exhibits on regional handicrafts and products, food stalls, as well as the distribution and presentation of information on tourism in Southeast Asia.