Cartoons introduced for proper understanding about ASEAN among Thais

BANGKOK, April 6 (TNA) - The Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs has introduced two cartoon books, to be distributed to people nationwide, so that they properly understand about the ASEAN Community (AC), set to be formed by 2015. Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Surapong Tovichakchaikul has announced that those who are interested in the two easy-to-read cartoon publications, including 58 Q&A about the ASEAN Community and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ solutions to ASEAN Community-related issues, can get the books at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Bangkok. Meanwhile, the Thai Government, through the Ministry of Science and Technology, has spent a two-billion-baht budget to fund a sophisticated medical robotic technological project, aimed to develop and support Thailand as a regional medical service hub over the next five years. Science and Technology Minister Worawat Auapinyakul said he foresaw that the project should result in a drop by over 50 per cent of Thailand's imports of medical devices within next three years, while positioning the Kingdom as a production and sale centre of medical robotic technologies for the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), as well as for the United States, Korea and Japan within five years.(TNA)