Thai slum residents greet Indian Navy personnel

Bangkok, Apr 9 (UNI) Some 300 residents of Thailand's largest slum community greeted Indian Navy personnel who carried out community service there today as part of a goodwill mission by two Navy ships to Thailand.

Personnel from INS Rana and INS Kirpan conducted a health camp for the residents and distributed medicines and food items in Bangkok's Klong Toey slum located along the Chao Phraya river on which the two ships are berthed.

The community service was coordinated by the Duang Prateep Foundation working in slum.

Foundation chairperson Prateep Ungsongthan Hata welcomed the Navy personnel who also distributed rice and sugar packets among the slum dwellers.

The ships from the Navy's Eastern Fleet arrived in Bangkok port on April 7 on the second leg of an Asian regional goodwill mission that began in Bangladesh and will also take them to Cambodia, Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, and Singapore.

Fourteen Indian navy ships have visited Thailand eight times over the past two years with six reciprocal visits by Royal Thai Navy ships to India, Indian Ambassador to Thailand Latha Reddy told a press conference last evening aboard INS Kirpan.

The visit is part of an ''ongoing effort at constructive engagement in the region being undertaken by the Indian Navy'' said Admiral Satish Soni, Flag Officer Commanding Eastern Fleet.

A large gathering of the diplomatic corps memebers in Bangkok and senior Thai navy personnel attended reception on board INS Rana and watched Indian cultural performances by the ships' crew members.

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