(January 15, 2026) Mr. Chadchart Sittipunt, Governor of Bangkok, welcomed Mr. Isao Kurauchi, Chairperson of the Fukuoka Prefectural Assembly, Japan, along with a delegation consisting of 20 representatives from the Assembly and associated agencies of Fukuoka Prefecture at the Chao Phraya Room, Bangkok City Hall (Sao Chingcha), Phra Nakhon District. During the courtesy call, Governor Chadchart and Mr. Kurauchi addressed the prospects for future cooperation in the field of medicine, education, and the environment between the two cities, including the sharing of knowledge and expertise in veterinary medicine. Japan has maintained a rabies-free status since 1956, attributed to stringent measures and controls regarding pet registration and vaccination, practices from which the BMA aims to draw lessons in addressing its current public health challenges.

Previously, Bangkok and Fukuoka Prefecture formalized their commitment to collaboration by signing “the Letter of Intent on Collaboration and Promotion of One Health between the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration, the Kingdom of Thailand, and Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan” on November 20, 2024. The two cities aim to cooperate under the One Health concept in order to “create a society where the health of humans, animals, and the environment coexist as one.” There is also the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between Fukuoka Prefecture and Bangkok Metropolitan Administration on Further Cooperation, which was signed on January 13, 2023. The MOU aims to foster collaborative efforts in the development of entrepreneurial human resources, thereby facilitating future economic growth and nurturing social innovation.