On July 16, 2026, Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal, Princess Anne, in her capacity as Patron of Save the Children UK, arrived in Thailand alongside her husband, Vice Admiral Sir Timothy Laurence. The royal couple visited the Chumchon Muban Patthana School in Klong Toei District to officially open the ‘Play for Change’ football initiative and tour classrooms. The high-level reception included Mr. Chadchart Sittipunt, Governor of Bangkok; Mr. Surasak Phancharoenworakul, Minister of Tourism and Sports; Mr. Prasert Jantararuangtong, Minister of Education; and Mrs. Nualphan Lamsam, President of the Football Association of Thailand, alongside British diplomats and representatives from partner organizations.
The ‘Play for Change’ sports clinic was organized through a strategic partnership between Save the Children, the British Embassy in Bangkok, and the Liverpool FC Foundation. The program engaged 60 youths from Bangkok and northern Thailand to build self-confidence and promote inclusivity through athletics. Former Liverpool FC and England national team legend Emile Heskey joined the event to inspire the young participants and present them with official completion certificates. During the ceremony, Her Royal Highness praised Save the Children’s extensive work in Thailand since 1979 and emphasized that sports extend far beyond competition, as their true value lies in building confidence, teamwork, discovering personal potential, possessing the confidence to utilize that potential, and learning to handle both success and disappointment.
This official visit followed a prior stop on July 15, 2026, where Her Royal Highness visited the Save the Children Korea headquarters in Seoul. There, she engaged with youth networks from the child rights and environmental advocacy groups ‘Earthemble’ and ‘Young Saver,’ who presented a formal statement on the climate crisis and its impact on children’s rights. Through these regional engagements, Her Royal Highness continues her dedicated international humanitarian leadership, having served as President of Save the Children UK from 1970 to 2017 before transitioning to her current role as Patron.
#BMA #SavetheChildren #PlayforChange #Climatechange
