BANGKOK, 19 - 22 June 2018 – The 7th ASEAN Navy Young Officers’ Interaction (7th ANYOI) was held at Bangkok, Thailand from 19 – 22 June 2018. It was attended by 19 delegates from all ASEAN countries. Representing the Royal Brunei Navy (RBN) was Lieutenant Junior Grade Mazrina binti Marzlan, Officer of the Watch KDB AFIAT and Lieutenant Junior Grade Qurratu’aini Qayyimah Dr. Al-Haj Zelzy, Officer of the Watch KDB DARUSSALAM.
ANYOI was an initiative from the Resolution of the 7th ASEAN Chiefs of Defense Forces Informal Meeting in Hanoi in 2010 which has the objectives for the ASEAN Navies’ young generation to meet, share ideas, exchange information, and strengthen friendship and diplomatic ties for future collaboration activities in diverse Naval units across ASEAN. The theme of this year’s ANYOI is ‘Protection and Preservation of the Marine Environment’.
The program commenced with a welcoming reception and icebreaking session hosted by Rear Admiral Chonlathis Navanughaha, Director of Office of Policy and Planning, Naval Operations Department of the Royal Thai Navy (RTN) at Centara Grand Hotel, Bangkok for all 19 ASEAN delegates.
The delegates were received by RTN Headquarters for a Courtesy Call with Admiral Luechai Ruddit, Deputy Commander-in-Chief of RTN in which the delegates thanked the Admiral for the excellent hospitality accorded to them.
The 7th ANYOI opening ceremony was then launched by Rear Admiral Chonlathis Navanughaha with his opening remarks stating the importance for future leaders to promote solidarity, friendship and mutual understanding among ASEAN Navies and exchange information, share experiences as well as to learn best practices from each other. The ceremony was then followed by lectures themed ‘Protection and Preservation of Maritime Environment’ by Dr. Ponlachart Chotikarn, Acting Deputy Director for Frontier Research for the Marine and Coastal Resources Institute, Prince Songkla University of Thailand, and ‘The Nexus between the Navy and Marine Environment and Marine Resources Protection and Preservation’ by Captain Wachiraporn Wongnakornsawang of the RTN. All ASEAN delegates then proceeded to give presentations based on the program’s theme and highlighted each Navy’s and nation’s efforts to protect and preserve the marine environment. In the evening, an Official Dinner was hosted by the Rear Admiral Chonlathis Navanughaha together with a Memento Presentation at Centara Grand Hotel, Bangkok.
Following the next day, the delegates had the opportunity to visit the PTT Global Chemical Public Company at Rayong Province to learn about the ‘Upcycling the Ocean’ project as well as the Air and Coastal Defense Command to witness the Rayong Oil Spill Exercise between the RTN and private sectors. The interactions also included a hands-on experience at the Sea Turtle Conservation Center as well as lunch and Certificate Presentation onboard RTN flagship, an Offshore Patrol Helicopter Carrier referred to as HTMS Chakri Naruebet at Sattahip Naval Base.
