Culture Minister Vira Rojpojchanarat said the ministry’s permanent secretary office had been instructed to consider extending cultural cooperation with 40 partner countries, and to promote cultural events with the participation of the partner countries for the Thai people and foreigners to attend. 
He said progress in the development project of Thailand Cultural Center is to make it an international cultural service center under the 20-year strategy with the construction of a new Ministry of Culture’s office scheduled to be opened in June, followed by the construction of a contemporary art gallery which is expected to be completed in 2019. The new Thailand Cultural Center is positioned as an artistic and cultural meeting point for people around the world. The renovated center will house a redesigned auditorium, digital library, cultural training center, cultural knowledge building, convention center, and a 4D cinema. It is expected to be completed in 2024. The project is being adapted from successful cultural centers in foreign counties such as China, Korea, and Singapore, with the design reflecting internationality, repositioning Thailand as the world-class center for performances and cultural exchange.