On 23 August 2025, Her Excellency Miss Nitivadee Manitkul, Ambassador of Thailand to Norway, presided over the opening ceremony of the NORAK Asian Cultural Festival 2025 at Lillestrøm Torv, together with Ms. Tonje Brenna, Minister of Labour and Social Inclusion; Mr. Kjartan Berland, Mayor of Lillestrøm; His Excellency Mr. Sugiyama Akira, Ambassador of Japan to Norway; and Her Excellency Miss Seo Minjeong, Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to Norway. The event attracted more than 10,000 participants, including Norwegians, the Thai community, and members of other East and Southeast Asian communities from Lillestrøm and neighbouring areas.

 

In her remarks, Ambassador Nitivadee expressed her delight at participating in the festival, which reflects the beauty of cultural diversity and the spirit of living together in harmony and peace. She also noted that this year marks the 120th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Thailand and Norway, while next year will be another cultural milestone as Thailand’s nomination of the Thai Royal Traditional Dress will be considered for inscription on UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage list.

 

Now in its second year, the NORAK Asian Cultural Festival is organised by the Norwegian-Asian Cultural Foundation (NORAK). This year’s programme featured a parade, cultural performances by East and Southeast Asian community groups, talent competitions, fashion shows, a food bazaar, raffle draws, and children’s activities—all of which were warmly received by the enthusiastic audience.