On May 1, 2025, Consul General Katanawadee Kalayanamit and Deputy Consul-General Natnapang Damrongsoontornchai, accompanied by a delegation from the Royal Thai Consulate-General, visited Flint and Troy, Michigan, to meet with representatives from key economic agencies to strengthen ties and explore collaboration in economic and academic sectors.
In the morning, the Consul General and Deputy Consul-General met Mr. Corwin Matthews, Chief Operations Officer of the Mass Transportation Authority (MTA) in Flint, for a briefing on the MTA's Hydrogen Bus initiative. In 2011, MTA introduced its first hydrogen bus, positioning the organization as a pioneer in adopting alternative fuel technologies.
In the afternoon, the delegation held meetings in Troy with Ms. Sarah Tennant, Strategic Attraction Director at the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC), an agency dedicated to advancing the state's economic growth, and Mr. Noel H. Nevshehir, Director of International Business Services and Global Strategic Partnerships at Automation Alley, a technology business association promoting innovation and automation across Michigan.
Following the meeting, the delegation met with Mrs. Lawan Chandruang, the 2024 Volunteer Consul and representative of the Thai community in Michigan. The meeting focused on strengthening community engagement and preparing for the upcoming Mobile Consular Service event at Michigan State University, scheduled for May 17–18, 2025.