BANGKOK: 12th December '04 --  The General Council in Rome has approved the acceptance of an invitation to work for poor youth in Cheng Mai Diocese, near the Myanmar border in northern Thailand.  It is Bishop Surasarang's hope that the Salesians will be able to develop their presence to the point of opening a training centre.

    In fact there are two Salesians already working in the Diocese.  The Bishop has appointed Fr Tapay as parish priest at Mae Rim.  He is being helped by Bro. Prasart Homsanit.  Both Salesians have other roles in the diocese.  There is a Catechetical Centre at Mae Rim and there is also the diocesan youth apostolate to be looked after.  The aim of the catechetical centre is to prepare young Thai catechists to work especially amongst the nearby hill tribes.

    Mae Rim is at least 600km north of Bangkok, perhaps a little more, and is completely new territory for the Salesians, other than for the two who have already been in the diocese on a temporary basis in preparation for the new work, when it develops.  There is one other Thai Salesian work in the north but in the north east closer to the Laotian border at Udonthani.  Mae Rim, too, has a population with a strong Lao component.