Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn of the Kingdom of Thailand is on a three-day visit to Burma from 15 to 17 March at the invitation of the Chairman of the State Peace and Development Council (SPDC) Senior General Than Shwe, according to Thai news agencies.

HRH Princess Maha Chakri Srindhorn is reportedly visiting Rangoon and Irrawaddy divisions, areas affected by the 2008 Cyclone Nargis, in order to observe recovery projects which are under the patronage and support of Her Royal Highness in the divisions, started since 2008, according to the National News Bureau of Thailand (NNT).

The proposed projects are “the Rural Health Centre, the Hospital in Daw Nyein Village, Kadonkani School and Cyclone Shelter as well as the National Blood Centre at Yangon General Hospital.”

After that the HRH princess will continue to visit some well-known pagodas in Burma like Shwedagon, Upatasanti and Kyaikhtiyo pagodas.

The HRH princess is to meet General Than Shwe and will also grant an audience to General Thiha Thura Tin Aung Myint Oo – Secretary No. 1 of the State Peace and Development Council of the Union of Myanmar, the Bureau of the Royal Household told the NNT.

This is the third visit of HRH Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn’s to Burma. One was in March 21 to 31, 1986, at the invitation of the Chairman of the Burma Socialist Program Party (BSPP) Ne Win, for study of the history of Thai-Burma relationship.

And the second was in March 3 to 4, 1994, to Shan State East, Kentung, where the Shans (Thai Yai) Saophas palaces are located. The princess visited many places of historical importance and observed art, culture and the way people live there.

A Shan elder recalled that people were very happy to greet and pay respect to the HRH Princess. “Everyone wanted to go until there was no one to look after their houses. All had gone to welcome the HRH Princess. The junta authorities were very angry,” the elder said.

“They said when their own leaders came, nobody was interested.”