During 20-26 July 2007, the Hong Kong Observatory (HKO) and Thai Meteorological Department (TMD) jointly organized a training course on aeronautical meteorology for more than 50 meteorologists from Thailand and Cambodia. The training course took place at TMD's Bureau of Meteorology for Transportation at the new Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok, Thailand. Mr. C.M. Shun, Acting Assistant Director of HKO and Vice-President of the Commission of Aeronautical Meteorology (CAeM) of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), and Dr. P.W. Li, Acting Senior Scientific Officer of HKO, were invited to provide lectures on low-level windshear, thunderstorms, lightning and their detection for aviation applications.

The training course was the result of close cooperation among WMO members in promoting the knowledge of aeronautical meteorology. It is expected that similar training events and exchanges will be organized in the near future for further capacity building of National Meteorological and Hydrological Services of developing countries in the region. Mr. Khy Vuthy, Meteorological Officer of the Department of Meteorology of Cambodia, thanked TMD and HKO for organizing the training, saying that "We have learnt a lot from this training and we look forward to applying the knowledge in our country".

Mr. Kriengkrai Khovadhana, Deputy Director-General of TMD (middle, front row) and Dr. P.W. Li (4th from the right, front row), Acting Senior Scientific Officer of HKO, pictured here with the participants of the training course at the closing ceremony.