Chairman Chen Yunjin of Tio Chew Association of Thailand
Silk Road News Agency, Bangkok, August 17, 2026 — Mr. Chen Yunjin, the 43rd Chairman of the Tio Chew Association of Thailand—the world's largest Teochew clan association—sat down for an exclusive interview with the Silk Road News Agency's "Leader Profile" program on Monday. The eldest son of the late Tan Jong-hui (Chen Jinghui), a prominent Thai-Chinese community leader and veteran industrialist who previously served as Chairman of the Chen Clan Association of Thailand, Mr. Chen assumed the presidency of the Tio Chew Association of Thailand in May 2026. Since taking office, he has worked hand in hand with fellow association leaders to actively promote two-way cultural and educational as well as economic and trade exchanges between China and Thailand, uniting millions of Teochew compatriots residing in Thailand, carrying forward Teochew heritage, and contributing to the high-quality joint advancement of the Belt and Road International Cooperation Initiative, thereby continuously fostering people-to-people bonds and friendly relations between the two nations.
On August 17, Chen Entian, Chairman of the Global Silk Road Associations Alliance and Director-General of the Silk Road News Agency, interviewed Mr. Chen Yunjin, the 43rd Chairman of the Tio Chew Association of Thailand, the world's largest Teochew clan association.
During the interview, Chairman Chen Yunjin spoke at length about the association's cultural preservation efforts, with a particular focus on events surrounding the film Dear You. The Tio Chew Association of Thailand took the lead in supporting the film's location scouting, shooting, and promotional campaign in Thailand, and recently hosted a special screening in Bangkok alongside a synchronized exhibition on qiaopi (overseas Chinese remittance letters). The event drew over 2,000 Teochew compatriots living in Thailand. The film's narrative—of Teochew people venturing southward across the seas, watching out for one another, and entrusting their hometown longings beyond the horizons—deeply resonated with the historical memories of overseas Chinese encapsulated in the qiaopi tradition. His Excellency Zhang Jianwei, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the People's Republic of China to the Kingdom of Thailand; Ms. Sudawan Wangsuphakijkosol, Minister of Culture of Thailand; Mr. Chen Xiaowei, Deputy Head of the Publicity Department of the CPC Guangdong Provincial Committee; Mr. Dhanin Chearavanont (Xie Guomin), Chairman of the China Overseas Chinese Entrepreneurs Federation; Mr. Tan Jinthee (Chen Zhenzhi), Permanent Honorary Chairman of the Thai-Chinese Chamber of Commerce; Mr. Huang Daiguang, Permanent Honorary Chairman of the Tio Chew Association of Thailand; and Mr. Lin Chuchun, incumbent Chairman of the Thai-Chinese Chamber of Commerce, were among the distinguished guests who attended the celebration, making it one of the largest Teochew cultural events in Bangkok in recent years.
On August 17, Chen Entian, Chairman of the Global Silk Road Associations Alliance and Director-General of the Silk Road News Agency, interviewed Mr. Chen Yunjin, the 43rd Chairman of the Tio Chew Association of Thailand, the world's largest Teochew clan association.
Chairman Chen noted that the power of cinema illuminates immigrant history, and that Dear You has profoundly inspired the association's mission. "The Tio Chew Association of Thailand is more firmly convinced than ever that education must remain our bedrock," he said. For nearly a century, the association has regarded Chinese-language education as its core mandate—establishing multiple Chinese schools, building a complete trilingual teaching system, continuously supporting Chinese civilian schools across Thailand, and instituting scholarship programs to nurture young ethnic Chinese. Through Chinese-language education, the association preserves Teochew roots and enables younger generations abroad to understand the struggles of their ancestors who braved the Southern Seas. Chairman Chen further underscored the long-term value of Chinese-language education, pledging to deepen partnerships between Chinese and Thai academic institutions and to ensure cultural activities and education reinforce one another. He revealed that he will soon travel to mainland China to engage in exchange visits, continuously liaising with domestic universities and overseas Chinese affairs agencies, actively expanding channels for Sino-Thai educational cooperation, bringing in high-caliber Chinese-language faculty, deepening mutual student-and-teacher visits, and promoting academic exchange in Teochew studies—all as part of a multi-pronged effort to consolidate the foundations of Chinese-language education.
On August 17, Chen Entian, Chairman of the Global Silk Road Associations Alliance and Director-General of the Silk Road News Agency, interviewed Mr. Chen Yunjin, the 43rd Chairman of the Tio Chew Association of Thailand, the world's largest Teochew clan association.
Looking ahead, Chairman Chen stated that the new council will continue to leverage the connective strengths of Teochew community organizations. On one front, it will deepen cultural inheritance and educational endeavors, safeguarding the cultural roots of overseas Chinese; on another, it will persistently build platforms for economic and trade cooperation, rallying Teochew business resources from home and abroad and actively participating in the development of the Maritime Silk Road. The association will continue to unite the vast community of Teochew compatriots in Thailand, pooling collective strength to promote economic and trade connectivity and people-to-people bonds between China and Thailand, and to steadily elevate the cause of Sino-Thai friendship to new heights. Founded in 1938, the Tio Chew Association of Thailand is widely recognized as the world's largest Teochew geo-clan association. Situated in Bangkok—a pivotal hub on the Maritime Silk Road—the association has long served as a bridge for Sino-Thai economic, trade, cultural, and educational exchanges. By inheriting Teochew heritage, deepening Chinese-language education, and collaborating with Teochew associations worldwide, it has earned its reputation as a dazzling pearl of overseas Chinese communities along the Maritime Silk Road.
On August 4, 2026, the Tio Chew Association of Thailand hosted the dedicated premiere ceremony of Dear You. Chairman Chen Yunjin joined H.E. Zhang Jianwei, Chinese Ambassador to Thailand, Ms. Sudawan Wangsuphakijkosol, Minister of Culture of Thailand, and Mr. Dhanin Chearavanont (Xie Guomin), Senior Chairman of the CP Group, along with other distinguished guests from various sectors, in a ribbon-cutting ceremony.
