RAST Annual General Meeting

RAST Annual General Meeting for year 2019 was organized on March 1, 2020 at Sena Place Hotel, SoiPhaholyothin 11, Phayathai, Bangkok. The meeting was held to to announce the annual results of operations and to elect a new board of directors of the association due to replace of the original members whose term has ended. The terms of the president and the association’s executive committee are 2 years.

Registration for RAST AGM

RAST President Jack, HS1FVL, addresses the RAST AGM meeting on March 1 after his re-election

Annual General Meeting started at 12:30, and there was a registration to attend the meeting. After that Dr. Jack Hantongkom, HS1FVL (RAST President) announced the result of the year 2019, with important works including the following.

• The Ambassador of Finland met with the Secretary-General of the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) to discuss the terms of reciprocation of amateur radio licenses for both countries, and hosted the 55th anniversary party of RAST.
• The Society received a letter from the Bureau of the Royal Household regarding the Royal Decree regarding the callsign HS10A in accordance with details in a letter from the King's Business Division 904.
• Committee members of the Society met with the Chairman of the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) to notify the agency about HS10A and to pour lustral water to commemorate the Thai New Year.
• The Society and the Royal Thai Navy operated amateur radio together using the special callsign HS10KING/MM to honor the auspicious Royal Coronation from the HTMS Royal Chakri Naruebet (CVH-911) aircraft carrier. They were able to make 4,143 QSOs with 131 countries.
• The Society participated in the International Amateur Radio Exhibition in Friedrichshafen, Germany with a booth, and the members helped the exhibition were HS6SSE, HS0ZET, HS0ZLA, HS0ZKF, E20NKB and E21EIC.
• The JAMSAT group of Japan came to Thailand to transmit from the HS0AJ station using the callsign HS10KING. The JAISAT-1 satellite was launched into orbit.
• Representatives of the Society attended the Tokyo Ham Fair 2019 in Tokyo, Japan comprising committee members, HS1FVL, HS1JZT, HS7BHK, E23NEZ, HS5NMF, E20NKB and E21EIC, along with 30 other members of RAST.
• HS1FVL, as a Director of IARU Region 3, attended the IARU Region 3 Directors' meeting at the JARL Japan office.
• The Society conducted a JOTA JOTI (Jamboree on the Air, on the Internet) event providing a station using the callsign HS0AC located at KMITL when scouts from around the world communicated using amateur radio frequencies and via Echolink over the Internet.
• The Society and the Office of the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) hosted a day-long conference entitled the International Alliance Volunteers Conference 2019 at the NBTC auditorium on PhaholyothinSoi 8 that was attended by 250 delegates from 16 countries.
• RAST Committee members and other and members of the society jointly installed an amateur radio station and arranged for a booth for Amateur Radio Day 2019 at the Office of the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission in Bangkok.
• The Society's President, HS1FVL, and committee members HS1JNB, HS7BHK, and E23NEZ made contacts on the 20 meter band with A5B, the amateur radio station operated by Jigyel Ugyen Wangchuk who is the half-brother of King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck of Bhutan.
• E21EIC, RAST QSL Bureau Manager reported that 27,199 QSLs cards had been sent by the Society with 18,615 QSLs incoming cards having been received.
• etc...

RAST members raise their hands to vote for a proposal during the RAST AGM meeting.

Then the election of the new association’s board of directors for the year 2020-2022 began. The meeting appointed HS1JNB to chair the election. First, they selected the president of the association, Dr. Jack, HS1FVL proposed himself to be the president of the association, and showed the vision for the development of amateur radio and continuation of the project that the association is currently undertaking. Members of the meeting have endorsed and unanimously resolved to continue being the president of the association again without any contestants.

The votes for the RAST committee members

Election of the Executive Committee of the association for another 9 persons by voting and the committee as follows; E21EIC (68 votes), E20NKB (63 votes), E23PKO (61 votes), HS5NMF (56 votes), HS0ZDX (54 votes), HS0VDX (50 votes), HS0KRM (48 votes), E23NEX (41 votes), HS6MYW (40 votes). After that, the president of the association had the right to appoint another 5 members as follows; HS1EFA, HS1JZT, HS2UPR, HS2UPR andE21FYK. Then all committees gathered and selected 4 knowledgeable persons to be the committee as follows; HS1AAZ, HS1AXC, E20HHK andE25GGT. A total of 19 executive committee members for year 2020-2022 were chosen.

The vote tallies for the 15 names nominated for committee members of RAST after the votes.

The nine RAST committee members who had the top vote counts, from left, E21EIC, E23PKO, HS6MYW, HS0VDX (YL), HS1FVL, E23NEZ, HS5NMF, HS0ZDX, E20NKB (YL) and HS0KRM.

HS1EFA, E21FYK, HS1FVL, HS1JZT, HS7BHK and HS2UPR

The position of the president of the association and the executive committee of the association are volunteers that do not receive any salary or compensation from the association.

April RAST meeting cancelled, YOTA event is postponed

The Radio Amateur Society of Thailand under the Royal Patronage of His Majesty the King (RAST) has cancelled the next monthly meeting at Sena Place Hotel that had been scheduled on April 5, 2020 because of concerns over the COVID-19 Coronavirus, and to comply with requests to avoid holding public meetings for the time being.

We would like to advise all members that the Youngsters On The Air (YOTA 2020) scheduled to be held in Rayong from October 1-3, 2020, has been postponed to a later date this year due to concerns over the rapid spreading of the COVID-19 Coronavirus.

We are extremely sorry for any inconvenience that the cancellation and postponement may cause for members. We would also like to remind everyone that amateur radio is a great hobby because we can operate our radios and communicate with one another without having to leave our homes.