On 17 February 2023, H.E. Mr. Thierry Mathou, Ambassador of France to Thailand awarded the insignia of Chevalier de l'Ordre de la Légion d'Honneur (the distinction of the national order of the Legion of Honour, in the rank of Knight ‘Chevalier’) to Ms. Flavie Lepoutre, Director of the French-Upper Mekong Sub-Region Academic Cooperation Centre and a lecturer of the School of Liberal Arts in a ceremony held at the Legend Chiang Rai Boutique River Resort & Spa.
Ms. Flavie Lepoutre received this honour from the French government in recognition for her outstanding contributions in cooperation between France and Thailand. The Légion d'Honneur is the highest French order of merit, both military and civil, established in 1802 by Napoléon Bonaparte.
This is the speech of Ms. Flavie Lepoutre from the ceremony:
“Mr. Thierry Mathou, French Ambassador to Thailand,
Mrs Cecile Mathou,
Dear Associate Professor Dr. Nantana Gajaseni, Vice-President, Mae Fah Luang University
Dear Dr. Kobchai Jitsakula, President, Alliance Française of Chiang Rai,
Dear family and friends,
Dear colleagues,
Ladies and gentlemen,
Monsieur l’Ambassadeur, it is with great honor that I receive from you today the insignia of Chevalier de l'Ordre de la Légion d'Honneur. Thank you for agreeing to present me with this insignia and for making the trip to Chiang Rai. My thanks also go to your spouse, Mrs. Cécile Mathou.
I would also like to thank you all for your presence today by my side, and for your precious support during all these years.
I dedicate this honor to Mom. Mom, who has always let me free of my choices, my life, my mistakes as well as my successes, and I hope that she sees it today. I am here, proud, happy to dedicate this award to her.
This distinction is not for me alone, it is the result of a work, and gratifies a collective work that began more than 20 years ago, 25 years to be precise. Alone in the world, we never achieve anything.
As Monsieur l’Ambassadeur mentioned, this is my second distinction.
But when you receive the phone call that tells you that you have received the Legion d’Honneur, I can guarantee you that a million many questions come to mind: Did I hear correctly? No, I must have misunderstood. Did they make a mistake ?
You then call family and close friends. They also asked “Are you sure?" And then, there is a great void, you are no longer sure of anything, until you receive the official letter.
As it is written in the official letter signed by the Ambassador, this distinction testifies and attests to my commitment, the appreciation and the recognition of the French Republic in favor of cooperation between France and Thailand.
It takes three ingredients.
First of all, Mae Fah Luang University, my workplace which is so important to me. On this occasion, I would like to thank Adjunct Professor Dr. Vanchai Sirichana, Founding President and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Mae Fah Luang University, as well as Associate Professor Dr. Chayaporn Wattanasiri, President of Mae Fah Luang University, for their continuous support since 2009, as well as for their vision regarding the importance of France as a partner.
I do not forget the lecturers and researchers of the University who played a huge role during all these years for the Franco-Thai cooperation. I am thinking of the Franco-Thai scholarship alumni, like Ajarn Teeris, the lecturers who have worked with France for many years like Dr. Weerongrong, the lecturers who have chosen France for their education like Dr. Sammatthachai, and French language lecturer, Ajarn Songsavan.
And then, extraordinary partners in Thailand. The French Embassy in Thailand, which has always supported Mae Fah Luang University and with whom we have organized many activities, including the BELC in 2022, at the Alliance Française de Chiang Rai where I started my career, and represented by its President, Dr. Kobchai Jitsakula. A special thought for Mr. Guy Heidelberger, but also the IRASEC, IRD, secondary schools in the Province of Chiang Rai and the Northern region, French companies with whom we work continuously.
Extraordinary partners also in France, I am thinking in particular of the IAE Pau-Bayonne, the Institut Agro Dijon, the School of Industrial Biology, ITech Lyon, the University Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Junia, and many others, and all of them have become friends over the years. And I hope we will have many more in the years to come.
But, the most important element in my eyes remains family and friends. This is the link to stability.
A special thought for Jean-Luc and Marie-Hélène, always by my side, my cousins.
Khun Pisut, who unfortunately could not be present today. He had and still has several roles in my life, but more essentially, he is my first Thai friend, who never judged me and thanks to whom I understood that cultural differences are not to be understood but accepted. Maybe my life would have taken a different path if I hadn't met him.
Ajarn Romyen. Our relationship has evolved over the past 11 years. First my superior, then a friend and now my dear sister. She told me several times “we are sisters” and today, I know that she will always be here for me, that she will always have my back. I want to let her know today that I will always be here for her too. Thank you for accepting and for doing me the honor of being the protocol agent on this day.
I wish you all to have a friend like Ajarn Romyen in your life.
Thanks also to Pammy, Gae, Véronique, Sophie, Khun Tik, Tom, Pui, Ajarn Siripat, Antonio, Sasa, le VDT, Ajarn Sorabud, Khun Sriprai, Ajarn Suban, Ajarn Monvipa, Khun Usa, Khun Thanadol, Yves, Gael, Gaetan, Beatrice, Erik, Renaud, Virginie, Sylvie, Ulrich, Eva, Vincent for everything you did for me and for mom.
I apologize to the persons I forgot to mention.
Some people told me "I didn't do anything". You all played a role.
Finally, Monsieur l’Ambassadeur, this decoration is not an achievement, but an additional responsibility, and therefore a new beginning to better serve: Honor and Fatherland.
Thank you again to all of you for your friendship, your presence and your attention. Thank you."
