Congratulations
Chancee Martorell
of the Wilshire Ward
She received special honors from the King of Thailand
Chancee Martorell, standing next to
Consul
General of Thailand, Honorable Jesda Katavetin
Chancee is the Relief Society President of the Wilshire Ward.
We are so proud of her work in the church and in the community.
Chancee with her family
For more details of this great honor, read the attached article.
HM King Bhumibol Adulyadej Bestows a
“Medal of the Most Admirable Order of Direkgunabhorn” Upon Thai CDC Executive Director
“Medal of the Most Admirable Order of Direkgunabhorn” Upon Thai CDC Executive Director
July 16, 2012
Los Angeles, CA – Chanchanit “Chancee” Martorell, founder and executive director of the Thai
Community Development Center (Thai CDC), was nominated in early 2011 to receive a Royal
Decoration of the Most Admirable Order of the Direkgunabhorn from His Majesty King Bhumibol
Adulyadej. On His Majesty’s birthday, December 5, 2011, the Office of the Prime Minister
served Mrs. Martorell with a letter informing her that she is a recipient of the Royal Thai
Decoration and Royal Thai Medal. Mrs. Martorell is a recipient of the Medal of the Most
Admirable Order of Direkgunabhorn. Royal Thai Consul General Jesda Katavetin presided over
the Presentation Ceremony of the Most Admirable Order of the Direkgunabhorn which was
bestowed upon Mrs. Martorell on Friday, June 29, 2012 at the Royal Thai Consulate of Los
Angeles.
Individuals who have rendered devotional services to the Kingdom of Thailand are identified by
public or private bodies, by government departments or are nominated by members of the
public. Mrs. Martorell has consistently demonstrated outstanding service to the people of the
Kingdom of Thailand; therefore, members of the Thai CDC’s Board of Directors submitted her
nomination to the Royal Thai Consulate General of Los Angeles on March 10, 2011.
Mrs. Martorell founded the Thai Community Development Center in 1994, a non-profit
organization with a mission to improve the lives of Thai immigrants through services that
promote cultural adjustment and economic self-sufficiency. In the process of building the
agency, she created a myriad of social and human service delivery programs while engaging in
advocacy, education, community and affordable housing development, small business
promotion and neighborhood revitalization projects, making Thai CDC the first organization of
its kind in the nation to serve Thai Americans in such a comprehensive manner.
She is known most notably for her work on several major human rights cases involving over
400 Thai victims of human trafficking who were discovered working in conditions of slavery in
the United States. Her tireless advocacy on behalf of the victims and the success of each case
has made her a leading expert and sought after spokesperson on the serious issue of modern-
day slavery.
One of Thai CDC’s most prominent neighborhood revitalization projects is the establishment and
beautification of the first and only Thai Town, which is in the heart of East Hollywood, California.
The executive director of Thai CDC played a pivotal role in the eight-year-long community
organizing campaign which led to the designation of the world’s first and only Thai Town in the
United States in 1999. The designation of Thai Town in East Hollywood serves as the first step
of a multi-faceted, economic development strategy to revitalize a depressed section of
Hollywood while enriching the city’s cultural and social fiber.
On Friday, June 29, 2012, the Royal Thai Consulate-General hosted the ceremony for the
presentation of the Royal Decoration which had been bestowed by His Majesty King Bhumidol
Adulyadej. Consul General Jesda Katavetin, Deputy Consul General Mungkorn Pratoomkaew,
and Consul Komkrich Chongbunwatana warmly welcomed Mrs. Martorell and her family. Having
been bestowed by His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej the prestigious decoration, Mrs.
Martorell is very humbled and grateful. “I am honored to receive this royal decoration. I am
especially overwhelmed by the fact that our work in the United States has been recognized by
His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej and the Thai government. This prestigious award serves
as a reminder that Thai CDC’s work has an impact on Thais in Los Angeles as well as Thais
living in our native country,” said Mrs. Martorell.
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Photo caption: “Thai CDC Executive Director, Chancee Martorell, standing next to Consul
General of Thailand, Honorable Jesda Katavetin, who presented her with the Medal of the Most
Admirable Order of Direkgunabhorn from His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej.”
Photo caption: “Thai CDC Executive Director, Chancee Martorell, standing in front of a portrait
of His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej, with her family.”
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