Samaggi Samagom ("Samaggi"), The Thai Association in the UK, was established in 1901 by King Rama VI of Thailand. Samaggi Samagom is Thailand's only student association under royal patronage. It adheres to its original purpose as a locus for Thai students, roughly 10,000 in the UK, to connect with one another. The Thai Embassy in London and its Office of Educational Affairs (OEA) has a large presence in the association's activities, with embassy representatives, and sometimes the ambassadors themselves, attending Samaggi Samagom events. The close working relationship is reflected in a Samaggi office located inside the OEA, but mostly by embassy funding of Samaggi's academic events. Details of each event, the aim and budget, must be submitted to the embassy and OEA for prior approval.