1-3 July 2026 -Centara Hotel Hat Yai, Songkhla, Thailand
For special-rate hotel reservation, please contact : tananyama@chr.co.th
“Since this is a free-of-charge meeting, priority will be given to representatives from APMLA member organizations. Applications from other organizations will be considered based on seat availability. We will notify successful applicants via email no later than April 30, 2026.”
“The deadlines for registration and abstract submission have been extended to 1 May 2026!”
Centara Hotel Hat Yai, Songkhla, Thailand
Wednesday to Friday
July 1 to 3, 2026
On behalf of the Management Committee of the Asia Pacific Medico-Legal Agencies, it is my great pleasure to welcome you to the 14th APMLA Annual General Meeting and Conference, hosted by Prince of Songkla University in Hat Yai, Songkhla, Thailand.
Since its first meeting in October 2008, the APMLA has maintained a strong commitment to improving communication, coordination, and cooperation amongst medico-legal services across the Asia-Pacific region, and in the years since has grown into a network of more than 48 institutional members from 29 countries. Alongside its annual meeting, the APMLA facilitates many opportunities for inter-departmental and inter-disciplinary engagement, including the coordination of regular workshops and seminars.
This year’s theme, ‘Preparing Forensic Medicine for Climate-Driven Disaster’, carries particular relevance and poignancy for Songkhla province. In November 2025, sudden torrential flooding claimed the lives of more than 140 people and caused widespread devastation in Hat Yai and the surrounding communities, with more than three million people affected.
In that sobering context, the experiences and expertise that APMLA members will share across the three days of this meeting — in both formal and informal discussions — promise to make a significant contribution to capacity-building and forensic preparedness across a region especially prone to frequent and severe natural disasters.
Finally, meetings such as this are only made possible by the generosity and commitment of the host, and in that spirit I would like to extend the heartfelt gratitude of the Committee and myself to Dr Withoo Phrueksanan and his team for their enthusiastic support of the APMLA in general, and of this meeting in particular. Kap kun mak kap!
With that, I very much look forward to seeing you all in Hat Yai in July.
Prof. Noel Woodford
Chair, APMLA Management Committee
On behalf of the Organizing Committee and Faculty of Medicine, Prince of Songkla University, it is my distinct honor and heartfelt pleasure to welcome you to the 14th Asia-Pacific Medico-Legal Agencies (APMLA) Annual General Meeting and Conference 2026, to be held on 1–3 July 2026 at the Centara Hotel Hat Yai, Songkhla, Thailand. This year’s conference is held under the theme “Preparing Forensic Medicine for Climate-Driven Disasters” — a theme that resonates with profound urgency and personal meaning for our host city.
In November 2025, Hat Yai was struck by one of the most devastating floods in its history, when a record 630 millimeters of rainfall fell over just 72 hours — an event described by experts as comparable to a once-in-300-years occurrence. The disaster claimed at least 145 lives across southern Thailand, with Songkhla province accounting for more than 100 of those fatalities, and affected nearly 244,000 people across approximately 105,000 households in Hat Yai alone. It is in the spirit of remembrance, resilience, and responsibility that we gather here — to honor those affected, to learn from what occurred, and to strengthen our collective preparedness for the climate-driven disasters that forensic medicine must be ready to face. The program features inspiring keynote lectures, thought-provoking panel discussions, oral presentations, and hands-on workshops, all designed to foster meaningful dialogue and shape the future of our field.
Beyond the conference halls, we warmly invite you to discover the remarkable region in which we gather. Hat Yai — the vibrant commercial heart of southern Thailand — is a city of extraordinary resilience, warmth, and multicultural charm, now rebuilding and welcoming the world with open arms. Just a short distance away lies Songkhla, a city of rare beauty and historical depth, nestled between the Gulf of Thailand and the vast Songkhla Lake — earning it the poetic title of the “City of Two Seas.” In 2025, Songkhla province was officially designated a member of the UNESCO Creative Cities Network in the field of Gastronomy — a recognition that honors its extraordinary culinary heritage rooted in its unique geography, diverse ecosystems, and centuries of Chinese, Malay, Persian, and Thai cultural influences. From steaming dim sum at dawn to freshly caught seafood along the shores of Songkhla Lake and Samila Beach, and pulled Thai tea (teh tarik) with roti at night, the flavors of this region are an experience not to be missed.
We look forward to welcoming you not only to a scientifically rich and impactful program, but also to an unforgettable experience in one of Thailand’s most resilient, culturally vibrant, and gastronomically celebrated destinations. Together, let us turn the lessons of tragedy into a legacy of preparedness.
Withoo Phrueksanan M.D., LL.M. (Global Health Law), FRCPathT
Conference Chair,
14th APMLA Annual General Meeting and Conference 2026
Prince of Songkla University, Hat Yai, Songkhla, Thailand
Centara Hotel Hat Yai, Songkhla, Thailand
Email : APMLA2026@medicine.psu.ac.th
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