Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn was on Sunday bestowed with the Friendship Medal -- the highest honour given by the Chinese government to foreigners -- in a ceremony celebrating the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China, which officially begins on Tuesday.

The princess was presented the Friendship Medal by President Xi Jinping at 10am local time on Sunday.

The lavish ceremony was held in the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, before officials and other recipients of the award.

HRH Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn was one of 42 honorees bestowed with medals and honorary titles for their contributions to China.

Six foreigners, including the princess, were awarded the Friendship Medal, which is gold and blue and represents the long-standing friendship between the people of China and the rest of the world.

The princess expressed her appreciation for the award and praised the countries' long friendship by reciting a poem about the bilateral relationship.

HRH Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn also blessed China's anniversary in Chinese.

"All six of us are indeed friends of China and would like to give our service to the course of friendship and cooperation between our countries and the People's Republic of China," the princess said at the ceremony.

"Our mutual aim is peace, happiness and success, not only for China and our countries but for the entire globalised world and humanity," she added.

Lyu Jian, the Chinese ambassador to Thailand, also spoke warmly about relations between the two countries.

"Among other awarded foreign friends of China, the princess was granted the highest honour because of her long-standing contributions to strengthening ties between the countries. The award not only celebrates the princess's amiability but also our close relationship and fraternity. Due to her warm hospitality, I believe our friendship will endure," he said.