Councillor Thay Thayalan was appointed the 192nd Mayor of the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames at the Annual Council on 21 May 2026.

Born in Sri Lanka, Cllr Thayalan emigrated to the United Kingdom in 1970 and has lived in Kingston upon Thames since 1976.

He was first elected as a councillor for Tolworth Ward in 2014 and previously served as Mayor of Kingston from 2018 to 2019, using the role to champion diversity, youth empowerment, emotional wellbeing, and community cohesion.

A strong advocate for equality, inclusion, and diversity, Cllr Thayalan is a founding member, and now patron, of the ITC Tamil Centre.

It was established in 1986 and runs Kingston Tamil School, supporting more than 250 children through supplementary education in Tamil language, arts, heritage, and culture.

He also co-founded the Kingston Race and Equalities Council (KREC), where he played a key role in launching the Kingston Carnival, helping to promote understanding and celebrate the borough's diversity.

In 2001, he co-founded Global Arts Kingston to celebrate and showcase the rich cultural heritage and artistic talents of Kingston's diverse communities.

His decades-long commitment to building a more inclusive, compassionate, and cohesive community has been recognised through several honours, including the Kingston Mayor's Award for Community Service (1990) and the Liberal Democrat President's Award (2020) for outstanding work in anti-racism, equality, diversity and inclusion.

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Commenting on his appointment as Mayor, Cllr Thayalan said: "It is a great honour and privilege to serve as the Mayor of the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames.

"Kingston has been my home for nearly five decades, and throughout that time I have been proud to work alongside people from all backgrounds to build a stronger, kinder, and more inclusive community.

"As Mayor, I look forward to celebrating the diversity, culture, and community spirit that make Kingston so special, while supporting residents, voluntary organisations, charities, young people, and local businesses across the borough.

"I am deeply grateful for the trust and support I have received over the years, and I will continue to serve the borough with dedication, humility, and a commitment to bringing communities together."

Also at Annual Council, Councillor Jane Lim, Tolworth Ward, was appointed as Deputy Mayor.

If you would like to invite the new Mayor to a celebration or volunteering event, you can get in contact via the Mayoral web pages.