A Vietnamese senior government official highly praised the Thai government and local administrations for providing assistance to Vietnamese living in Thailand to help them integrate into the society.

Deputy Foreign Minister Nguyen Thanh Son made the statement while receiving a delegation from Thailand ’s Sakon Nakhon province led by provincial Executive Council Chairman, Chaymongkol Xayrop, in Hanoi on June 26.

Deputy FM Son, who is also Chairman of the State Committee for Overseas Vietnamese Affairs, told the guests that he was pleased to hear news about the Vietnamese community’s development and integration in Thailand in general and in Sakon Nakhon province in particular.

Chaymongkol Xayrop affirmed that Vietnam is always a great friend to Thailand , and hailed the Vietnamese community in Sakon Nakhon for their immense contributions to the province’s growth.

He said during this visit, his delegation expected to seek opportunities for officials of Thailand ’s north eastern provinces to receive training in the Vietnamese language and post-graduate study in universities in Vietnam .

According to the Sakon Nakhon official, his province has organised training courses on the language, culture and customs of Vietnam to prepare Thai students before they come to study in the country.

Deputy FM Son said reciprocal student exchanges will help enhance bilateral ties, suggesting that Sakon Nakhon authorities consider the establishment of partnerships with universities in Vietnam ’s central provinces of Quang Binh, Quang Tri and Thua Thien-Hue.

As scheduled, the Sakon Nakhon province’s delegation will hold a working session with officials from the Ministry of Education and Training on educational cooperation issues.

Cao Van San, President of the Vietnamese Association in Sakon Nakhon, reported that 10,000 Vietnamese are living and working in Sakon Nakhon and the majority of them are leading prosperous and stable lives.