Hanoi (VNA) – As Vietnam and Thailand prepare to mark the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations in 2026, Thailand’s The Nation has published an article highlighting President Ho Chi Minh’s humanistic legacy as an important foundation that has helped nurture and strengthen the friendship between the two nations.
According to the article “50 Years of Thailand-Vietnam Relations: From the Foundations of Ho Chi Minh’s Legacy to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership”, President Ho Chi Minh first came to Thailand in July 1928 with the aim of promoting patriotism among the Vietnamese expatriate community living and working there, thereby laying the groundwork for advancing the struggle against French colonialism in Vietnam.
Although his time living and working in Thailand was not long, the sincere affection and support of the Thai people left a profound impression on him.
Therefore, wherever he went, President Ho Chi Minh always advised Vietnamese expatriates to work diligently, live honestly, obey the law, and respect Thai customs and traditions.
He particularly emphasised the importance of building solidarity between the Vietnamese community and the local Thai population, while affirming the close bond between the two nations.
Moreover, President Ho Chi Minh’s diplomatic philosophy of “making more friends and fewer enemies” was also one of the key factors in laying the foundation for a flexible, adaptive, and deeply humanistic approach to international relations.
This principle emphasises building trust, enhancing mutual understanding, and respecting differences, thereby expanding cooperation and reducing conflict, the article noted.
In Thailand-Vietnam relations, it said, this philosophy is reflected in the emphasis on good-neighborliness and the promotion of shared East Asian cultural values such as community spirit, hospitality, and moral principles, which together create a sustainable foundation for long-term cooperation.
Accordingly, soon after Pridi Banomyong came to power in Thailand in 1946, the Thai government undertook many practical activities to support Vietnam, particularly in the field of foreign affairs during the early period following its independence.
In August 1946, a representative office of the Vietnamese Government was established in Bangkok, known as the Mission, based on a letter of introduction signed by Acting President Huynh Thuc Khang on July 7, 1946.
This office was responsible for liaising with governments and foreign representative missions, while also serving as a focal point for connecting with Vietnamese expatriate communities in various parts of the world and mobilising support for the resistance at home.
In addition, the Mission included an information unit that published materials in Vietnamese, Thai, and English for distribution to expatriates, diplomatic agencies, and international organisations.
As a result, Vietnam’s position and image were gradually enhanced on the international stage, laying an important foundation for international support for the Vietnamese people’s resistance struggles.
Clearer signals of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Vietnam and Thailand emerged in a speech delivered by Thai Prime Minister Kukrit Pramoj on September 5, 1975: “We continue to pursue a policy of friendship with neighboring countries … Thailand hopes to soon open a liaison office with Hanoi.”
Accordingly, in August 1976, a delegation of the Thai Government visited Hanoi to officially negotiate the establishment of diplomatic relations.
On August 6, 1976, the signing ceremony of the “Joint Communiqué on the Establishment of Diplomatic Relations between Vietnam and Thailand” was held, marking the official establishment of diplomatic ties between the two countries.
Although Vietnam-Thailand relations were established in 1976, they only truly began to flourish following the visit of Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Van Dong to Thailand in September 1978.
From 1989 onward, the two countries achieved significant progress, particularly after the official visit to Thailand by Party General Secretary Do Muoi in October 1993. After Vietnam joined ASEAN in 1995, bilateral relations were continuously strengthened and expanded.
In February 2004, the two sides issued a Joint Declaration on the Framework of Vietnam-Thailand Cooperation. More notably, during the visit to Thailand by Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong (June 25-27, 2013), the two countries upgraded their relationship to a “Strategic Partnership,” becoming the first two ASEAN members to establish such a framework with each other.
Subsequently, the Action Programme for the implementation of the Strategic Partnership for the 2014-2018 period was signed during the official visit to Vietnam by the Prime Minister of Thailand in November 2014.
The process of upgrading relations from a Strategic Partnership (2013) to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (2025) reflects the profound and substantive development of bilateral ties.
Since 2013, the two countries have continuously strengthened cooperation in key areas such as politics, defense, economy, trade, and people-to-people exchanges.
Bilateral trade turnover has maintained steady growth, alongside the expansion of high-level dialogue and cooperation mechanisms, creating a solid foundation for upgrading the relationship.
Within ASEAN, the two countries promote intra-bloc solidarity and the Association’s centrality; at APEC, both sides have actively contributed to initiatives on free trade and sustainable development; and in Mekong subregional cooperation, Vietnam and Thailand focus on water resource management, infrastructure development, and economic connectivity enhancement.
Supply chain connectivity focuses on linking supporting industries, particularly in the automotive and electronics sectors; connectivity between production bases and business communities; and connectivity in sustainable development strategies is reflected in the alignment between Vietnam’s Green Growth Strategy and Thailand’s Bio-Circular-Green (BCG) Economy model, opening up prospects for deep cooperation in areas such as clean energy, green production, and the circular economy.
In the current context, the Vietnamese community and people of Vietnamese origin in Thailand continue to play an important role in promoting multidimensional relations between the two countries, not only in the economic sphere but also in cultural, social, and people-to-people diplomacy.
Notably, in the field of people-to-people diplomacy, the Vietnamese community in Thailand serves as a bridge of friendship between the two nations.
In the vision for the next 50 years, Vietnam-Thailand relations should be oriented toward greater depth, sustainability, and high adaptability.
The two countries need to strengthen cooperation in ensuring energy security, developing renewable energy, digital transformation, climate change adaptation, public-private partnerships, while positively contributing to regional peace and shared prosperity./.
