Bangkok (VNA) – Many overseas Vietnamese and Vietnamese intellectuals in Thailand have spoken highly of the Party and State’s increasingly proactive and innovative approach to engaging the overseas Vietnamese community, describing dialogue-based consultations and direct opinion-gathering as clear evidence of an open, attentive, and inclusive mindset that recognises overseas Vietnamese as an inseparable part of the nation.
They said this approach not only strengthens trust and reinforces emotional and practical bonds with the homeland, but also creates favourable conditions for effectively mobilising the community’s intellectual resources, professional experience, and international outlook for national construction and development.
Sharing expertise and policy input, they noted, helps Vietnam align more closely with global development trends while contributing to stronger national capacity, enhanced international credibility, and greater pride in the overseas Vietnamese community.
Speaking to the Vietnam News Agency (VNA)'s correspondents in Bangkok, Secretary General of the Association of Vietnamese in Thailand Vo Hai said that meetings organised by Vietnamese representative offices in Thailand, including the Consulate General in Khon Kaen, to solicit feedback from overseas Vietnamese on the Party's key documents go beyond simple opinion collection. Rather, they reflect the recognition of overseas Vietnamese as an integral part of the Vietnamese nation.
Such forums, he said, enable overseas Vietnamese, despite living far from the homeland, to directly participate in the national construction process. This generates strong trust, helps the community better understand domestic policies and orientations, and transforms their affection for the homeland into more practical, organised, and effective actions.
Hai highlighted the overseas Vietnamese community’s aspiration to continue serving as a solid bridge between Vietnam and Thailand in three main areas. The first is promoting trade and investment, including introducing Vietnamese goods to the Thai market and attracting resources back to Vietnam. The second is preserving the Vietnamese language and cultural identity among younger generations. Third, drawing on their experience in international working environments, overseas Vietnamese are ready to share knowledge and technology, and to offer constructive policy feedback aligned with global development trends.
He stressed that a stronger Vietnam enhances the pride and standing of overseas Vietnamese abroad, while their success in turn contributes to elevating the country’s international position.
Sharing the same view, Hoang Hung Manh, a research expert at the Asian Institute of Technology (AIT), praised Vietnamese representative offices in Thailand, including the embassy, for proactively organising meetings with Vietnamese intellectuals, scientists, and experts living, studying, and working abroad. He described this as a correct, practical, and long-term policy.
According to Manh, such activities demonstrate the Party and State’s willingness to listen during the drafting of resolutions and congress documents, while helping to mobilise the intelligence, experience, and international vision of overseas Vietnamese intellectuals. They also foster a stronger sense of appreciation, connection, and belonging to the national community, while international perspectives help make policies more comprehensive, practical, and responsive in the context of deepening integration.
He noted that the overseas Vietnamese community in Thailand, with its long-standing ties, large population, and strong presence of intellectuals, scientists, entrepreneurs, and professionals across sectors, represents a highly valuable intellectual and social resource.
With their understanding of both domestic and international environments, particularly Thailand and ASEAN, overseas Vietnamese can contribute to policy consultation, scientific review, knowledge and technology transfer, and act as a bridge for cooperation in investment, trade, tourism, and cultural exchange. They also play an important role in promoting Vietnam’s image, preserving cultural identity, and strengthening friendship and mutual understanding between the two nations.
If open dialogue forums like recent meetings are maintained regularly and supported by effective feedback mechanisms, the potential of overseas Vietnamese in Thailand can be further unlocked, making meaningful contributions to Vietnam’s sustainable development in the new period, Manh added./.
