Bangkok (VNA) – The upcoming official visit to Vietnam by Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra from May 15-16 will be the first by a Thai Government leader in 11 years, since PM Prayut Chan-o-cha’s visit in 2014, Vietnamese Ambassador to Thailand Pham Viet Hung said in a recent interview with the Vietnam News Agency (VNA)'s resident reporters in Bangkok.
Hung said the visit comes at a crucial time when the two countries are looking forward to the 50th anniversary of diplomatic ties (1976-2026), a significant milestone in the history of bilateral ties. Against the backdrop of the Enhanced Strategic Partnership, which has seen comprehensive and substantive development across various fields, the visit is poised to elevate the bilateral relations to a new height in a more practical and effective manner.
During the visit made at the invitation of PM Pham Minh Chinh, PM Paetongtarn will co-chair the 4th Vietnam - Thailand Joint Cabinet Meeting, a joint effort reflecting the high level of attention and shared determination to advance the bilateral ties. Both sides will address existing issues and chart directions for all-around cooperation.
In the realm of political and diplomatic ties, the focus will be placed on measures to further foster political trust, facilitate the exchange of delegations, and enhance collaboration through the Party, Government, National Assembly, and local channels. Additionally, both nations will work closely at global and regional forums, particularly within the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and Mekong sub-regional mechanisms.
Economically, the agenda includes reviewing the progress of plans and initiatives, including the “Three Connectivity” initiative; expanding cooperation to lift two-way trade to 25 billion USD in more balanced and sustainable manner, while encouraging Thai investments in Vietnam’s priority sectors.
Cultural, educational, and people-to-people exchanges will also be a key focus, with plans to enhance locality-to-locality connections and boost cultural and tourism interactions. These aim to build a sustainable social foundation for the bilateral friendship.
Beyond traditional cooperation areas that already yielded positive results, Hung underscored untapped potential in emerging fields like digital transformation, digital economy, renewable energy, and green growth, which align with current development trends and each country's strategic priorities.
In conclusion, he described the visit as an important milestone, contributing to elevating the Vietnam–Thailand relations to a new height. It will help strongly reinforce political trust and mutual understanding between their leaders, presenting an opportunity to fully review cooperation areas, address obstacles, and agree on major directions and specific measures to create fresh momentum for the bilateral ties.
The cooperation agreements expected to be signed will pave the way for enhanced collaboration between localities, businesses, and social organisations, while strengthening people-to-people connection, thereby solidifying the friendship and deepening cooperation across various fields, he added./.
