Thailand keen to resume tours with Vietnam: Ambassador

Secretary of the HCM City Party Committee Nguyen Van Nen (R) receives Thai Ambassador to Vietnam Nikorndej Balankura (Photo: www.sggp.org.vn)

Hanoi (VNA) – Thailand will work with Vietnam on reopening tours between the two countries, particularly in increasing tourist arrivals between Thailand and Ho Chi Minh City, Thai Ambassador to Vietnam Nikorndej Balankura has said.

He revealed the information during a meeting with Secretary of the municipal Party Committee Nguyen Van Nen on November 11.

At the reception, Nen appreciated the long-standing  Vietnam-Thailand friendship and thanked the General Consulate of Thailand and the Thai community in HCM City for their support in the local COVID-19 fight.

The Thai ambassador vowed to do his utmost to foster the countries’ relations and the ties between Thai localities and HCM City.

Hailing HCM City’s role as the economic-trade hub which houses 80 percent of Thai companies in Vietnam, he expressed his gratitude to the local authorities for supporting the Thai community, especially during the recent COVID-19 outbreaks.

In preparation for cooperation post-pandemic, Thailand will focus on ramping up the trade and investment relations with Vietnam, he added.

Tourists in Thailand (Illustrative photo: VNA)

The Tourism Authority of Thailand will devise a specific plan on the cooperation with the Vietnamese side in the coming time.

At the event, the two sides agreed on the holding of activities in December to celebrate the 45th anniversary of bilateral diplomatic ties this year.

Thailand is now the largest trade partner of Vietnam in ASEAN and the ninth leading foreign investor out of 140 countries and territories investing in Vietnam.

The two countries have closely collaborated and supported each other at regional and international forums.

Thailand is the 12th largest investor of HCM City with a total registered capital of more than 467 million USD across 231 projects.

In addition, the city welcomes in excess of 180,000 Thai holidaymakers each year, making Thailand rank ninth in the number of tourists to HCM City./.