Bangkok (VNA) - The upcoming official visit to Thailand by General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Central Committee and State President To Lam is expected to become a milestone shaping the bilateral relations over the next decade, according to Thai newspaper The Standard.
In an article published on May 24, the newspaper said the visit carries significance not only as a diplomatic event marking the 50th anniversary of diplomatic ties between the two countries, but also as a strategic opportunity to deepen cooperation in a rapidly changing global landscape.
According to the article, the visit takes place after Vietnam and Thailand upgraded their ties to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in May 2025, when the two sides signed eight memoranda of understanding and adopted a 34-point joint statement, described as the most comprehensive cooperation framework in the history of bilateral relations.
The article also highlighted the role of General Secretary and State President Lam in Vietnam’s new development phase, noting that the country is expected to strongly implement its major policy orientations and international commitments.
Regarding future cooperation prospects, the newspaper said the two countries are pursuing three main pillars of cooperation: sustainable peace, growth and the future.
Economically, the two sides aim to raise bilateral trade turnover to 25 billion USD in the near future while promoting the “Three Connectivity” strategy, which focuses on supply chain connectivity, local economy connectivity and green economy connectivity.
The Standard noted that Vietnam and Thailand possess complementary strengths amid the restructuring of global supply chains.
Vietnam is seen as having advantages in electronics manufacturing and technology human resources, while Thailand holds strengths in electric vehicle production, petrochemicals and logistics infrastructure.
According to the article, enhancing connectivity rather than engaging in direct competition would generate mutual benefits for both economies.
Beyond economic cooperation, the newspaper also referred to prospects for expanding coordination in security, combating transnational crime, digital economy development, artificial intelligence and green energy transition.
It said promoting substantive cooperation mechanisms would help both countries respond more effectively to emerging regional challenges.
From a geopolitical perspective, the article assessed that Vietnam-Thailand relations are becoming increasingly important as the region faces uncertainties related to strategic competition among major powers, the East Sea situation and energy security concerns.
According to the author, stronger cooperation between the two major ASEAN economies would contribute to reinforcing the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)'s centrality and expanding strategic space for both countries.
The article noted that five decades of Thailand-Vietnam relations have demonstrated that two countries have built deep cooperation, becoming nearly 20-billion-USD trading partners and Comprehensive Strategic Partners. Although the 50-year journey has not always been smooth, the direction of the bilateral ties has remained clear.
The article also emphasised that General Secretary and State President Lam’s visit comes at a time when multiple factors are converging, including the most comprehensive cooperation framework ever established between the two countries, pressures from trade wars and energy crises, and the reality that the two economies are more complementary than competitive.
If both sides can transform shared visions into concrete outcomes, benefits will directly reach the people of both countries, it said.
According to The Standard, in a world increasingly polarised economically and geopolitically, middle-sized nations such as Thailand and Vietnam, with a combined GDP of about 1.1 trillion USD and a population of 170 million people, have stronger incentives to seize opportunities for cooperation rather than let them pass by.
The newspaper concluded that the top Vietnamese leader's visit is expected to serve not only as a diplomatic anniversary event but also as an opportunity to elevate the bilateral economic partnership and jointly cope with the new global order./.
