Hanoi (VNA) – A photo exhibition marking the 50th anniversary of Vietnam-Thailand diplomatic relations is taking visitors through key milestones and personal moments that have helped build one of Southeast Asia’s closest and most dynamic partnerships.
The exhibition, titled “The Lens of Diplomacy: 50 Years of Thailand-Vietnam Relations,” was jointly organised by the Thai Embassy in Hanoi and the Vietnam News Agency (VNA) to commemorate the 50th anniversary of diplomatic ties, established on August 6, 1976.
The displays trace the bilateral relationship from its early days, beginning with the establishment of diplomatic ties and then Prime Minister Pham Van Dong’s visit to Thailand in September 1978 – the first visit by a senior Vietnamese leader to the country.
The exhibition also features photographs documenting successive high-level visits, important cooperation agreements and major events that have shaped the steady expansion of bilateral ties over the past five decades.
Among the highlights are images from Party General Secretary and State President To Lam’s visit to Thailand in late May 2026 and Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul’s official visit to Vietnam in June 2026. The two visits opened up new opportunities for cooperation under the framework of the Vietnam-Thailand Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.
Many of the moments on display were captured by generations of VNA journalists, providing valuable visual records of the evolution of bilateral relations.
Alongside photographs, the exhibition showcases archival documents supplied by the State Records and Archives Department under the Ministry of Home Affairs of Vietnam, as well as materials collected by the Thai Embassy. The documents shed light on the early steps in building bilateral cooperation and the foundations of what has become a dynamic and effective partnership within ASEAN.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, Thai Ambassador to Vietnam Urawadee Sriphiromya said the exhibition forms part of a year-long series of activities organised by the Thai Embassy to mark the diplomatic milestone.
She noted that each activity highlights a different dimension of the bilateral partnership while conveying a common message: friendship between Thailand and Vietnam has been steadily nurtured over time and strengthened across generations.
The exhibition features not only official events, State visits and landmark agreements, but also less formal moments – warm handshakes, shared smiles, cultural exchanges and cooperation among businesses and artists.
According to the ambassador, these images demonstrate that diplomacy is not shaped solely by governments. It also grows through everyday connections between people, from students learning each other’s languages and entrepreneurs creating new opportunities to cultural exchanges and countless acts of friendship that bring the two peoples closer together.
The exhibition therefore looks beyond the past five decades to the future, highlighting opportunities for the two countries to deepen cooperation not only as Comprehensive Strategic Partners but also as neighbours and trusted friends.
VNA General Director Vu Viet Trang, who is also Deputy Head of the Party Central Committee’s Commission for Communications, Education and Mass Mobilisation, said the process of selecting photographs for the exhibition offered organisers an opportunity to revisit many warm and memorable moments between leaders and people of the two countries.
She noted that the images capture high-level exchanges as well as cultural and economic cooperation dating back to the early years of diplomatic ties, reflecting how friendship and comprehensive cooperation have grown increasingly substantive and resilient.
The exhibition, she said, not only chronicles five decades of partnership but also conveys a message to present and future generations to continue nurturing the friendship between the two peoples.
It also reflects the shared determination of the Vietnamese and Thai leaderships and peoples to deepen the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in practical and effective ways, for the benefit of both peoples and for peace, stability, and development within the ASEAN Community.
The exhibition is open to visitors through July 30 at the Vietnam National Museum of Fine Arts, at No. 66, Nguyen Thai Hoc street, Hanoi./.
