General Secretary and President To Lam and his spouse are scheduled to begin an official visit to Thailand tomorrow. The trip marks his first visit to the country as Vietnam’s top leader and comes as the two nations prepare to celebrate the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations on August 6, 2026.

Thai Ambassador to Vietnam Urawadee Sriphiromya said Thailand is eagerly looking forward to welcoming the General Secretary and President along with the high-level Vietnamese delegation. Anticipation extends beyond the government level to the public, including many Thai citizens of Vietnamese origin.

This year marks the 50th anniversary of diplomatic ties between the two countries - a highly meaningful milestone reflecting mutual trust, respect and the close, friendly cooperation between Vietnam and Thailand.

Thailand and Vietnam are currently Comprehensive Strategic Partners, with bilateral cooperation becoming increasingly close and deeply connected. Ambassador Urawadee Sriphiromya said she felt honored and proud that such a historic visit was taking place during her tenure.

The visit reflects the deep trust, mutual respect and close friendship shared by the two nations. In 2025, Vietnam and Thailand agreed to cooperate under the framework of a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, the highest level of diplomatic cooperation Vietnam establishes with partner countries. Thailand was also among the first countries to establish an Enhanced Strategic Partnership with Vietnam. According to the ambassador, Vietnam reserves this framework for only a limited number of countries.

During the visit, both sides are expected to discuss in detail ways to further advance this partnership framework in the years ahead.

The visit also comes at a time when the international community is facing numerous challenges. The ambassador said consultations and exchanges between the two countries’ leaders on ways to support one another through difficult times are highly valuable.

Thailand highly appreciates Vietnam’s role in the region. Last year, Vietnam hosted the signing ceremony for the United Nations Convention against Cybercrime, attended by Thailand’s responsible minister. The ambassador described this as a strong example of Vietnam’s commitment, alongside Thailand and other countries, to addressing serious issues affecting both people and economies.

The ambassador also praised Vietnam’s initiative in hosting the ASEAN Future Forum (AFF), describing it as an important platform that creates dialogue not only for governments but also for academics, the private sector, political parties and representatives of ASEAN cities. She noted that connecting smart city networks carries significant practical value because city leaders are directly connected to the people they serve.

Ambassador Urawadee expressed confidence that Mr. To Lam’s visit would achieve highly positive outcomes.

Vietnam-Thailand ties at their closest stage ever

Looking back at bilateral cooperation, Ambassador Urawadee said trade between the two countries has continued to grow strongly despite global economic shocks, surpassing USD23 billion and moving closer to the USD25 billion target.

In terms of investment, Thailand has risen from ninth to eighth place among the largest foreign investors in Vietnam, reflecting strong confidence among Thai businesses in the Vietnamese government’s business-friendly policies.

The ambassador said many companies that invested in Vietnam more than 40 years ago have shared their satisfaction and believe relations between the two countries are now at their closest and strongest point ever.

People-to-people exchanges also form an exceptionally solid foundation for bilateral ties, with tourism between the two countries growing significantly.

In 2025, Hanoi was selected as one of six capitals to host Thai Festival, one of Thailand’s flagship cultural promotion programs. This year’s edition, held in March to commemorate the 50th anniversary of diplomatic ties, attracted more than 20,000 visitors over three days around Hoan Kiem Lake and the Thang Long Imperial Citadel.

The ambassador said she was deeply moved by the large number of Vietnamese visitors attending and experiencing the festival.

Defense and security cooperation also gained a new milestone around one week ago when a Royal Thai Navy vessel visited Ho Chi Minh City Port for the first time in 11 years to mark the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations, demonstrating growing strategic trust between the two countries.

At the multilateral level, Vietnam and Thailand continue to share common positions and determination in promoting a peaceful, stable and rules-based region, maintaining ASEAN unity and pursuing balanced approaches toward major powers to keep the region away from conflict and focused on socio-economic development.

Tran Thuong