General Secretary and President To Lam and his wife, Ngo Phuong Ly, hosted the official welcome ceremony at Vietnam’s National Assembly building on Tuesday morning.

As the motorcade carrying the Thai King and Queen arrived at the National Assembly, General Secretary and President To Lam and his wife greeted the royal couple on the red carpet. Children from Hanoi then presented flowers to the King and Queen.

Accompanied by ceremonial music, General Secretary and President To Lam and King Maha Vajiralongkorn walked along the red carpet to the honor platform.

A military band played the national anthems of Thailand and Vietnam, while a 21-gun salute was fired from the Thang Long Imperial Citadel in honor of the royal couple’s state visit.

Following the national anthems, the commander of the Vietnam People’s Army honor guard reported to the two leaders before inviting them to inspect the guard.

General Secretary and President To Lam and King Maha Vajiralongkorn then introduced members of their countries’ high-level delegations attending the ceremony.

Vietnamese officials present included Nguyen Duy Ngoc, head of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee’s Organization Commission; Minister of Public Security Gen. Luong Tam Quang; Foreign Minister Le Hoai Trung; Nguyen Hai Ninh, chief of the Party Central Committee Office; Le Khanh Hai, chairman of the Presidential Office; and Gen. Nguyen Tan Cuong, chief of the General Staff of the Vietnam People’s Army and deputy defense minister.

Also attending were To An Xo, assistant to General Secretary and President To Lam and head of the General Secretary’s Office, and Pham Viet Hung, Vietnam’s ambassador to Thailand.

Ambassadors and chargés d’affaires from ASEAN countries in Vietnam also attended the welcome ceremony.

After the ceremony, General Secretary and President To Lam and King Maha Vajiralongkorn led high-level delegations from the two countries in talks.

The visit carries particular historical significance for the two Southeast Asian neighbors. Since Vietnam and Thailand established diplomatic relations in 1976, this is the first state visit to Vietnam by a Thai King and Queen.

It is also the first time Maha Vajiralongkorn and Suthida have visited Vietnam in their capacities as King and Queen of Thailand.

Maha Vajiralongkorn previously visited Vietnam in 1992 and 1997 when he was Crown Prince.

The state visit comes as Vietnam and Thailand mark 50 years of diplomatic relations, a milestone in the development of bilateral ties.

Although formal diplomatic relations were established in 1976, connections between the two countries stretch back much further, shaped by their geographical proximity and cultural ties.

Over the past five decades, Vietnam-Thailand relations have seen steady and rapid progress across areas of cooperation. The relationship entered a new phase in May 2025, when the two countries elevated ties to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.

Tran Thuong - Pham Hai