Opening a new chapter in Vietnam-Thailand relations

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra at the 44th and 45th ASEAN Summits in Vientiane (Laos), October 2024. (Photo: Nhat Bac)

The visit takes place in the context of the two countries' relationship being at its best since the official establishment of diplomatic relations in 1976.

As the youngest leader and second female Prime Minister in Thailand’s history, Ms. Paetongtarn Shinawatra’s visit marks a new era of cooperation between the two dynamic countries of Southeast Asia. This is also the first official visit by the head of the Thai Government in more than a decade after the official visit to Vietnam by Prime Minister Prayut Chan-ocha in 2014.

Since Ms. Paetongtarn Shinawatra became the head of the Thai Government in August 2024, the Prime Ministers of the two countries have had contacts such as Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh's phone call and congratulation to the new Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra on August 29, 2024. The two Prime Ministers also had their first face-to-face meeting on the occasion of attending the ASEAN Summit in October 2024 in Laos. The two sides expect the upcoming visit of the Thai Prime Minister to be an important milestone when the two countries together bring the Strategic Partnership to a higher cooperation framework. This important milestone will open up new space for the two countries to develop more strongly and substantially in the new period in each country.

Solid foundation

Throughout the nearly 50-year history of relations, despite ups and downs, the two countries have continuously strived to develop friendly relations and multifaceted cooperation since establishing diplomatic relations in 1976, especially after Vietnam joined ASEAN in 1995.

The two countries have worked together to deepen their Strategic Partnership since 2013 and their Enhanced Strategic Partnership since 2019. 2023 is also the year that Vietnam and Thailand will be the first two countries in ASEAN to establish a Strategic Partnership. The two sides continue to strengthen the Enhanced Strategic Partnership and are currently implementing cooperation documents, including the Action Program to Implement the Enhanced Strategic Partnership for the 2022-2027 period.

The two sides maintain and implement high-level and all-level foreign contact channels. Recently, on the Thai side, there was a visit by Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn in 2024, while on the other side, there was an official visit by the Chairman of the National Assembly of Vietnam to Thailand in 2023 on the occasion of the 10th anniversary of the Strategic Partnership between the two countries. It can be seen that Vietnam and Thailand maintain a good relationship and high political trust between the leaders and people of the two countries. This is a solid and important foundation contributing to promoting increasingly deep and trustworthy relations between the two sides at all levels, on all channels of the State, Government, National Assembly, enterprises, localities and people-to-people exchanges.

In terms of politics and foreign affairs, in addition to high-level exchanges and contacts between the leaders of the two countries, the two sides also maintain important bilateral cooperation mechanisms such as: Deputy Ministerial-level Political Consultation (PCG), Vietnam-Thailand Joint Committee on Bilateral Cooperation (JCBC), Joint Committee on Trade, Deputy Ministerial-level Defense Policy Dialogue, etc.

During this visit, the two sides will resume the organization of the Joint Cabinet Meeting (JCR) co-chaired by the Prime Ministers of the two countries. The last time the two countries held a Joint Cabinet Meeting was in 2015 on the occasion of the Vietnamese Prime Minister's official visit to Thailand. This is a rare bilateral cooperation mechanism in the world at present. The visit will be an opportunity for the two sides to review the progress of promoting cooperation in all fields in the recent past, aiming to deepen the relationship in a more substantial manner in the upcoming era of cooperation and development.

This visit will also reaffirm the Strategic Partnership between the two countries, especially in the context of many changes in the region and the world. The two sides continued to emphasize that defense and security are one of the important pillars of cooperation and need to continue promoting effective cooperation mechanisms such as the Defense Policy Dialogue, the High-level Dialogue on Crime Prevention and Control and Security Issues.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra with high-ranking delegates from the two countries at the 44th and 45th ASEAN Summits in Vientiane (Laos), October 2024. (Source: VGP)

Promoting the "Three Connections"

One of the most prominent pillars of cooperation between the two countries in recent times is economic, trade and investment cooperation. Accordingly, economic cooperation between the two countries has maintained a very positive growth momentum, being a pillar and a bright spot in bilateral relations. The two sides will continue to promote the implementation of the "Three Connectivity" Strategy that the leaders of the two sides previously agreed upon, including the early establishment of a Working Group to discuss the content and specific plans such as measures to raise awareness of the "Three Connectivity" Strategy for government agencies, businesses and people of the two countries.

In recent years, Thailand has continued to be Vietnam's largest trading partner in ASEAN. The two countries' two-way trade turnover has averaged about 20 billion USD. In 2022, the total import-export turnover between Vietnam and Thailand reached a record of 21.6 billion USD, up 15.1% compared to 2021 (two-way trade turnover in 2021 reached 19.5 billion USD). In 2023, the total import-export turnover between Vietnam and Thailand reached approximately 19 billion USD. In 2024, the total two-way trade turnover reached more than 20.2 billion USD. The two countries expect that the two-way trade turnover will soon reach the target of 25 billion USD in a more sustainable and balanced direction. However, the two sides need to continue discussing expanding market access and reducing trade barriers so that each country's goods can access each other's markets more, including continuing to coordinate to expand market access for fresh fruit products in a more balanced direction.

Regarding investment, Thailand currently has more than 700 valid projects with a total registered capital of more than 14.1 billion USD, ranking 9th out of 144 countries investing in Vietnam and 2nd among ASEAN countries investing in Vietnam (after Singapore). The visit is also an opportunity for the two sides to complete the signing of a new Labor Agreement to create conditions for Vietnamese workers to work in legal industries, thereby providing an abundant labor source for the Thai market and bringing economic benefits to both countries.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son and his wife, along with Thai Foreign Minister Maris Sangiampongsa and his wife, visited the Thang Long Imperial Citadel relic site during their visit to Vietnam on February 24, 2025. (Photo: Nguyen Hong)

"Six countries - one destination"

In addition to continuing to promote the pillars of economic, trade and investment cooperation, the two sides continue to promote cooperation in tourism, especially promoting hard infrastructure connections such as air, road and rail because both countries have potential and strengths in the tourism sector. Along with the airlines of the two countries opening more routes and expanding road connections, the two sides expect the number of tourists in both directions to increase sharply in the near future.

In addition, the two sides continued to consider the possibility of effectively implementing tourism connectivity initiatives within the ASEAN region to attract tourists from outside the region and promote and attract tourists traveling between countries, including Thailand's "Six Countries - One Destination" initiative.

In addition, Vietnam and Thailand continued to affirm ASEAN's central role in addressing regional challenges, from geopolitical tensions to economic instability; prioritized sub-regional development cooperation in mainland Southeast Asia, sustainable management and use of Mekong River water resources; emphasized the importance of maintaining peace, stability, safety, maritime and aviation security in the East Sea on the basis of international law, including the 1982 UNCLOS Convention.

In the context of the two countries' relations developing very positively, with great room for cooperation between the two sides, the visit from May 16-16 by Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra will open up new space for the two countries to develop more strongly, for the common interests of the two countries as well as the friendship of the two peoples, while contributing to peace, prosperity and development in the region.

Source: https://baoquocte.vn/mo-chuong-moi-trong-quan-he-viet-nam-thai-lan-314121.html