Community engagement: A solid foundation for overseas Vietnamese to serve as a bridge
WVR - In recent years, community engagement has always been a focus of the Vietnamese Representative Missions in Thailand, with many practical initiatives reflecting a vibrant sense of responsibility and affection towards the community, contributing to strengthening the trust of our overseas Vietnamese in the Party and the State.
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The year 2026 marks the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Vietnam and Thailand (6/8/1976 - 6/8/2026), an occasion to reflect on the increasingly robust cooperation between the two neighboring ASEAN countries. Political trust has been enhanced, and the comprehensive strategic partnership between Vietnam and Thailand has become substantive, opening up numerous opportunities for cooperation across all fields.
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| Overseas Vietnamese welcoming General Secretary, President To Lam and his spouse in Udon Thani on May 27, 2026.(Source: Consulate General of Vietnam in Khon Kaen) |
On this journey, the Vietnamese community in Thailand holds a special position. With a history spanning over a century, the overseas Vietnamese community serves as a meaningful bridge connecting the peoples of the two countries. This provides favorable conditions for the Vietnamese Consulate General in Khon Kaen to enhance community engagement, contributing to deepening the friendship and cooperation between Vietnam and Thailand in the new phase.
Currently, the overseas Vietnamese community in Thailand numbers over 100,000 people, with the majority residing in the northeastern provinces of Thailand. They have a tradition of patriotism, a special reverence for President Ho Chi Minh, and consistently strive for stability in their lives, integrating into the local society while preserving the Vietnamese language and traditional cultural identity.
In recent years, community engagement has always been a focus of the Vietnamese Representative Missions in Thailand, with many practical initiatives reflecting a vibrant sense of responsibility and affection towards the community, contributing to strengthening the trust of our overseas Vietnamese in the Party and the State.
At the beginning of 2026, the successful Congress of the Vietnamese Association in Thailand (General Association) helped consolidate the organizational structure of the General Association, contributing to building a united and strong community. The Thai-Vietnamese Business Association in Thailand, the Overseas Vietnamese Women's Committee, and local overseas Vietnamese associations have increasingly engaged in vibrant and meaningful activities that connect the community and focus on the homeland and the country...
Notably, the Vietnamese Consulate General in Khon Kaen received close and effective cooperation from the General Association and related agencies to successfully organize the program where General Secretary, President To Lam met with the overseas Vietnamese community during his official visit to Thailand at the end of May.
The stop in Udon Thani by General Secretary, President To Lam conveyed a profound message of Vietnam-Thailand friendship, as well as the affection, responsibility, and recognition from the head of the Party and the State for the overseas Vietnamese community in Thailand.
One of the highlights of community engagement is the preservation and promotion of the Vietnamese language, culture, and traditions. In 2025, the Consulate General organized the first Vietnamese Language Day in northeastern Thailand. This was followed by training programs, seminars on teaching methods, and the inauguration of a Vietnamese bookcase, which created a positive effect, strongly encouraging Vietnamese language teaching and learning activities within the community.
The program commemorating the 80th anniversary of Vietnam's National Day with the exhibition "Ho Chi Minh – A Symbol of the Era, A Bridge of Vietnam-Thailand Friendship", the contest "Overseas Vietnamese Singing, Homeland Affection", and the Spring Homeland Festival 2026 with traditional Tet cultural activities such as the "Banh Chung Wrapping and Cooking Contest" and the "Vietnamese Ao Dai Festival Celebrating the Year of the Horse" took place vibrantly, helping overseas Vietnamese, especially the younger generation, to become more aware of the spirit of patriotism and pride in the beautiful cultural values of the Vietnamese nation.
The establishment of the Vietnamese Ao Dai Cultural Association in Thailand continues to affirm the role of overseas Vietnamese in preserving, promoting, and spreading Vietnamese cultural values to Thai and international friends.
The Vietnam-Thailand relationship continues to develop, with overseas Vietnamese entrepreneurs increasingly playing a role as both a bridge and direct participants in economic cooperation, investment, trade, and tourism between the two countries.
In August 2025, the Vietnamese Consulate General coordinated with the Thai-Vietnamese Business Association in Thailand and the Vietnam Young Entrepreneurs Association to organize a series of economic diplomacy activities, including the business forum "Enhancing Vietnam-Thailand Economic Cooperation in the New Era", the "13th Go Global Thematic Dialogue – Vietnam Private Economic Forum", the "Vietnam Goods Fair – Northeastern Thailand"; and the Vietnam Goods Exhibition at the "Beyond Food Expo 2026" event last July.
The events attracted tens of thousands of visitors, resulting in numerous economic contracts and opening up many cooperation opportunities, contributing to boosting Vietnam-Thailand trade turnover to soon reach the target of 25 billion USD in the near future.
Recent times have witnessed a significant shift in community engagement; from gathering and mobilizing to promoting and affirming the active role of overseas Vietnamese in organizing cultural and economic diplomacy activities.
As a result, people-to-people exchanges have expanded in scale, become more diverse in content and form, and taken place vibrantly and practically. The graceful image of the Vietnamese Ao Dai, the unique art of water puppetry, the heartfelt folk songs, and the appealing culinary culture with nem, pho, green banh chung, tea, and coffee have become part of life, becoming familiar and beloved by the Thai people.
For the younger generation of overseas Vietnamese, programs such as the Vietnam Summer Camp help them better understand the history, culture, and socio-economic development of the country. They are the future successors, playing a bridging role, contributing to building a better and more sustainable friendship and cooperation between the two countries.
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| The business forum "Enhancing Vietnam-Thailand Economic Cooperation in the New Era" and the "13th Go Global Thematic Dialogue – Vietnam Private Economic Forum". |
The 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Vietnam and Thailand is not only an occasion to reflect on proud achievements but also an opportunity to open up new directions for future cooperation. On this journey, the Vietnamese community in Thailand will continue to play a particularly important role in connecting the two peoples, two economies, and two cultures.
With the above vision, community engagement should be identified as a long-term strategy to harness the strength of national unity and awaken the resources of the Vietnamese community worldwide.
For Thailand, community engagement is a solid foundation to promote the role of overseas Vietnamese as a bridge, creating a sustainable social foundation, contributing to elevating the comprehensive strategic partnership between Vietnam and Thailand to new heights for peace, stability, cooperation, and development in the ASEAN region and internationally.
