First Vietnam Town in the world
Vietnam Town - Vietnamese Street, newly inaugurated in Udon Thani, Thailand, is expected to be a place for exchange, trade, and introduction of Vietnamese culture and cuisine to the Thai community and tourists.
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| Vietnam Town is located at Alley 2, Si Suk Road. (Photo: Vietnamese Association in Thailand) |
"The capital" of Vietnamese-origin Thais
Udon Thani in Thailand is considered the "capital" of the Vietnamese-origin Thai people, as it is home to the largest Vietnamese diaspora in Thailand, with about 60,000 people.
This location is also where President Ho Chi Minh once lived, established a school to teach and impart revolutionary knowledge to the Vietnamese community and officials during the late 1920s.
Over nearly 100 years of formation and development, the Vietnamese-origin Thai community in Udon Thani has grown stronger, playing an increasingly important role in the social life of the province.
Therefore, the idea of establishing a Vietnam Town in Udon Thani Province was enthusiastically promoted by the Vietnamese Embassy in Thailand and received strong support from the provincial and city governments of Udon Thani.
Vietnam Town was formed in the central Vietnamese market of the city, with 99% of its residents being of Vietnamese origin, living and doing business, and rich in Vietnamese national identity.
Located at Alley 2, Si Suk Road, the Vietnamese quarter features shops with menus in both Thai and Vietnamese, with clear pricing.
The official website of Udon Thani city has an article introducing the street and sharing its opening hours.
Here, guests can experience many hometown specialties, from beef and chicken pho, fried spring rolls, Vietnamese pancakes, mock meat dishes, to roasted pork with lemongrass, grilled pork with noodles, rice cake, sticky rice, various salads, etc.
In addition to cakes, the market also sells a variety of Vietnamese specialties like chicken and beef pho, spring rolls, onion rolls, salads, mock meat dishes, fried spring rolls, beef noodles, pork skin noodles, fermented shrimp paste, grilled pork with noodles, pork sausages, sticky rice with mung bean, sautéed pork with lemongrass, balut, and Chinese sausage.
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| Vietnamese food stalls in the Vietnam Town. (Photo: Vietnamese Association in Thailand) |
A symbol of friendship between two countries
As a collaboration project between the provincial and city governments and the Thai Association of Vietnamese Origin in the province, the Vietnam Town project is very important for the Vietnamese-origin Thai community in Udon Thani in particular and throughout Thailand in general.
Besides the support of the Udon Thani provincial government and Vietnamese expatriates in Thailand, the project received sponsorship from several domestic enterprises.
On December 9, as part of his official visit to the Kingdom of Thailand, Chairman of the National Assembly (NA) Vuong Dinh Hue, leaders of the Udon Thani provincial government, and representatives of Vietnamese associations in Udon Thani inaugurated the Vietnam Town.
Speaking at the ceremony, Governor Wanchai Kongkasem reviewed the friendly and cooperative relationship between the two countries over time; acknowledging the Vietnamese community in Udon Thani as an important element in promoting bilateral relations.
The Governor believed that the formation of the Vietnam Town is a symbol of the solidarity, friendship and cooperation between the two countries and peoples.
NA Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue expressed his joy at visiting Udon Thani, feeling the festive, joyous atmosphere like the Tet holiday among the large Vietnamese community, and emphasized that the inauguration of Vietnam Town will mark another Vietnamese imprint in Thailand.
Underlining that it is the first and only Vietnam Town in the world, NA Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue expressed confidence that the project will develop business, cultural, and tourism activities in the future, thereby becoming a destination for the Vietnamese community in Thailand and compatriots at home when visiting Thailand and attracting tourists, not only contributing to the economic development of the community but also promoting local tourism and enriching local culture.
Vietnam Town was built and inaugurated as an initiative and meaningful action of the community in preserving and promoting Vietnamese culture and should be considered a model for research and application in other suitable localities in Thailand and around the world.
In the past period, the city and provincial government of Udon Thani have been very active in promoting the implementation of preparatory work to accelerate the completion of the project.
Besides the contributions and support of individuals, businesses, the city government of Udon Thani decided to allocate 3 million Baht (nearly 86,000 USD) to renovate the Vietnam Town over the past year.
The Vietnamese Ambassador to Thailand, Phan Chi Thanh, affirmed that this is a vivid expression of the friendship and affection of the people of Udon Thani towards the Vietnamese living in the province, as well as the traditional friendship between Vietnam and Thailand.
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