Thai Ambassador Urawadee Sriphiromya: General Secretary, President To Lam's visit holds special significance
WVR - General Secretary, President To Lam and his spouse, along with a high-ranking Vietnamese delegation, will pay an official visit to Thailand from May 27-29, 2026. On this occasion, Thai Ambassador to Vietnam Urawadee Sriphiromya gave an interview to Vietnamese media about the significance of the visit as well as the highlights in bilateral relations over the past period.
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| Thai Ambassador to Vietnam Urawadee Sriphiromya. (Photo: Duy Tien) |
How does the Ambassador evaluate the significance and expectations of General Secretary, President To Lam's visit to Thailand?
The visit of Mr. To Lam, in his dual role as General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam and President of Vietnam, holds special and significant meaning.
This is not only the first official visit to Thailand after the 14th Party Congress and the consolidation of Vietnam's new leadership, but it also coincides with the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Thailand and Vietnam. It has been quite a while since we had such a high-level visit.
Additionally, this is the first leg of General Secretary, President To Lam's ASEAN tour, meaning Thailand is the first ASEAN country he visits before continuing to other ASEAN nations.
In Thailand, we are eagerly looking forward to welcoming him and the high-ranking Vietnamese delegation. We are all very excited, not only at the government level but also among the people. Many Thai people of Vietnamese origin are also eager to welcome the General Secretary, President, and the Vietnamese delegation in Thailand.
As I mentioned earlier, this year marks the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries (1976-2026). This is a very meaningful milestone, reflecting mutual trust, respect, and the close, friendly cooperation between the two nations.
As you know, Thailand and Vietnam are currently Comprehensive Strategic Partners. This demonstrates that the cooperative relationship between the two countries is becoming increasingly close, tight-knit, and strongly enhanced. As an ambassador, I feel extremely honoured and proud that such a historic visit is taking place during my tenure.
In 2025, the two countries agreed to cooperate on the foundation of a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, which is the highest level of cooperation that Vietnam establishes with a partner country. Therefore, during the visit, the two sides will discuss in detail how to promote this cooperation framework in the future.
The most important outcome will be the Action Plan that the two countries and relevant agencies will coordinate to implement to achieve specific results. And this cooperation will not be limited to one or two areas but, in my opinion, is very comprehensive, encompassing all aspects of cooperation between the two countries.
I believe that with the Action Plan for the 2026-2031 period, this will be a well-structured cooperation program, helping the two countries promote mutual support while aiming for common security, peace, and prosperity goals.
This visit also takes place in the context of the international situation facing many challenges. The opportunity for the leaders of the two countries to consult and exchange ways to support each other in overcoming difficulties and challenges arising from the current international context is very valuable. Besides, we are currently particularly focused on issues such as energy security, food security, and the increasingly complex transformation of transnational crimes.
Thailand highly values Vietnam's role. Last year, Vietnam hosted the United Nations Convention against Cybercrime. Our responsible minister also attended this signing conference. This is a typical example of Vietnam's commitment along with Thailand and other countries in the region and the world in addressing serious issues affecting people and the economy.
The world is changing rapidly, and we see Vietnam as a proactive nation in promoting cooperation at many levels, including the multilateral level. Vietnam has just completed its role as the host of the conference related to the Non-Proliferation Treaty. You have also made significant contributions in international cooperation fields, including UNESCO, the United Nations, and development agendas.
Therefore, I am confident that the visit of General Secretary, President To Lam will achieve very good results. I, along with my colleagues at the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs and all members of the Thai Government, have been working very closely with the Vietnamese side to ensure the visit's success.
Once again, I believe this will be one of the most meaningful visits. The 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations falling at this time makes the visit even more special. We also always cherish the long-standing friendship with the Government, the country, and the people of Vietnam – whom we consider as family.
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| During the visit and work in Thailand in December 2025, Foreign Minister Le Hoai Trung met with Thai Foreign Minister Sihasak Phuangketkeow. (Photo: Bao Chi) |
Could the Ambassador share about the notable highlights in the bilateral relations over the past period?
I believe that the bilateral cooperation between the two countries has never been as close as it is now.
Our cooperative relationship is elevated to a new level each year. As I mentioned, last year the two sides agreed to upgrade the relationship to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. And I remember that Thailand was one of the first countries to establish an Enhanced Strategic Partnership with Vietnam. By 2025, we will continue to achieve the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership framework together.
I understand that Vietnam only establishes such a cooperation framework with a few countries, so I consider this a very noteworthy achievement.
Regarding economic cooperation, over the years, Thailand has always been among the top 10 largest foreign investors in Vietnam, and by 2025, we have moved from 9th to 8th place. This shows the great interest of the Thai people and business community in cooperation and investment in Vietnam. We have mutual trust and respect, and we believe in the policies and measures that the Vietnamese Government implements to create a favourable environment for the private sector to thrive.
These efforts not only benefit Thai businesses but also directly contribute to Vietnam's economic growth and improve the lives of Vietnamese people in the localities where Thai businesses invest, especially in many provinces and cities across the country.
Additionally, I believe that since taking up my duties in Vietnam, the number of tourists between the two countries has increased significantly. Of course, both countries have faced external challenges, especially economic shocks in recent years, but overall, people-to-people exchanges between the two countries remain very vibrant.
Thai people always enjoy visiting Vietnam. We have many delegations visiting Vietnam, and not only official delegations, but many people feel that Vietnam is a friendly country with many similarities to Thailand, making them feel very comfortable spending time here with their families.
And I think that sentiment is reciprocated, with many Vietnamese people traveling to Thailand. Therefore, people-to-people exchanges are a very solid foundation for further promoting economic cooperation and investment between the two countries.
Looking back at the past journey, I also believe that the current period is particularly favourable. I have heard from many businesses that have invested in Vietnam for 40 years, and they all affirm that they are very satisfied. For them, the two countries and their peoples have never been closer than they are now.
For my part, not only myself but also the Thai Government always pays special attention to Vietnam and Hanoi. Last year, Hanoi was chosen as one of the six capitals to host the Thai Festival – our key cultural promotion project. This was also the first time the Thai Festival was held in Hanoi.
This year, in March, the Thai Festival was organized to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Thailand-Vietnam diplomatic relations and was very successful. I was truly moved to see a large number of Vietnamese people attending and experiencing the festival. This is only the second year of the festival, but we welcomed over 20,000 visitors during the three-day event at the Thang Long Imperial Citadel.
The event also sparked curiosity and admiration among Thai people for the Thang Long Imperial Citadel – a World Heritage Site of Vietnam.
In particular, I believe that the trust between the two countries is also being increasingly strengthened. We have been coordinating very closely, always striving to support and facilitate each other, and supporting each other at regional and international forums, such as ASEAN and APEC. In the future, Thailand will continue to work closely with Vietnam in many more areas.
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| In March 2026, the Thai Embassy in Vietnam solemnly organized the Thai Festival 2026 with the theme "Creative Life and Creative Heartbeat". (Source: Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism) |
What role does the Thailand-Vietnam partnership play in the stability and development of Southeast Asia, Ambassador?
With the economic development achievements and stability that Vietnam has maintained in recent times, we believe that Vietnam, along with Thailand, can play a role in promoting ASEAN's agenda.
Currently, ASEAN is facing many challenges, both from within the group and from the rapidly changing international environment, including competition among major powers, instability, and even conflict in the Middle East. The positions of Vietnam and Thailand have many similarities. We both promote regional peace, stability, and prosperity; promote a rules-based region and ensure the solidarity of ASEAN member states. We also need to adopt a balanced approach in relations with major countries to keep the region free from conflict, thereby focusing on the socio-economic development of the region.
In ASEAN, Thailand is not only one of the founding members, but we also strive for countries inside and outside ASEAN to respect ASEAN's role.
Additionally, I find that Vietnam's long-term development goals are very similar to Thailand's: aiming for sustainable economic growth. In fact, both Vietnam and Thailand are promoting sustainable development. Currently, Thailand is the ASEAN coordinator for sustainable development cooperation. Vietnam has also implemented many policies to support ASEAN's transition towards green development, a green economy, and digital transformation to create new competitive advantages for the economy.
Another issue I want to emphasize is: Both Thailand and Vietnam are maritime nations with long coastlines. In the current context, maritime security is of utmost importance. The two countries have been coordinating to promote maritime security, freedom of navigation, and compliance with international law, including the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) in maritime cooperation. This is also a very potential area for the two countries to continue strengthening cooperation in the future.
Thank you very much, Ambassador!
