Vietnam and Thailand: Partnership for Shared Prosperity
WVR - The Vietnamese people is celebrating the 78th Anniversary of Independence Day of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.
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| HE Dr. Phan Chi Thanh, Ambassador of the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam to Thailand. (Photo: QT) |
The Independence Day is always associated with the name of our Great Leader, President Ho Chi Minh who led the Vietnamese people to uprise in the August Revolution 1945 and gained the national founding the Democratic Republic of Vietnam, now is the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.
After 78 years of independence and 37 years of Doi Moi Reform, nearly 100 million people of 54 Vietnamese nationalities live in harmony and a better livelihood, upholding the spirit of “Vietnam Aspiration” for advancing Vietnam as a stronger nation. As an ASEAN country, Vietnam pursues a policy of peace, independence, cooperation and development, joining hands with the world community to address global challenges towards a green, sustainable, inclusive and human’istic development.
Vietnam today is also known as a vibrant economy, one of the most dynamic and open emerging economies in the East Asia. As an investment hub in the region, Vietnam is now shifting from low to high value manufacturing. As a food exporting country, we are willing to increase the food supply during the current food shortage in the world. We are strongly committed to SDGs, green growth and net zero by the year 2050.
Celebrating our National Day in Thailand, I wish to convey my deep gratitude to the Royal Thai Government and the Thai people for the close friendship and partnership with Vietnam. This year also marks the 10th anniversary of Strategic Partnership between Vietnam and Thailand, which has grown stronger than ever. A remarkable progress has been made in the bilateral cooperation for the last ten years, as we have become key trading partners in the region with the bilateral trade volume increased by 250% from 8,6 billion in US dollars at the beginning of 2013 to approximately 21,6 billion US dollars at the end of 2022.
The Thai and the Vietnamese business communities deserve the biggest applaud for their efforts to foster the economic cooperation. The Thai private sector is now very active and successful in doing business in Vietnam. Thus, the total value of investment by the Thai companies has more than doubled from above 6 billion US dollars in 2012 to more than 13 billion US dollars at 2023 implying Thailand as the 9th biggest investor among the countries investing in Vietnam.
Tourism has doubled from about 530 thousand Vietnamese visiting Thailand and 225 thousands Thai visiting Vietnam in 2012 to 1 million Vietnamese visitors a half million Thai visitors respectively in 2019 before the Covid-19 pandemic. The two-way tourism in 2023 is expected to fully recover to the 2019 level.
The cultural and educational cooperation between Thailand and Vietnam continues to bring good outcomes by a fairly high number of students studying in the both countries, frequent cultural exchange programs, visits, workshops, exhibitions etc. I am very grateful to Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn for her compassion and kind support to primary school children and teachers in mountainous and remote areas in Vietnam during many years.
On the way forward, building on the achieved outcomes the two countries are closely working together for a new chapter of a stronger partnership for shared prosperity. Vietnam and Thailand are close neighbors sharing Mekong River and the Sea in the south. We also share great potentials and opportunities for advancing and deepening the cooperation through the “Three Connects” strategy and Plan of Action on Implementing the Thailand-Vietnam Strengthened Strategic Partnership 2022-2027. I believe that the upcoming 50th anniversary of the diplomatic relations will be commemorated in 2026 with a greater achievement.
In conclusion, I wish to convey to all Thai colleagues and friends as well as my fellow Vietnamese community, Vietnamese diaspora and all friends of Vietnam in Thailand who might read this message my best wishes and sincere thanks for their sympathy and support to our Embassy in Bangkok through the years. The Vietnamese Embassy will spare no efforts to advance the friendship and cooperation to serve the interest of our peoples.
