National Assembly Chairman Vương Đình Huệ and other delegates cut the ribbon to launch the Vietnam Town in Udon Thani province, northeastern Thailand, on December 9

UDON THANI - National Assembly Chairman Vương Đình Huệ on Saturday cut the ribbon to launch the ‘Việt Nam Town’ in Thailand's northeastern Udon Thani Province, which is the first in Thailand and the world.

The top legislator described the opening of the Việt Nam Town as a new imprint of Việt Nam in Thailand.

He expressed his delight that the cultural and historical values of Việt Nam have been promoted in Thailand, marked by Vietnamese pagodas and three relic sites dedicated to President Hồ Chí Minh.

He thanked the administration of Udon Thani and sponsors for supporting the Việt Nam Town project.

Underlining that this is the first and only Việt Nam Town in the world, NA Chairman Huệ said he believed that with the strong support of the local administration, the town would see bustling business, cultural and tourism activities, becoming a destination for Vietnamese in Thailand as well as tourists, contributing to enriching the local culture and fostering the friendship and attachment between locals and Thai people of Vietnamese origin here.

The Việt Nam Town initiative should be replicated in other suitable localities of Thailand, he said.

Udon Thani Governor Wanchai Kongkasem reviewed the friendship and cooperation between the two countries over the years.

He said that the Vietnamese community had acted as an important factor in promoting the ties between the two countries.

The official said the formation of the Việt Nam Town was a symbol of the solidarity, friendship and cooperation between the two countries and peoples.

According to the Vietnamese Association in Udon Thani, the Vietnamese community in the locality comprises about 60,000 people.

The Việt Nam Town is located in the Vietnamese market area in the city’s downtown, with 99 per cent of residents being of Vietnamese origin. Along with the support of the local administration and Vietnamese in Thailand, the project has received sponsorship from a number of Vietnamese firms at home. — VNS