Vietnamese Ambassador to Thailand Phạm Việt Hùng and overseas Vietnamese in Ubon Ratchathani province, Thailand. VNA/VNS Photo

BANGKOK - Cooperation between Vietnamese and Thai localities, along with people-to-people exchanges, form the bedrock of the enduring relationship between Việt Nam and Thailand, according to Vietnamese Ambassador to Thailand Phạm Việt Hùng who paid a working visit to several provinces in the Northeast of Thailand from October 7-10.

In meetings with the Vietnamese communities in Ubon Ratchathani, Amnat Charoen, and Yasothon provinces, the ambassador expressed his happiness at the stable lives of the Vietnamese residents there, noting their significant contributions to both Thailand’s development and the strengthening of Việt Nam-Thailand relations.

“It is heartening to witness the Vietnamese community in Thailand preserving the rich cultural traditions and values of their homeland,” Hùng remarked.

As part of his working trip, Ambassador Hùng also met with the Governor of Ubon Ratchathani province and the acting Governor of Nakhon Phanom province, alongside various provincial administrative officials. He highlighted that relations between Việt Nam and Thailand were flourishing, with inter-provincial cooperation and people-to-people exchanges being central to these bilateral ties.

Both Ubon Ratchathani and Nakhon Phanom provinces have a history of strong cooperation with Vietnamese localities, particularly in trade, tourism, and education. Ambassador Hùng emphasised that the Vietnamese Embassy remained ready to serve as a facilitator for enhancing these cooperative efforts.

He also expressed gratitude to the people and authorities of both provinces for supporting the Vietnamese community in their regions, allowing them to integrate well into local societies and contribute to regional development.

Supasit Kocharoenyot, Governor of Ubon Ratchathani province, highlighted existing cooperation agreements between Ubon Ratchathani and Việt Nam’s Quảng Nam and Quảng Trị provinces, alongside collaborative activities with other Vietnamese localities, such as Kon Tum and Thừa Thiên-Huế. He noted that many successful businesspeople of Vietnamese descent were contributing significantly to the province's economy. The province planned to hold future meetings between Thai and Vietnamese businesspeople to foster connections. Additionally, Ubon Ratchathani Royal University had signed cooperation agreements with Vietnamese universities and regularly hosted sports and cultural exchange programmes.

Ranida Luengthitisakul, acting Governor of Nakhon Phanom Province, acknowledged that the Vietnamese community represented one of the largest foreign communities in the province. She added that the Thai-Vietnamese Association of the province had played a vital role in its development. The President Hồ Chí Minh Memorial, established by the Vietnamese community, had become a major tourist attraction.

Nakhon Phanom Province also had strong ties with Vietnamese localities in the fields of tourism, education, and import-export activities. Nakhon Phanom University, in particular, had cooperation agreements with several Vietnamese universities, including Vinh University and Hà Tĩnh University. Over the past two decades, nearly 1,000 Vietnamese students had studied at Nakhon Phanom University. VNS