Party General Secretary and State President Tô Lâm and his wife Ngô Phương Ly meet with Thailand's King Maha Vajiralongkorn and Queen Suthida in Bangkok on Thursday. —VNA/VNS Photos

BANGKOK — General Secretary of the Communist Party of Việt Nam Central Committee and State President Tô Lâm and his spouse, Ngô Phương Ly, on Thursday met with King Maha Vajiralongkorn and Queen Suthida at the Grand Palace during their official visit to Thailand.

King Maha Vajiralongkorn warmly welcomed the Vietnamese leader and his spouse, emphasising the significance of the visit which comes as the two countries mark the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations and follows the elevation of bilateral ties to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in 2025. He expressed confidence that the visit would deepen the relationship. 

The King congratulated Việt Nam on its socio-economic achievements and expressed his belief that the country will continue to achieve even greater successes in national development and improve people’s living standards.

Expressing his pleasure at returning to Thailand, General Secretary and President Lâm congratulated the country on its comprehensive development achievements in recent years. The Vietnamese leader said he believes that under the wise reign of King Maha Vajiralongkorn and with the unity of the Thai Government and people, Thailand will continue to prosper and strengthen its role and standing regionally and globally.

Reaffirming Việt Nam’s high regard for bilateral ties, the leader praised the strong development of relations over the past five decades, especially since the establishment of the Strategic Partnership in 2013 and its upgrade to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in 2025. He said Thailand is currently Việt Nam’s largest trading partner within ASEAN and one of the country’s leading foreign investors.

He also briefed the King on the successful outcomes of his talks with Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, during which both sides signed the Action Programme for implementing the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership for the 2026–2031 period.

General Secretary and President Lâm expressed hope that the King will continue to support priority cooperation between the two countries.

He also stressed that Việt Nam treasures the visits to Việt Nam by members of the Thai Royal Family, especially the King’s visits in 1992 and 1997 when he was Crown Prince. He considers them important milestones in strengthening friendship and mutual understanding between the two peoples. The Vietnamese leader thanked the Thai Royal Family for implementing meaningful projects in Việt Nam in education, community development, and social welfare.

He also expressed appreciation to the Thai King and Government for facilitating stable living conditions and social integration of the Vietnamese community in Thailand, while proposing continued support for promoting Vietnamese cultural values, including memorial sites dedicated to President Hồ Chí Minh and Vietnamese pagodas.

On this occasion, he invited the King and Queen to visit Việt Nam in the near future. King Maha Vajiralongkorn gladly accepted the invitation and expressed his wish to return to Việt Nam soon.

Earlier the same day, the Vietnamese leader, his spouse, and the high-ranking delegation laid wreaths and signed the book of condolences in tribute to late Queen Mother of Thailand Sirikit. — VNA/VNS