Ambassador Phạm Việt Hùng (third from left) poses for a commemorative photo with Honorary Consul Thaneth Tantipiriyakij and several leaders from southern Thai provinces in front of the Honorary Consulate Office in Phuket. — VNA/VNS Photo

BANGKOK — Việt Nam officially inaugurated its first honorary consulate in Phuket, Thailand, on Thursday, marking a new step in strengthening bilateral ties and expanding consular services for Vietnamese citizens in southern Thailand.

The honorary consulate has jurisdiction over eight southern coastal provinces, including Phuket, Phang Nga, Krabi, Trang, Satun, Ranong, Songkhla, and Surat Thani.

The inauguration ceremony, held at Nai Yang Beach Resort in Phuket, was attended by Vietnamese Ambassador to Thailand Phạm Việt Hùng, local officials, business representatives and members of the Vietnamese community.

Addressing the event, Hùng highlighted its significance as Việt Nam and Thailand are celebrating the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations. He noted that bilateral ties have evolved from close people-to-people exchanges into a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, further strengthened by the recent official visits of Vietnamese Party General Secretary Tô Lâm to Thailand and Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul to Việt Nam.

The ambassador said the establishment of Việt Nam's first honorary consulate in Phuket reflects both countries' commitment to enhancing cooperation with the Andaman sea economic gateway while meeting growing demand for consular services and better support for Vietnamese citizens and the Vietnamese community in southern Thailand.

He congratulated Thaneth Tantipiriyakij on his appointment as Việt Nam's Honorary Consul in Phuket, affirming that the Vietnamese Embassy in Bangkok and relevant Vietnamese agencies would work closely with him and provide full support in carrying out his duties.

For his part, Thaneth pledged to promote cooperation in trade, investment, tourism, education, culture and people-to-people exchanges, while helping raise the image of Việt Nam in Phuket and southern Thailand and providing consular assistance to Vietnamese nationals within his consular jurisdiction.

Following the inauguration, the Việt Nam Connect Phuket 2026 forum brought together around 60 businesses from the two countries to explore partnership and investment opportunities.

At the event, Vietnam Airlines introduced its new HCM City–Phuket direct service, operating four round-trip flights per week since July 2, which is expected to facilitate travel and business exchanges. A cooperation agreement was also signed between Kajonkiet International School (KIS) Phuket and Nobel School in Việt Nam's Thanh Hoá Province. — VNA/VNS