Thai Prime Minister starts official visit to Viet Nam
VGP - Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra arrived in Ha Noi on May 15, starting a two-day official visit to Viet Nam at the inviation of Vietnamese counterpart Pham Minh Chinh.
Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra arrives at Ha Noi-based Noi Bai International Airport, May 15, 2025 - Photo: VNA
During the visit, the two Prime Ministers will co-chair the 4th Viet Nam-Thailand Joint Cabinet Meeting.
The Thai leader is accompanied by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Transport Suriya Jungrungreangkit, Minister of Foreign Affairs Maris Sangiampongsa, Minister of Tourism and Sports Sorawong Thienthong, Deputy Minister of Finance Julapun Amornvivat, Prime Minister's Secretary General Prommin Lertsuridej, and Thailand's Trade Representatives Chai Wacharonke and Umesh N. Pandey.
This is the first visit to Viet Nam by Prime Minister Paetongtarn since she took office, and also the first by a Thai Government leader in 11 years. Additionally, it marks the first Joint Cabinet Meeting between the two prime ministers in 10 years.
Since the establishment of diplomatic relations on August 6, 1976, the cooperation between the two countries has grown rapidly in both scope and depth.
The two countries elevated their relationship to a Strategic Partnership in June 2013, becoming the first pair of ASEAN member states to establish such a partnership. Subsequently, in 2015, the relationship was further upgraded to an "Enhanced Strategic Partnership" to promote stronger and more comprehensive cooperation.
Thailand is Viet Nam's largest trading partner in ASEAN and ranks 9th in the world. Bilateral trade reached US$20.2 billion last year, and US$3.1 billion in the first two months of 2025, marking a 6.2 percent increase compared to the same period in 2024. Both sides aim to raise their two-way trade turnover to US$25 billion in the coming time, in a balanced and sustainable manner.
In terms of investment, as of January 2025, Thailand ranked 9th out of 149 countries and territories pouring capital into Viet Nam, and 2nd among ASEAN countries (after Singapore), with 757 valid projects totaling over US$14.35 billion.
Meanwhile, Viet Nam has 18 newly licensed investment projects in Thailand and three capital adjustment projects, with a total registered capital of US$34.2 million, making Thailand rank 33rd out of 80 countries and territories receiving Vietnamese investments.
At present, 19 pairs of provinces and cities from the two countries have signed cooperative and twinned agreements./.
