The conference was attended by Nguyen Van Thanh, President of the Viet Nam-Thailand Friendship Association; Sanan Angubolkul, President of the Thailand-Viet Nam Friendship Association; Urawadee Sriphiromya, Ambassador of Thailand to Viet Nam; Pham Viet Hung, Ambassador of Viet Nam to Thailand; Ta Quang Ngoc, former President of the Viet Nam-Thailand Friendship Association; and Jariya Chirathivat, President of the Thailand-Viet Nam Business Council, along with representatives of local friendship organisations and members of both associations.

Bringing cooperation closer to businesses and the people

“Our two associations need to strengthen their role as bridges, bringing cooperation policies and initiatives at the national level closer to businesses and the people,” Nguyen Van Thanh said at the conference.

President of the Viet Nam-Thailand Friendship Association Nguyen Van Thanh speaks at the conference.

According to Nguyen Van Thanh, 2026 marks the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Viet Nam and Thailand, although the friendship between the peoples of the two countries dates back many centuries. He particularly highlighted the role of revolutionary leader Nguyen Ai Quoc during his revolutionary activities in Thailand from 1928 to 1929, when he established mutual assistance organisations and encouraged overseas Vietnamese to respect local laws and integrate into the host communities.

Over the 50 years since the establishment of diplomatic relations, the two countries have continuously strengthened mutual trust and expanded cooperation, upgrading their relationship to a Strategic Partnership in 2013, an Enhanced Strategic Partnership in 2019, and a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in 2025. Nguyen Van Thanh emphasised that people-to-people and cultural exchanges are the “strong and enduring bond” nurturing Viet Nam-Thailand friendship, while people-to-people diplomacy provides the social foundation for translating high-level commitments into practical action.

Looking ahead, Nguyen Van Thanh noted that unpredictable global developments, non-traditional security challenges and rapid advances in science and technology are placing new demands on Viet Nam–Thailand cooperation. Both countries need to leverage their complementary strengths, enhance resilience and expand the scope of cooperation.

One important task is to implement the “Three Connections” strategy, which encompasses supply chain connectivity; connectivity between the two economies, particularly at the local level; and alignment of sustainable development strategies. According to Nguyen Van Thanh, these areas need to be translated into cooperation programmes that deliver tangible results.

He particularly underscored the role of localities. Provinces and cities that have established cooperative and twinning relationships are well positioned to promote trade, investment, tourism, education and cultural exchanges. The two friendship associations should support localities in identifying partners, expanding relations and implementing activities tailored to the needs of each side.

Nguyen Van Thanh expressed his appreciation for the continued support of the Thailand-Viet Nam Friendship Association and its President, Sanan Angubolkul. He noted that, thanks to the Thai association's attention and efforts to promote cooperation, relations between the two associations have gradually expanded beyond traditional friendship exchange programmes to encompass connections among businesses, localities, educational institutions and people-to-people organisations.

President of the Thailand-Viet Nam Friendship Association Sanan Angubolkul speaks at the conference.

Sanan Angubolkul, President of the Thailand-Viet Nam Friendship Association, also highlighted the need to improve the effectiveness of both associations' activities. He noted that, over the 50 years of diplomatic relations between the two countries and 30 years of cooperation between the two associations, friendship activities had promoted exchanges across a wide range of fields, including the economy, society, culture, education, tourism and sports. Ties between local communities have grown increasingly close, helping to sustain friendship across generations.

According to Sanan Angubolkul, the achievements made so far provide a foundation for both associations to continue innovating their approaches. He affirmed that the Thailand-Viet Nam Friendship Association stands ready to adjust its operational orientations towards a more proactive approach, with the aim of delivering practical benefits and helping improve the lives of people in both countries.

President Sanan Angubolkul expressed his hope that delegates would exchange views and put forward practical initiatives to improve the effectiveness of cooperation. He also acknowledged the support of the Thailand-Viet Nam Business Council in connecting people-to-people organisations and business communities in the two countries.

Urawadee Sriphiromya, Ambassador of Thailand to Viet Nam, highly appreciated the role of the two associations in maintaining and developing people-to-people exchange networks between localities, promoting cooperation in education, culture and sports, and facilitating business connections. She acknowledged the two associations' support for activities organised by the Royal Thai Embassy in Hanoi, including the Thailand Festival, delegation exchanges and visits to Thailand by Vietnamese officials under the Emerging Leaders Programme.

Ambassador Urawadee Sriphiromya affirmed that the Royal Thai Embassy would continue to work closely with the two associations to nurture and further deepen Viet Nam-Thailand relations.

Connecting Localities and Expanding Areas of Cooperation

To meet the demands of the new phase, Nguyen Van Thanh, President of the Viet Nam-Thailand Friendship Association, proposed five key areas of coordination between the two associations. These include preserving and promoting historical values and traditional friendship, particularly the heritage associated with President Ho Chi Minh; promoting exchanges among young people and students, as well as cooperation in language and education; mobilising member networks to support the implementation of the “Three Connections” strategy, with a focus on green transformation, digital transformation and innovation; strengthening substantive connections between localities, with the effectiveness of cooperation and the interests of the peoples of both countries serving as the key measures of success; and promoting economic, trade and investment cooperation between the two countries through business networking activities between Vietnamese and Thai enterprises.

Delegates pose for a commemorative photograph.

Nguyen Van Thanh recalled the Viet Nam-Thailand Business Forum held in Bangkok in 2023 under the theme “1+1 = no borders”. He expressed his hope that the two associations would continue to strengthen their role in facilitating connections and creating opportunities for businesses from both countries to meet, exchange views and explore cooperation opportunities.

Jariya Chirathivat, President of the Thailand-Viet Nam Business Council, spoke highly of the role played by the two associations in connecting the public sector, private sector and people of both countries. She noted that networks established through friendship activities provide businesses with additional opportunities to meet potential partners, particularly Thai enterprises seeking to expand their operations in Viet Nam.

Pham Viet Hung, Ambassador of Viet Nam to Thailand, said that the two associations had supported business communities in establishing trade connections and exploring investment opportunities, as well as organising business seminars combined with exhibitions of Viet Nam's OCOP products and Thailand's OTOP products. Exchanges among school and university students, along with connections between educational institutions, have also been stepped up.

The Ambassador called on the two associations to pay greater attention to young people, students and young entrepreneurs; support small and medium-sized enterprises; expand trade ties at the local level; and promote cooperation in education, digital transformation and sustainable development.

Presentations by Vietnamese localities at the conference highlighted a wide range of cooperation needs with Thailand. Hue expressed its desire to expand connections in tourism, culture, education and the East-West Economic Corridor. Da Nang expressed interest in cooperation in seaports, logistics and tourism, while Ha Tinh sought opportunities to attract investment and promote university-level and vocational training. Can Tho focused on trade, agriculture and education, while Vinh Long introduced its potential to attract investment into its economic and industrial zones. The localities expressed their desire to leverage the networks of the two associations to identify partners and expand cooperation in areas where they have strengths.

President of the Thailand-Viet Nam Friendship Association Sanan Angubolkul (far left) presents a commemorative plaque recognising contributions to Viet Nam-Thailand people-to-people diplomacy to Ta Quang Ngoc (centre), former President of the Viet Nam-Thailand Friendship Association.

On this occasion, Sanan Angubolkul, President of the Thailand-Viet Nam Friendship Association, presented commemorative plaques in recognition of their contributions to Viet Nam-Thailand people-to-people diplomacy to Urawadee Sriphiromya, Ambassador of Thailand to Viet Nam; Pham Viet Hung, Ambassador of Viet Nam to Thailand; Nguyen Van Thanh, President of the Viet Nam-Thailand Friendship Association; and Ta Quang Ngoc, former President of the association.

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