Promotion of Vietnamese teaching and learning in northeast Thailand

The programme attracted the participation of a large number of overseas Vietnamese, Thai friends, and the coordination of many domestic and host-country agencies, demonstrating shared concern and joint efforts to preserve and promote the Vietnamese language and culture among the more than 100,000 Vietnamese people living in Northeast Thailand.

The seminar “Strengthening the Teaching and Learning of Vietnamese and Vietnamese Culture within the Community in Northeast Thailand”, held in Udon Thani, was not only a professional activity but also an occasion to reflect on the long journey of the community, from difficult early days to ongoing efforts today to preserve the mother tongue.

In his opening remarks, Consul General of Viet Nam in Khon Kaen (Thailand) Dinh Hoang Linh emphasised that Vietnamese is the “essence of the nation”, forming the foundation for maintaining cultural identity and connecting overseas Vietnamese communities with their homeland. He recalled a historical milestone when nearly a century ago, President Ho Chi Minh opened Vietnamese language classes for overseas Vietnamese in Udon Thani, laying the foundation for the Vietnamese language learning movement in Thailand.

While in many other countries, Vietnamese communities are still largely in the first or second generation, in Northeast Thailand, the Vietnamese language has been passed down to the third and fourth generations-something rare and highly valuable.

Within the framework of the seminar, Songpon Baolopet, Director of the Viet Nam Studies Centre at Udon Thani Rajabhat University, emphasised that the participation of research and training institutions and partners in Thailand is not only of professional significance but also serves as a sustainable bridge in cultural and educational exchange between the two countries. According to him, the teaching and research of the Vietnamese language are helping Thai people gain a deeper understanding of Viet Nam’s country, people, and culture, thereby further strengthening the foundation of Viet Nam–Thailand friendship.