The ambassador said the establishment of Viet 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.

The Sydney Morning Herald, one of Australia’s most respected and long-established daily newspapers, has described Phu Quoc in the Mekong Delta province of An Giang as the “New Phuket,” praising the Vietnamese island for having some of Southeast Asia’s most beautiful beaches while offering travel costs just one-third of those at Thailand’s major island destinations.