Thai media outlets have extensively covered the official visit to Thailand by General Secretary of the Communist Party of Viet Nam (CPV) Central Committee and State President To Lam, highlighting Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul’s statement that the visit marked an important opportunity to shape long-term cooperation more concretely, particularly, as both countries continued to demonstrate strong economic potential and sustained growth.
The Nation newspaper noted that Party General Secretary and State President To Lam and his spouse Ngo Phuong Ly visited the Ho Chi Minh Memorial Site in Udon Thani province and met with the Vietnamese community there on May 27 before coming to Bangkok. The paper said the visit demonstrated Viet Nam’s emphasis on people-to-people exchanges, underlining that Viet Nam–Thailand relations go beyond official diplomacy and are rooted in close community ties connecting the two nations for generations.
Thai media also reported prominently on the official welcome ceremony at the Government House, talks between the two leaders and the exchange of cooperation agreements witnessed by General Secretary and President To Lam and PM Anutin.
The Bangkok Post quoted PM Anutin as saying that the two countries agreed to strengthen cooperation in security, defence and the fight against transnational crime. Economically, both sides pledged to coordinate more closely to respond to global economic volatility while creating favourable conditions for the private sector to play a greater role in driving growth.
Referring to cooperation agreements signed during the visit, Khaosod newspaper described the memorandum of understanding on the development of an aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) centre at U-Tapao International Airport, signed between the Eastern Economic Corridor Office (EECO) and VietJet, as a significant step toward deepening industrial cooperation between the two countries.
Thai media outlets commented that the official visit of General Secretary and President Lam from May 27-29 on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries, has opened up opportunities for the two governments and the private sector to translate political goodwill into substantive business cooperation.
The Nation cited Sanan Angubolkul, President of the Thai-Vietnamese Friendship Association, as saying that the visit marked the beginning of a new era of cooperation, featuring closer supply-chain connectivity, sustainable growth strategies and a shared ambition to build a stronger manufacturing hub within ASEAN.
Regarding the target of raising bilateral trade to 25 billion USD in the coming years, Sanan said the new cooperation model would shift from competition for foreign direct investment (FDI) to a “one plus one” approach that combines the strengths of both countries. Thailand has advantages in capital, logistics and research and development, while Viet Nam offers strengths in labour resources and free trade agreements with Europe and the US. The combination is expected to attract greater global investment flows into the region.
Amid economic restructuring toward future-oriented industries, including green industries, Thai media noted that the two countries are seeking to connect Thailand’s Bio-Circular-Green (BCG) economy model with Viet Nam’s net-zero emissions and green transition strategies. This cooperation is expected to be implemented through joint investment in clean energy, low-carbon technologies and smart agriculture, thereby upgrading supply chains and enhancing sustainable competitiveness under emerging global environmental standards.
