Vietnam and Thailand established diplomatic relations in 1976. In 2013, the two countries established a strategic partnership and continued to upgrade to an enhanced strategic partnership in 2015. Since then, Vietnam-Thailand relations have been increasingly consolidated and have developed substantively.
In recent years, the bilateral relations have developed fruitfully, demonstrated through cooperative achievements in many fields.
Accordingly, cooperation in politics, defence and security, which are important pillars in the bilateral relationship, continues to be strengthened.
High-level and all-level contacts have been effectively maintained along with bilateral cooperation mechanisms, such as the Joint Trade Committee, Defence Policy Dialogue, and Political Consultation.
This has contributed to consolidating mutual trust and promoting bilateral cooperation at all levels and channels.
Relations between the two countries' legislative bodies have also been promoted and developed well in recent years. The two sides have maintained the exchange of delegations, committees and parliamentarian groups. Leaders of the two countries' parliaments have regular meetings on the sidelines of multilateral parliamentary conferences.
As a bright spot in the two countries' relationship, the economic cooperation has developed positively.
Thailand is Vietnam's largest trading partner in ASEAN. The two-way turnover in 2022 reached nearly 21.6 billion USD, up 15.2% against 2021. By the end of September 2023, the figure was estimated at 14.1 billion USD.
Thailand ranks 9th among countries investing in Vietnam, with 715 valid projects and a total registered capital of more than 13.7 billion USD, mainly in manufacturing, processing, wholesale and retail.
The bilateral economic cooperation still has much potential for further development. The two countries are actively implementing the ‘Three Connects’ strategy, which covers supply chains, economies, businesses and localities, and sustainable growth strategies. This aims to reach the target of 25 billion USD in trade turnover.
In addition, the two sides have also focused on boosting cooperation in culture, tourism, education, and people-to-people exchanges. These areas of cooperation have strengthened the connection and mutual understanding between the two peoples, contributing to cultivating the bilateral friendship.
Vietnam and Thailand are important partners of each other in the region. The two countries continue to coordinate closely at regional and international forums, especially the United Nations, ASEAN and the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), and mechanisms in the Mekong Sub-region. Strengthening cooperation on both bilateral and multilateral levels has helped the two countries effectively respond to challenges, contributing to peace, cooperation and development in the region.
The two sides have actively promoted the action programme, implementing the enhanced strategic partnership in the 2022-2027 period, contributing to strengthening the bilateral relationship and deepening cooperation for peace, stability and common prosperity.
