Ahead of Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul’s upcoming visit to Vietnam, which comes just days after Party General Secretary and State President To Lam’s official visit to Thailand, Vietnamese Ambassador to Thailand Pham Viet Hung spoke with Voice of Vietnam (VOV) about the significance of the recent high-level exchanges between the two countries, the role of Vietnam and Thailand in advancing regional initiatives, and prospects for implementing the 2026-2031 Action Plan for the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.

According to Ambassador Pham Viet Hung, Vietnam and Thailand are jointly celebrating the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations this year. Over the past five decades, bilateral ties have developed remarkably and have become each other's leading partners in the region and the world.

Speaking about Party General Secretary and State President To Lam’s official visit to Thailand in late May, the Ambassador said the trip was highly successful. During the visit, the Vietnamese leader held an audience with the King of Thailand, held talks with the Thai Prime Minister and met with the President of the Thai National Assembly. Many important issues shaping the future development of bilateral relations in the years ahead were discussed and reached a high level of consensus.

The fact that the Thai Prime Minister and his spouse are set to pay an official visit to Vietnam just 10 days after To Lam’s trip is a vivid demonstration of the ties that have been reinforced and will continue to grow closer in the coming period.

He said that, building on the outcomes of the recent visit by Vietnam’s Party General Secretary and State President, leaders of the two sides will continue to meet, exchange views in greater depth and introduce more concrete measures to further advance bilateral relations in a stronger and more effective manner.

In addition to his official visit to Vietnam, the Thai Prime Minister will attend the ASEAN Future Forum (AFF), an initiative proposed by Vietnam at the ASEAN Summit in 2023. According to Ambassador Pham Viet Hung, the Thai Prime Minister’s direct participation in the AFF reflects Thailand’s high regard for its bilateral relationship with Vietnam as well as for initiatives put forward by ASEAN member states, including Vietnam, to foster dialogue, advance common solutions for ASEAN in addressing current challenges, and build an increasingly united and resilient ASEAN Community in the years ahead.

The Ambassador said the forum would also provide an opportunity for Thailand to share its experience and perspectives on building the ASEAN Community.

Speaking about the role of Vietnam and Thailand in promoting consensus and strengthening ASEAN centrality, Ambassador Pham Viet Hung said both countries hold important positions and play important roles within ASEAN, while also having the potential to contribute to greater intra-bloc solidarity and the development of an ASEAN Community with a common voice, the ability to adapt to change and the capacity for sustainable development.

Vietnam and Thailand can work together to promote solidarity and consensus within the bloc. He described this as a crucial factor enabling ASEAN to maintain, reinforce and uphold its central role in intra-regional cooperation processes as well as broader regional cooperation mechanisms, Hung emphasized.

He also noted that both nations share common goals in sustainable development, ranging from digital transformation and green transformation to education, science and technology, people-to-people exchanges and human resource development. These are areas in which Vietnam and ASEAN can share with one another and with ASEAN member states to build an increasingly connected ASEAN with enduring vitality and sustainable development.

Referring to the 2026-2031 Action Plan for implementing the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership recently adopted by the two countries, Ambassador Pham Viet Hung said Vietnam and Thailand have made major and important strides in cooperation across all fields over the past 50 years. To implement the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership established in 2025, building on the achievements of previous stages, the two countries have adopted the 2026-2031 Action Plan for implementing the partnership.

According to the Ambassador, not only he himself but also many agencies, businesses and people in both countries expect the action plan to be implemented effectively, generate broad spillover effects and bring practical benefits, first and foremost to the people, while also benefiting the business community and the long-term development of both countries.

Areas of cooperation include strengthening transport connectivity, logistics and supply chains not only between the two countries but also across the region and the Mekong sub-region. Other fields  include the digital economy, artificial intelligence, innovation, renewable energy and the development of a highly skilled workforce. these will be important growth drivers for each country and for the region in the time ahead.

The Vietnamese diplomat also expressed hope that people-to-people exchange programmes, which serve as a solid and lasting foundation for friendship between the two countries, will continue to be expanded across a variety of fields, from cultural, educational and tourism exchanges to cooperation between localities.

He said the specific contents of the Action Programme for implementing the Vietnam-Thailand Comprehensive Strategic Partnership through 2031 will serve as a foundation, a direction and a concrete framework for both sides in the time to come.

The programme is expected to deliver practical results while laying the groundwork for the further development of bilateral relations and the long-term, sustainable future of friendship and cooperation between Vietnam and Thailand.