President Ho Chi Minh arrived in Thailand in 1928 while Vietnam was still under French colonial rule. During his time in Udon Thani, he reportedly lived among the local Vietnamese community while organising political activities and seeking support for Vietnam’s independence movement.
According to Deputy Foreign Minister Nguyen Manh Cuong, the upcoming visit carries special significance as it is General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee and State President To Lam’s first visit to an ASEAN country in his new capacity and comes shortly after the elevation of bilateral ties to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.
Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc and his Thai counterpart Prayut Chan-ocha expressed their satisfaction at the strong development of Vietnam-Thailand cooperation over the past 41 years since they established diplomatic ties in August 1976, during their talks in Bangkok on August 17.