BANGKOK — Vietnam and Thailand have upgraded their ties to strategic partnership, state media announced Friday. This new status elevates Thailand to the same level as Vietnam’s other main strategic partners including the U.S., China, and Russia.
The announcement came after Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra’s visit to Hanoi, where she met with Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh.
The strengthened relationship aims to enhance political, defense and security cooperation, boost trade to $25 billion, and increase tourism and green energy cooperation, according to state media.
Both leaders co-chaired the 4th Thailand-Vietnam Joint Cabinet Retreat (JCR), an informal meeting between the prime ministers and ministers of both countries. Ministers from various departments attended, including the Ministries of Transport, Foreign Affairs, Tourism and Culture, and Industry and Trade.
In addition to meeting with Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, Prime Minister Paetongtarn also paid courtesy calls to Mr. Luong Cuong, President of Vietnam, and Mr. To Lam, General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam. During both meetings, the parties expressed satisfaction with Thailand and Vietnam’s success in announcing the elevation of their relationship to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership to further develop relations between the two countries.
Ms. Paetongtarn described the JCR as a special cooperation mechanism unique to Thailand and Vietnam, initiated by former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra and continued by former Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra before reaching her term. This reflects the ongoing commitment to developing Thai-Vietnamese relations. She also invited the Vietnamese Prime Minister to make an official visit to Thailand later this year to participate in the Mekong-Lancang Summit, which Thailand will host.
She praised Vietnam for its rapid development and growth, noting that her government prioritizes human resource development and is interested in Vietnam’s model for developing people. She was pleased that both sides aim to quickly push bilateral trade value to reach $25 billion.
After returning to Thailand, Prime Minister Paetongtarn summarized her Vietnam visit in a social media post, stating: “It is my great pleasure and honour to pay my first official visit to Viet Nam as Prime Minister of Thailand, and co-chair Thailand – Viet Nam Joint Cabinet Retreat (JCR) with Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh. The JCR is a special mechanism that Viet Nam only has with Thailand. PM Chinh and I announced the elevation of Thailand – Viet Nam relations to Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, which opens a new historic chapter in the relations between our two countries.”
She added that both sides recognized the increasing importance of the Thailand-Vietnam partnership for the region and the need to create greater synergy between their economies. Their agreements included reaching the $25 billion bilateral trade target soon, strengthening links between supply chains and local economies, and cooperating on human resources development for future industries, particularly semiconductors and AI.
The leaders also agreed to increase military and law enforcement cooperation to combat narcotics, online scams, and illegal fishing, while promoting tourism through more transportation links, including an upcoming direct flight connecting Vietnam and Northeastern Thailand
“PM Chinh and I also jointly presided over the opening ceremony of the Thailand – Viet Nam Business Forum, which brought together leading Thai and Vietnamese companies to expand business networks and increase two-way investments between the two countries,” she stated.
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