Vietnam Party Chief’s First Thailand Visit Aims for $25 Billion Trade Goal

**Vietnam’s Party General Secretary Lam will make the first-ever visit to Thailand from May 27‑29, seeking to push bilateral trade toward a $25 billion goal while celebrating 50 years of diplomatic ties.

The trip marks a milestone in Vietnam‑Thailand relations, which have deepened since Vietnam joined ASEAN. Leaders will review five decades of cooperation and set new directions under the existing Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. The visit coincides with the half‑century anniversary of diplomatic establishment.

Regular high‑level exchanges have built strong political trust, supported by ten formal dialogue mechanisms covering diplomacy, defence, security and economics. More than twenty locality pairs have signed memoranda of understanding to boost grassroots ties. These layers create a broad foundation for the upcoming talks.

Thailand ranks as Vietnam’s eighth‑largest foreign investor, operating nearly 800 projects worth over $15 billion.

Bilateral trade exceeded $22 billion last year, reflecting a roughly 10 % increase from the previous year. Both sides have set a target of $25 billion in annual turnover.

Tourism remains a vibrant channel, with more than one million Vietnamese visitors traveling to Thailand each year. Inbound Thai visitors to Vietnam for tourism and business number between 400 000 and 500 000 annually.

Economic talks will focus on supply chain connectivity, aiming to link Vietnam’s manufacturing base with Thailand’s regional logistics networks. The “Three Connections” initiative—supply chains, business‑people links, and sustainable development—will guide concrete projects.

Cooperation in education, culture, science‑technology and sports will continue alongside discussions on climate change, digital transformation and the green economy. These sectors are seen as areas where shared interests can generate joint ventures.

Leaders agreed to translate the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership into a detailed action programme involving ministries, agencies and local governments from both sides. Implementation will be monitored through existing dialogue mechanisms.

Watch for progress on the action programme and early signs of whether the $25 billion trade target can be met within the next two years.