The content of the meeting focused on measures to enhance bilateral cooperation in the field of Culture, Sports, and Tourism, especially towards the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries in 2026.
At the beginning of the meeting, Ambassador Urawadee Sriphiromya thanked Deputy Minister Lê Hải Bình for taking the time to receive the delegation and expressed her honor in playing a role during the period of strong development in Vietnam-Thailand cooperation, aiming towards the potential upgrade to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in the near future.
Ambassador Urawadee Sriphiromya also shared about some important activities related to the field of culture, sports, and tourism that Thailand will implement in the near future. Among them, Ambassador Urawadee Sriphiromya particularly mentioned the Thai Festival.
Accordingly, the Thai Embassy will organize Thai Cultural Days in Hanoi 2025 (March 28-30, 2025) at the Thang Long Imperial Citadel. The event promises to offer a wealth of experiences in cuisine, culture, and sports, contributing to strengthening the connection between the people of the two countries. To ensure the event is successfully organized and actively promotes the image of Thailand and its people to the Vietnamese public and international friends, Ambassador Urawadee Sriphiromya expressed her desire to receive support from the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Vietnam. This is also a meaningful activity to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Vietnam-Thailand diplomatic relations in 2026, Ambassador Urawadee Sriphiromya expressed.
The delegation from the Royal Thai Embassy, led by the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Thailand to Vietnam, Ms. Urawadee Sriphiromya, visited and worked at the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism on the afternoon of March 26.
In the film industry, Ambassador Urawadee Sriphiromya emphasized: The desire to expand cooperation through connecting filmmakers and film distributors of both countries, as well as introducing many famous Thai films in Vietnam and vice versa. Thailand also plans to invite stars and producers to visit Vietnam, creating opportunities for large-scale delegation exchanges.
Regarding tourism, Ambassador Urawadee Sriphiromya mentioned the "6 countries, 1 destination" initiative and proposed studying the feasibility of a common visa for the region, developing joint tourism promotion programs, a key tourism season calendar, and enhancing transportation infrastructure connectivity (road and rail). Emphasizing that Vietnam and Thailand continue to maintain the mechanism of the Joint Committee on Bilateral Cooperation. The ambassador believes that this is the foundation for continuing to develop increasingly extensive relations in various fields between the two countries.
Not only limited to traditional areas of cooperation, Ambassador Urawadee Sriphiromya also emphasized the important role of the Vietnamese community in Thailand. She believes that this is a valuable resource, an effective "extended arm" that needs to be further leveraged in promoting distinctive products and the cultural values of Vietnam to a large number of Thai people, contributing to enhancing mutual understanding and trade between the two countries. Aiming to enrich cultural exchange activities, especially to attract the interest of young people, the Ambassador also shared plans to bring Thai pop bands and famous music artists and stars to Vietnam for performances and exchanges in the near future. This activity is expected to create a vibrant atmosphere, enhancing empathy and modern cultural connections between the two countries.
Delighted to welcome Ambassador Urawadee Sriphiromya to visit and work at the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Deputy Minister Lê Hải Bìnhcongratulated the Ambassador on a successful first year in her term of office in Vietnam. Permanent Deputy Minister Lê Hải Bình emphasized that, in the context of significant global and regional changes, the Party and State of Vietnam always value and promote cooperation within the ASEAN bloc, with Thailand being one of the most important partners, a "close brother." The relationship between Vietnam and Thailand goes beyond being economic, political, and strategic partners; it also encompasses comprehensive companionship in many fields.
Appreciating the insights from Ambassador Urawadee Sriphiromya, Permanent Deputy Minister Lê Hải Bình acknowledged Thailand's strengths in developing diverse tourism products, attracting an increasing number of Vietnamese tourists. Deputy Minister Lê Hải Bìnhalso expressed support for the proposal to develop joint tourism promotion programs between the two countries, creating opportunities for tourists from third countries to easily explore the beauty and cultural diversity of both Vietnam and Thailand, while effectively leveraging each side's tourism strengths to attract international visitors, especially from distant markets.
In the field of sports, Deputy Minister Lê Hải Bình believes that the competition in sports between the two countries is a positive motivation for mutual development. In his capacity as Vice President of the World Vovinam Federation, Deputy Minister Lê Hải Bình proposed that Thailand support the inclusion of Vovinam as an official sport in the upcoming SEA Games.
Looking back at the overall picture of cultural, sports, and tourism, Deputy Minister Lê Hải Bình expressed gratitude for the tireless efforts of Ambassador Urawadee Sriphiromya, who has positively contributed to nurturing the bilateral relations between the two countries over the past time. Deputy Minister Lê Hải Bình hopes to continue receiving the support and companionship of Ambassador Urawadee Sriphiromya in the coming years.
On the part of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Deputy Minister Lê Hải Bình affirmed the readiness to coordinate, support, and create favorable conditions for the cooperation activities between the two sides in the field of culture, sports, and tourism to deepen and become more effective, contributing to further consolidating and strongly developing the good friendship between Vietnam and Thailand.
Huyen Trang