Thai King and Queen to Make State Visit to Vietnam

Thailand's King Maha Vajiralongkorn, also known as Rama X, and Queen Suthida are scheduled to make a state visit to Vietnam at the invitation of Party General Secretary and President To Lam and his wife. The visit comes as Vietnam and Thailand upgraded their ties to a comprehensive strategic partnership on May 16, 2025, and signed an action program for the 2026-2031 period on May 28. King Maha Vajiralongkorn Phra Vajiraklaochaoyuhua, known by his regnal name Rama X, ascended the throne in 2016 at the age of 64. He previously held various command and senior staff positions within the Royal Thai Armed Forces. Thailand is Vietnam's largest trading partner within ASEAN. Two-way trade reached US$22.1 billion in 2025, a 9% increase from the previous year, and exceeded $15.03 billion in the first seven months of 2026. Thai investors have 813 active projects in Vietnam with registered capital exceeding $15.4 billion, ranking Thailand eighth among 153 countries and territories investing in Vietnam and second among ASEAN sources. In terms of people-to-people exchanges, over 660,300 Vietnamese travelers visited Thailand in 2025, while nearly 458,000 Thais visited Vietnam. Twenty Vietnamese provinces and cities have signed cooperation or twinning agreements with Thai localities. Approximately 100,000 Vietnamese live in Thailand, with between 2,000 and 3,000 studying or conducting research there. The state visit by the Thai King and Queen is expected to further strengthen the political, economic, and cultural ties between the two nations. This deepening relationship between Vietnam, a rapidly growing economy, and Thailand, a key player in ASEAN, is anticipated to contribute to regional stability and development.