On 18 April 2014, H.E. Mr. Panyarak Poolthup, Ambassador of Thailand to Vietnam, paid a courtesy call on H.E. Mr. Hoang Binh Quan, Chairman of the Central Committee for External Affairs of Communist Party of Vietnam, to introduce himself as a newly appointed Ambassador of Thailand to Vietnam. 

H.E. Mr. Hoang Binh Quan congratulated H.E. Mr. Panyarak Poolthup on his appointment and for the elevation of the bilateral relations to the level of ‘Strategic Partnership’ during the Official Visit to Thailand of H.E. Mr. Nguyen Phu Trong, General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam, in June last year. The Chairman expressed his hope that both sides could convene the 3^rd Thailand-Vietnam Joint Cabinet Retreat (JCR) in order to sign the Plan of Action Implementing the Vietnam-Thailand Strategic Partnership (POA) (2014-2018) soon. The Chairman expressed his best wishes for the political solution in Thailand since the Communist Party, the State and the people of Vietnam attach high importance to Thailand as the first country in ASEAN that Vietnam has elevated the relations to the level of ‘Strategic Partnership’. The Chairman also expressed his gratitude for the Thai Government and Nakhon Phanom Province for the renovation works being carried out at the Ho Chi Minh Memorial in the province. He also commended Thailand’s policy in providing the wellbeing for the Thai people with Vietnamese descent living in Thailand.

H.E. Mr. Panyarak Poolthup, in turn, praised the visit to Thailand of the General Secretary and the elevation of the bilateral relations to the level of ‘Strategic Partnership’. The Ambassador pledged to fully cooperate with the Vietnamese Government to foster Strategic Partnership and expressed his gratitude for the Chairman’s best wishes for the political solution in Thailand and, as soon as there is a new Thai Government, the Thai side would push for the early convening of the JCR, organizing the official visit to Thailand of H.E. the Prime Minister of Vietnam and the signing of the POA. The Ambassador reaffirmed that enhancing ‘Strategic Partnership’ with Vietnam is a national policy of Thailand. While the political situation in Thailand is yet to return to normal, the economic relations between the two countries are still ongoing, including the grand opening of Robins Department Store by Central Pattana Public Company Limited at Vincom Mega Mall in Hanoi on 20 April 2014. Additionally, the Embassy is planning to organize Thai Film Festivals in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City this year while the project/activity planning for the 40^th anniversary of Thailand-Vietnam diplomatic relations in 2016 is also being considered.