The first Vietnam welcome gate in Thailand was inaugurated on an overseas Vietnamese road in Nong Khai Province on Saturday.

The inauguration ceremony was among the activities to celebrate the 47th anniversary of the two countries’ diplomatic relations and 10 years of their strategic partnership.

Before returning to Vietnam in 1960, overseas Vietnamese in Nong Khai Province had made donations in cash and kind to build a road in the locality to thank the king and people in Thailand for supporting them.

Vietnamese people in Thailand and local authorities have since then conserved and upgraded the road.

They built the welcome gate, which features the architecture of both Vietnam and Thailand, on the road to demonstrate the solidarity of the two peoples.

Speaking at the inauguration ceremony, Vietnamese Ambassador to Thailand Phan Chi Thanh expressed his gratitude to the king, royal family, government, and people of Thailand for nearly a century of welcoming, protecting, and creating favorable conditions for Thai people of Vietnamese origin to settle down in and integrate into the host country and become part of the community in Thailand.

He also thanked the authorities of Nong Khai Province for accompanying and supporting the Vietnamese community in the province during the building of the welcome gate.

The ambassador also called on Vietnamese people in Thailand to contribute to the development of the diplomatic relations of the two countries.

Nong Khai Province governor Rachan Soonhua spoke highly of the Thai people community of Vietnamese origin in Nong Khai.

The province is now home to some 20,000 Thai people of Vietnamese origin, who have made significant contributions to the province’s development in all aspects, including economy, society, and security.

The Vietnam welcome gate on the overseas Vietnamese road is a symbol of the friendship of the two countries and the contributions of Thai people of Vietnamese origin to the local community, the governor added.

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