(AseanAll)  — On May 8, 2026, at the Shangri-La Mactan Hotel, Cebu, Republic of the Philippines, Thai Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Anutin Charnvirakul had a bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Le Minh Hung of Vietnam during his attendance at the 48th ASEAN Summit.  

Anutin congratulated Vietnamese Prime Minister on the occasion of his assumption of the office, and reaffirmed close neighborhood and important partnership between the two countries. Both the leaders took the opportunity to discuss the following key issues:

On economic cooperation, Anutin noted that global investors are increasingly turning their attention to Southeast Asia as a stable and secure investment destination amid crises in other regions. Tightening economic cooperation between Thailand and Vietnam would enhance both countries’ ability to attract investment and attain shared growth. The two leaders agreed to accelerate efforts to expand bilateral trade to achieve the target of USD25 billion.

With regard to the investment cooperation,  Anutin called on the Vietnamese Government’s continued support for Thai businesses operating in Vietnam, and extended an invitation for Vietnamese investors to invest more in Thailand, especially VietJet’s planned investment in Thailand’s aviation infrastructure. Both sides also agreed to expedite the development of an Action Plan for advancement of comprehensive strategic partnership, to be finalized during President To Lam’s upcoming visit to Thailand. This is to promote economic complementarities between the two countries.

On Mekong sub‑regional cooperation, as comprehensive strategic partners and major economies in the sub‑region, Thailand and Vietnam should play a leading role in shaping and driving forward cooperation for regional development. The two leaders came to terms for their respective Ministers of Foreign Affairs to hold consultations on approaches for promoting development and connectivity in the Mekong sub‑region.