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Vietnam’s To Lam seeks to ‘re-energise’ Thai ties with trade, Ho Chi Minh’s legacy

Vietnam’s globetrotting leader To Lam began his first trip to Thailand with trade and security talks dominating the agenda, as well as a symbolic visit…

By Samantha Johnson / May 28, 2026
Vietnam’s globetrotting leader To Lam began his first trip to Thailand with trade and security talks dominating the agenda, as well as a symbolic visit to the former home of Ho Chi Minh, the founder of modern Vietnam who once lived in the northeast of the kingdom.
To Lam, the president and general secretary of the Communist Party, is seen by many as the country’s most powerful leader since the era of Ho Chi Minh.

The former secret policeman has been zipping across global capitals as he seeks to light a fire under Vietnam’s growth, targeting 10 per cent annual expansion of the economy until 2030 in defiance of the trade ruin wrought by US tariffs and wars.

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The three-day visit, which ends on Friday, will include an audience with the Thai king and talks with Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul.

To Lam began his trip in the northeastern second-tier city of Udon Thani on Wednesday afternoon, an unusual setting for his Thai debut.

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Experts say the choice of location is laden with symbolism that enables him to tip his hat to both Vietnam’s Communist Party lore and the national hero Ho Chi Minh, while threading a line between two countries who historically have not always been on the same side.

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