King and Queen attend official welcome ceremony in Vietnam

 

Their Majesties the King and Queen travelled from the Fairmont Hanoi hotel, where they were staying, to the National Assembly building at Ba Dinh Square in Hanoi at 10.10am on Tuesday (September 15, 2026). Hanoi’s local time is the same as Thailand’s. Their Majesties were welcomed by To Lam, General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam and President of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, and his wife, Ngo Phuong Ly.

President To Lam said he was honoured to welcome Their Majesties. Their Majesties expressed their pleasure at visiting at his invitation and meeting him again.

Their Majesties attended the official welcome ceremony in the central hall of the National Assembly building. Her Majesty the Queen took her place at the head of the Vietnamese delegation alongside the President’s wife.

His Majesty the King joined President To Lam on the saluting dais and received the salute of the guard of honour. The military band played Thailand’s royal anthem and Vietnam’s national anthem, while the Vietnamese side fired a 21-gun salute.

The commander of the guard of honour presented his report to His Majesty the King and invited His Majesty to inspect the guard. His Majesty conducted the inspection accompanied by President To Lam.

At the conclusion of the inspection, the guard of honour called out in unison in Vietnamese, offering a wish meaning: “May Your Majesty enjoy good health.”

President To Lam introduced the Vietnamese delegation, comprising Nguyen Duy Ngoc, head of the Organisation Commission of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee; Luong Tam Quang, Minister of Public Security; Le Hoai Trung, Minister of Foreign Affairs; Gen Nguyen Tan Cuong, Deputy Minister of National Defence; and other senior Vietnamese officials.

Thani Thongphakdi, Deputy Principal Private Secretary to His Majesty the King, introduced the Thai delegation. It comprised Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, serving as Minister-in-Attendance; Urawadee Sriphiromya, Thai Ambassador to Vietnam; ACM Satitpong Sukvimol, Principal Private Secretary to His Majesty the King; Lt Col Somchai Kanchanamanee, Grand Chamberlain, Bureau of the Royal Household; and Adm Weerasak Aokkangwan, Royal Aide-de-Camp and ACM Chettha Mueankaew, Royal Aide-de-Camp. Diplomats representing member countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) also attended to welcome Their Majesties, in accordance with Vietnamese protocol.

Their Majesties then watched the guard of honour march past and leave the central hall where the ceremony was held.

Their Majesties met President To Lam and his wife in the audience room of the National Assembly building at 10.22am. The meeting took place during Their Majesties’ official visit to the Socialist Republic of Vietnam from September 14–16, 2026, with senior Thai and Vietnamese officials also present.

President To Lam said the visit provided a valuable opportunity for both countries to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the establishment of Thai–Vietnamese diplomatic relations. He noted that it was the first visit to the Socialist Republic of Vietnam by a reigning Thai monarch and said the close ties between the two countries would help strengthen relations across ASEAN.

His Majesty the King thanked President To Lam for the warm and friendly welcome and expressed his pleasure at visiting Vietnam again. His Majesty expressed confidence that relations between the two countries would continue to develop, with expanding cooperation that would endure into the future.

Her Majesty the Queen spoke with Ngo Phuong Ly, who described the visit as a historic honour for Vietnam and a valuable opportunity to promote cooperation in arts and culture between the two countries. Her Majesty thanked the President’s wife for the warm welcome.

 

Their Majesties granted an audience to Vietnamese Prime Minister Le Minh Hung in the audience room at 11.13am. Senior Thai and Vietnamese officials were also present.

Prime Minister Le Minh Hung said the Communist Party of Vietnam, the government and the Vietnamese people had been looking forward to the official visit, which affirmed the two countries’ “Comprehensive Strategic Partnership”. His Majesty the King expressed his pleasure at returning to Vietnam and commended the close cooperation between the two countries at every level. His Majesty expressed confidence that the visit would further strengthen existing relations and help cooperation proceed more smoothly.

 

Their Majesties granted an audience to Tran Thanh Man, Chairman of Vietnam’s National Assembly, in the audience room at 11.43am, with senior officials from both countries present. Tran Thanh Man expressed his pleasure at being received in audience and welcoming Their Majesties. His Majesty the King expressed his pleasure at Vietnam’s progress and development.

Their Majesties then returned to their hotel, concluding the morning engagements on the second day of their official visit to the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.