Event Overview
Table of Contents
The Vietnam–Thailand Business Forum is scheduled to take place on May 16, 2025, in Hanoi, aiming to promote economic cooperation, strengthen trade and investment partnerships, and provide opportunities for enterprises of both countries to expand business collaboration.
The event will be held at the Melia Hotel, Hoàn Kiếm District, Hanoi, in the afternoon of May 16.
Context of the Forum
The forum coincides with the official visit to Vietnam by Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra from May 15–16, 2025.
This marks her first visit to Vietnam since taking office in August 2024, and also the first visit by a Thai Prime Minister to Vietnam in over a decade.
Economic and Trade Relations
As of the end of 2024, Thailand ranked as the 9th largest foreign investor in Vietnam, with a total foreign direct investment (FDI) value exceeding USD 14 billion.
Prominent Thai corporations operating in Vietnam include:
CP Group, Betagro Group, Gulf Energy, B.Grimm, Super Energy, SCG, and Berli Jucker (BJC) — covering sectors such as cement and construction materials, petrochemicals, packaging, beverages, retail, electronics, agriculture, aquaculture, food processing, and industrial real estate.
Trade Performance Between Vietnam and Thailand
In 2024, total bilateral trade turnover reached USD 20.18 billion, up 6.4% year-on-year (YoY).
Vietnam recorded a trade deficit of USD 4.62 billion, marking the 12th consecutive year of trade deficit with Thailand since 2013.
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Vietnam’s exports to Thailand: USD 7.78 billion, up 8.3% YoY
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Vietnam’s imports from Thailand: USD 12.4 billion, up 5.2% YoY
Trade Outlook in 2025
In Q1 2025, bilateral trade between Vietnam and Thailand reached USD 5.16 billion, an increase of 9.4% YoY.
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Vietnam’s exports to Thailand: USD 2.06 billion, down 3% YoY
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Vietnam’s imports from Thailand: USD 3.1 billion, up 19.7% YoY
As a result, Vietnam’s trade deficit with Thailand widened to USD 1.03 billion in Q1 2025 — up 123% compared with the USD 464 million deficit recorded in the same period of 2024.
Conclusion
The upcoming Vietnam–Thailand Business Forum 2025 will serve as a key platform to foster bilateral trade, investment, and economic partnership, aligning with the broader vision of strategic cooperation between the two nations.
With strong participation from government officials and major corporations, the event is expected to open new opportunities for trade and investment, particularly in manufacturing, energy, agriculture, food processing, and retail sectors.