Thai foreign minister

Pelosi's dramatic trip to Taipei, defying stark threats by China, overshadowed a meeting of Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) foreign ministers in Phnom Penh, which had been expected to focus on the bloody crisis engulfing Myanmar. ASEAN spokesman Kung Phoak, Cambodia's deputy foreign minister, said ministers at the closed-door talks - meeting face to face for the first time since the pandemic - had expressed concern over "growing tension in the Taiwan Strait." "We hope that all sides will try their best to deescalate the tension there, avoid actions that may contribute to the escalation of tension and engage in dialogue," Kung Phoak told reporters. Malaysia and Thailand echoed the calls for calm, with Malaysian Foreign Minister Saifuddin Abdullah urging all sides to tread "very carefully." Thai foreign ministry spokesman Tanee Sangrat said the kingdom called for "utmost restraint" and warned against "any actions that would aggravate tensions." Attention will now … [Read more...] about ASEAN ministers urge restraint after Pelosi Taiwan visit

Tourists wear masks to prevent COVID-19 infection while visiting a temple in Bangkok, Thailand. (Photo: AFP/VNA) Bangkok (VNA) - Thailand recorded 3.12 million foreign tourist arrivals in the first seven months of 2022  as the country has removed most travel restrictions imposed earlier to curb the spread of COVID-19. At a press briefing on August 2, Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha said the number of foreign tourists visiting the country is expected to reach 6 million this year, up from the earlier estimated 5.6 million. The number is forecast to rise to 19 million next year. Earlier, PM Prayut approved a tourism revenue target of 2.38 trillion THB (about 65 billion USD) set by the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) along with strategies to revive tourism in 2023. The PM also supported the TAT’s plan to promote domestic travel with its campaign theme of “365 Days of Amazing Thailand – Everyday Travel”. Last year, only 400,000 foreign tourists visited Thailand, … [Read more...] about Thailand welcomes 3.12 million foreign tourist arrivals during January-July

He suggested that Samsung continue to play a leading role in supporting personnel training and capacity building for Vietnamese enterprises so that more of them will be able to join Samsung’s supply chain and development ecosystem. The Government leader highlighted the outstanding development of the strategic cooperative partnership between Vietnam and the RoK in all fields. He noted that the RoK is now the third largest trade partner of Vietnam, with bilateral trade value reaching 78 billion USD in 2021, accounting for 11.6% of Vietnam’s total foreign trade. The RoK is the largest foreign investor in Vietnam with 9,383 valid investment projects worth nearly 80 billion USD, he said, describing Samsung’s investment in Vietnam as a bright example. “The Vietnamese government is committed to creating the best possible conditions for foreign investors in general and Samsung in particular,” Chinh said, pledging to seriously consider and actively handle Samsung’s proposals, including … [Read more...] about Prime Minister asks Samsung Electronics to expand operations in Vietnam

The event was chaired by Major General Thai Van Minh, Director of the Department of Military Training, and attended by representatives of the Department of Search and Rescue and members of the two contingents. At the ceremony, the organizing panel read the Defense Minister’s encouragement letter for participating troops. On behalf of coaches and members of the “Tactical Shooters” and “Emergency Area” contingents, Lieutenant Colonel Dao Trong Vinh, Head of the “Tactical Shooters” team, affirmed their determination to obtain the highest possible results at the upcoming event. Since Vietnam has participated in Army Games four times, the country has learnt various experience in preparing and training participating troops. This year, the preparation for Vietnamese troops’ participation in the games and the training of participating contingents were soon paid due attention to; however, the country’ preparations, training, and participation in Army Games in foreign countries and its … [Read more...] about See-off ceremony held for troops joining Army Games 2022

The R&D center in Hanoi, scheduled to be completed by late 2022, would be Samsung’s major R&D hub not only in Vietnam but also the whole of Southeast Asia. Samsung is expected to expand investment in Vietnam with an additional fund of US$3.3 billion, along with an export target of US$69 billion from its manufacturing facilities in the country. Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh (r) and Samsung CEO Roh Tae-Moon. Photo: Nhat Bac Samsung’s CEO Roh Tae-Moon mentioned the conglomerate's goals in Vietnam during a meeting with Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on August 5. According to Roh, Samsung Vietnam exported more than $34.3 billion worth of electronic products during the first six months of 2022, representing an increase of 18% year-on-year. Roh noted the South Korean IT giant is preparing for mass production of semiconductor components at the Samsung Electro-Mechanics Vietnam plant in Thai Nguyen Province from July 2023, and also for the launch the … [Read more...] about Samsung plans to invest US$3.3 billion in Vietnam in 2022

South Korean conglomerate Samsung Electronics will make a business and investment expansion in Vietnam, with a target of US$69 billion worth of exports and an additional investment of US$3.3 billion this year, among other activities, the group’s leader has said. Samsung CEO Roh Tae Moon told Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh about the giant’s expansion of operations in Vietnam at their meeting on Friday, as part of his ongoing working visit in the Southeast Asian country. Specifically, Samsung will manufacture semiconductor products at its Samsung Electro-Mechanics Vietnam, located in northern Thai Nguyen Province, in July 2023, the CEO said. The group will also inaugurate its research and development (R&D) center in Hanoi late this year or early next year to serve not only Vietnam but other Southeast Asian countries as well. In addition, Samsung plans to assist 50 Vietnamese enterprises in improving their competitiveness under a smart factory model, while … [Read more...] about S.Korea’s Samsung to expand trade, investment in Vietnam: CEO

Vo Tri Thanh *Vo Tri Thanh Global central banks are in a dash to raise interest rates to cool rampant inflation and their moves are challenging the State Bank of Viet Nam’s policymaking in a way to support the economic recovery while sustaining macroeconomic sustainability. Last week, the US Federal Reserve (Fed) raised interest rates by another 75 basic points (bps) – the second straight month and its third this year – in an effort to fight inflation which hit a 40-year high of 9.1 per cent in June. That takes the cumulative June-July increase to 150 bps – the steepest since the early 1980s. The European Central Bank on July 21 increased its benchmark interest rate by 0.5 per cent for the first time in 11 years and is signaling further hikes this year after consumer prices in the euro area are expected to rise to 8.9 per cent in July. Data from Reuters showed seven central banks of the Group of Ten delivered 350 basis points of rate hikes last month – nearly half of the … [Read more...] about Stability of Vietnamese dong under pressure of global headwinds

The Korea and Vietnam Economic and Cultural Association (KOVECA) and the Association for Liaison with Overseas Vietnamese, along with ministries and localities, last week jointly held two Vietnam-Korea cooperation forums in both the northern and southern regions with the participation of 30 associations and 50 enterprises from South Korea. PM Pham Minh Chinh greets representatives of the RoK's associations and businesses at the dialogue in Hanoi on July 30. (Photo: VNA) The associations and enterprises are looking for investment opportunities in terms of urban and transport infrastructure, hospitals, renewable energy, high-tech, and career training. Previously, in the framework of a conference connecting the northern province of Thai Binh and South Korea in early July by Thai Binh People’s Committee, coordinated with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Korean Embassy to Vietnam, an investment registration certificate was granted to South Korea’s SMT Company for the … [Read more...] about South Korean investors lavish attention on Vietnam

The exhibition "ASEAN Cultural Colours" runs until August 12 at the Vietnam Fine Arts Museum, 66 Nguyen Thai Hoc, Ba Dinh, Hanoi. The exhibition "ASEAN Cultural Colours" opened today at the Vietnam Fine Arts Museum to celebrate the 55th founding anniversary of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) (August 8, 1967-August 8, 2022). Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Ta Quang Dong attends the opening ceremony of the exhibition. Photos: Tra My The event, jointly held by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the embassies of ASEAN countries in Vietnam, is aimed at further enhancing understanding among the peoples of regional countries and expanding cooperation in economy, investment, culture, and tourism. Visitors to the exhibition will learn about traditional costumes, one of the features of the ASEAN cultural treasures, and see images of landscapes, cultures, countries, people, and heritages as well as sophisticated … [Read more...] about Colorful images of ASEAN on display in Hanoi