Vietnamese leader to trace Ho Chi Minh's footsteps in Thailand

As Vietnam's top leader prepares for his first official visit to Thailand, one stop on the itinerary carries a deeply personal and historical meaning far beyond diplomacy. To Lam, General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam and President of Vietnam, is scheduled to travel to Udon Thani during his 27-29 May visit to Thailand to pay tribute at the Ho Chi Minh Memorial Site and meet the Vietnamese-Thai community living in northeastern Thailand. The memorial site, located in Chiang Phin subdistrict, preserves memories of a little-known chapter in the life of Vietnamese revolutionary leader Ho Chi Minh, who once lived quietly in Udon Thani nearly a century ago. Ho Chi Minh arrived in Thailand in 1928 while Vietnam was still under French colonial rule. During his time in Udon Thani, he reportedly lived among the local Vietnamese community while organising political activities and seeking support for Vietnam's independence movement. According to historical records preserved at the site, Ho Chi Minh farmed, trained followers and helped mobilise Vietnamese migrants in Thailand during the anti-colonial struggle. He also joined local residents in community activities, including helping construct temples in Udon Thani before later travelling through Sakon Nakhon and Nakhon Phanom and eventually returning to Vietnam. Vietnam declared independence from France in 1945, and Ho Chi Minh later became the founding president of modern Vietnam. Today, the memorial site has been transformed into a historical learning centre and museum managed with support from the local Vietnamese-Thai community. The compound features a recreated traditional wooden house where Ho Chi Minh once stayed, complete with simple furnishings, vegetable plots, rice storage huts and livestock pens designed to reflect rural life during that period. The museum also displays old photographs, documents and exhibitions detailing the history of Vietnamese migrants in Thailand and Ho Chi Minh's years in the kingdom. Officially opened in 2006, the memorial site has become both a tourist attraction and a symbol of long-standing ties between Thailand and Vietnam. To Lam's visit comes as the two countries mark the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations in 2026 and deepen their Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.