The Khaosod English newspaper of Thailand has spotlighted the upcoming official visit to Thailand by General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee and State President To Lam, underscoring the special historical significance of his planned trip to Udon Thani – a site closely associated with the revolutionary activities of President Ho Chi Minh nearly a century ago.
According to an article published on May 25 titled “Vietnamese leader to trace Ho Chi Minh’s footsteps in Thailand,” the Vietnamese leader is scheduled to visit Thailand from May 27–29. During the trip, he will 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.
Historical records preserved at the site show that 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, the article said.
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, it noted.
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, it added.
Since officially opening in 2006, the site has become both a tourist attraction and a symbol of long-standing ties between Thailand and Vietnam.
The article added that the top Vietnamese leader’s visit comes as the two countries mark the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations in 2026 and deepen their Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.
