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| Mr. Tran Van Sau, Vice President of the Association of Vietnamese in Thailand (second, from left) is with visitors at the memorial site dedicated to President Ho Chi Minh in May village. (Photo: VNA) |
Sau, who is also President of Overseas Vietnamese Association in Nakhon Phanom, said that they were very excited to welcome the Party chief to the Thailand-Vietnam Friendship Village in May village, Nong Yat commune, Mueang district, Nakhon Phanom on the occasion of his official visit to Thailand from June 25-27, 2013.
It was the second visit by a Vietnamese Party General Secretary to Thailand after the first one by General Secretary Do Muoi in 1993.
Mr. Sau recalled that not only overseas Vietnamese in the province but also many people from neighbouring provinces flocked to the village and waited for General Secretary Trong.
All of them were moved and proud to welcome the General Secretary who is the first Vietnamese top leader to visit the province since Thailand and Vietnam established diplomatic relations in 1976, Sau said, emphasising that they felt the care and sentiments of the Party and the State to the overseas Vietnamese there.
He remembered that during the meeting with overseas Vietnamese, General Secretary Trong handed over to the association 30 billion VND raised in Vietnam to build a memorial site dedicated to President Ho Chi Minh in May village.
The construction of the site started on March 28, 2014. It was inaugurated on May 19, 2016, coinciding with President Ho Chi Minh’s 126th birthday.
Since then, the site has attracted a lot of visitors, not only overseas Vietnamese but also Thai people. It is one of the three memorial sites dedicated to President Ho Chi Minh in Thailand.
Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin on February 17 visited the memorial site Nakhon Phanom, affirming its historical significance and role as a bridge to connect and strengthening the Thailand - Vietnam friendship.
After his visit, the Thai Government approved a budget of 10 million THB (275,000 USD) for maintaining the site.
Sau said that Thai-Vietnamese people in Thailand in general and Nakhon Phanom in particular are always grateful to the Party, the Government and people of Vietnam for their support./.