The Deputy FM, who is also Chairman of the State Committee for Overseas Vietnamese, made the remarks while receiving Somsak Suwansujarit, Deputy Head of Local Management Department of the Interior Ministry of Thailand in Hanoi on September 17.

Deputy FM Son asked the Thai Government to create more favourable conditions for granting licenses of residence to Vietnamese in Thailand, and allow them to set up Overseas Vietnamese branches in Bangkok and some southern provinces like Chiang Mai, Sakeo and Phuket.

Stressing that most of Vietnamese people in Thailand are Buddhist followers, the Thai national religion, Son asked Thailand to facilitate the building of pagodas by overseas Vietnamese to serve their religious activities.

For his part, Somsak Suwansujarit said that the Thai Government and the Interior Ministry pay careful attention to issues related to the national identity of the resident Vietnamese population. 

At present 90 percent of Vietnamese people living in Thailand have been granted licenses, including certificates of nationality and residence. The remaining Vietnamese have not yet received their licenses because they lost their identity papers or have no witness to attest for them, despite having lived in Thailand for a long time.

However, Somsak Suwansujarit said “it doesn’t matter” because Thailand may consider licensing overseas Vietnamese for residence based on the duration of their stay.

He stated that the Interior Ministry will coordinate with local authorities in solving difficulties relating to the licensing of residence for such people.

The Thai official also said that over the past years, Vietnamese people in Thailand have had a stable life and have integrated well into the local community. Some of them have succeeded in becoming examples for the Thai people.

According to the State Committee for Overseas Vietnamese, some 100,000 Vietnamese people are living in Thailand.