Royal visit to Quan Su Pagoda

The visit took place at noon as part of the royal couple’s State visit to Vietnam from September 14 to 16.

They were accompanied by Le Khanh Hai, chairman of the Office of the State President, and Pham Viet Hung, Vietnamese Ambassador to Thailand.

Representatives of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha welcomed the King and Queen, while local Buddhists waved Vietnamese and Thai national flags and Buddhist flags as the royal couple entered the pagoda.

Inside the main sanctuary, King Maha Vajiralongkorn and the Queen offered incense and candles before the Buddha.

Senior monks then chanted sutras and prayed for the well-being of the royal couple and for stronger Vietnam-Thailand relations as the two countries mark 50 years of diplomatic ties.

After the ceremony, the King and Queen met Most Venerable Thich Thien Nhon, deputy Supreme Patriarch of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha and chairman of its Executive Council, along with other senior monks.

The royal couple are visiting Vietnam at the invitation of General Secretary and State President To Lam and his spouse.

The trip marks the first visit to Vietnam by a Thai king since the two countries established diplomatic relations 50 years ago.

Maha Vajiralongkorn previously visited Vietnam twice, in 1992 and 1997, when he was Crown Prince.

Shared Buddhist ties

The activities of the Thai King and Queen at Quan Su Pagoda on Wednesday reflected the cultural and spiritual similarities between Vietnam and Thailand, a country where Buddhism is regarded as the national religion.

Thailand’s 2017 Constitution stipulates that the Thai King must be a Buddhist and also serves as the “upholder of religions” in Thailand. The Constitution also assigns the state responsibility for supporting Theravada Buddhism, which is also known in Vietnam as Nam Tong Buddhism.

Across successive reigns, the Thai royal family has provided patronage and favorable conditions for the development of Annam Nikaya Buddhist temples, also known as the Vietnamese Buddhist tradition, reflecting a spirit of cultural inclusiveness and respect for the Thai community of Vietnamese descent.

In July 2024, King Maha Vajiralongkorn decided to confer ecclesiastical titles on nine senior Buddhist dignitaries of the Annam Nikaya, one of only two foreign Buddhist traditions in Thailand.

Alongside the Annam Nikaya tradition, Vietnamese pagodas in Thailand have long served as familiar cultural and spiritual centers for nearly 100,000 overseas Vietnamese, helping preserve customs, strengthen community bonds, and educate younger generations of Vietnamese in Thailand about their roots and national identity.

Quan Su Pagoda dates back to the 15th century and currently serves as the headquarters of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha.

For nearly half a century, the pagoda has frequently been chosen as the venue for major events of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha, including a meeting in November 1981 of the congress that unified Buddhist organizations and schools into the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha.