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  • News & article

    Post-poll policy: Dynamic continuity

    News, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 26/03/2019

    » Speculation is rife about imminent changes in Thailand's diplomatic direction after five years of military-ruled guidance. Political pundits and campaigners ahead of the polls last week also sent out strong signals that they expect a new cabinet in Government House with new policies. One of the casualties would be Thai-Chinese ties, which have progressed and strengthened without waveringly over the past five years. However, the outcome of Sunday's election indicates that whichever parties form the next civilian government, there will be little effect on the country's foreign relations or the current Asean chair. Indeed, Thailand's foreign policy will become more dynamic with continuity.

  • News & article

    Putting hearts and minds in Thai-US ties

    News, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 24/07/2018

    » The international rescue of 12 boys and their football coach in Chiang Rai earlier this month quickly permeated into the conference room of the Thai-US dialogue in Washington DC last week. The feel-good atmosphere jump-started the much-needed dialogue between the region's oldest allies.

  • News & article

    US-Thai Cobra Gold drills wither at 40

    News, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 17/08/2021

    » The 40th iteration of Cobra Gold (CG), which ended last week, was supposed to be the best year ever for the four-decades-old Thai and US joint military exercises. But it was not to be. Blame it on the Covid-19 pandemic or the menace of smartphones and social media spreading fake news about the true nature of the region's largest multinational military exercise.

  • News & article

    US urges Asean to stand up to China

    Oped, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 03/08/2021

    » US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has made it clear the US would like to see Asean stand up to China without choosing sides. At the same time, the US will engage with China in areas of common interests while is ready to stand up against the Middle Kingdom without flinching if its interests are threatened.

  • News & article

    Vietnam's dual foreign policy strategy

    News, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 07/01/2020

    » Finally, Vietnam has fulfilled its long-held dream of becoming a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council (2020-2021) at the same time as the country chairs 10-member Asean. These dual strategies have high diplomatic value in propelling Vietnam to become a leading member in the future Indo-Pacific scheme of things.

  • News & article

    Mekong nations tighten anti-drug blitz

    News, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 03/12/2019

    » The Mekong region is no longer a mysterious place, as it has now become the world's main hub of illicit drugs across multiple frontiers. Last month, anti-drug officials from riparian countries -- Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, China -- and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNDODC) met in a series of meetings in Bangkok to forge a new political agreement and plan that would strengthen their cooperation to address the deteriorating drug situation.

  • News & article

    Thai-US relations in the Indo-Pacific era

    News, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 16/07/2019

    » When US State Secretary Michael Pompeo stops in Bangkok for a three-day visit at the end of this month, he will find good old ally Thailand is ready to tango. Their relations will no longer be, as in the past, based on reaction and counter-reaction to the cycle of coups. In the past five years, Thailand has survived Western-led sanctions. Now with a civilian government in place, the Kingdom's economic and political dynamism will no longer be curtailed by what was perceived as democratic backsliding and increased authoritarianism.

  • News & article

    KL-Beijing ties and the 'Mahathir doctrine'

    News, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 28/08/2018

    » Be careful what you say these days, especially when it comes to comments about Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, also known as Tun Mahathir, or Tun Ma by Chinese-language dailies in Malaysia, and his five-day visit to China. One can take what one hears literally at one's own risk.

  • News & article

    South Korea is wooing Asean and India

    News, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 17/07/2018

    » For the first time since the end of the 1950-53 Korean War, South Korea, under the helm of President Moon Jae-in, has effectively been embedded in the regional scheme of things --political/security, economic and social/cultural. The country's previous four presidents -- Kim Dae-jung, Roh Moo-hyun, Lee Myung-bak and Park Geun-hye -- tried to do the same but sadly they repeatedly failed. Every time these leaders wanted to focus on Southeast Asia and South Asia, something happened in the Northeast, the Korean Peninsula in particular, that immediately distracted them. They became mesmerised and forgot the region. There was no consistency whatsoever.

  • News & article

    Cobra Gold drills depoliticise Thai-US ties

    News, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 27/02/2018

    » The 37th Cobra Gold annual multilateral military exercise ended last week with one major outcome -- the depoliticising of Thai-US relations which have been held captive since the May 2014 coup.

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