Showing 1 - 10 of 52
US, Asian partners walk complex line with drills
News, Peter Apps, Published on 04/03/2024
» As Nato troops including up to 25,000 Americans continued their largest military exercises since the end of the Cold War in Europe last week, one of America's most established Asian multinational drills was getting under way in Thailand.
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.
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.
Thai geostrategic value to woo Biden
News, Published on 08/12/2020
» Even before President-elect Joe Biden is officially anointed as the United States' president, a curse has already been cast on Thailand by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, who on Dec 3 passed a resolution regarding the ongoing political unrest in the kingdom. Before spreading this false impression far and wide, the incoming Biden administration should pay full attention to the realities on the ground in Thailand, beyond political correctness reserved for a typical human right and democratic struggles. Otherwise, it could lead to unintended consequences on Thai-US relations as well as the US policy towards the region.
Re-energising Thai-US relations
News, Published on 02/06/2020
» In the 12 weeks since Michael George DeSombre took up the post of US ambassador to Thailand, he has penned three articles and conducted several rounds of interviews, praising Thailand's extraordinary roles in public health, the Mekong sub-region and global and regional supply chains. It has been refreshing to see long-standing bilateral ties revived with good vibes. His public views, expressed both in Thai and English in the midst of the Covid-19 outbreak, have been in stark contrast to previous ambassadors who were cautious but held critical and stereotypical views that strictly followed the cast-iron narratives of the US State Department -- Thailand is undemocratic, has no free press, is pro-China and is an unreliable ally.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Southeast Asia-US relations under Trump
News, Thitinan Pongsudhirak, Published on 18/05/2018
» Widely despised at home and abroad, US President Donald Trump is still in office well over a year into his controversial first term. Daily headlines from the leading media of the world have suggested from the outset that he is likely to be impeached, that his presidency is destined to be derailed due to this or that scandal. In the predominant view of the global intelligentsia more broadly, Mr Trump has been so damaging and toxic to the fabric of American democratic values and to the coherence and longevity of the rules-based liberal international order that has lasted over the past seven decades that he should not be allowed to last a full four-year term.