Showing 91 - 93 of 93
Comfort level versus political correctness
News, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 22/08/2017
» The past few months showed Thailand's pragmatism. Its diplomacy is based on a comfort level rather than on perceived political correctness. With its location and added strategic assets, major countries have now begun to court Thailand at their own pace. Although the country's diplomatic pathway was put under severe stress in the first 15 months after the May 2014 coup, Thailand's regional and international profile has incrementally been gaining traction and leading to new cooperation with those countries that have forged the highest level of comfort.
Tillerson's 5-hour trip to reset Thai-US ties
News, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 08/08/2017
» When US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson returns to Bangkok Tuesday for a five-hour visit, he will find a bruised but confident ally ready to reset the 185-year-old Thai-US relations. This 300-minute interlude should prove extremely significant in determining the future of Thai-US relations. Lest we forget, his trip precedes a scheduled two-day visit by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov starting tomorrow.
Recalling Thanat as a diplomatic doyen
News, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 20/07/2017
» 'We [Thais] cannot forsake our responsibility and leave it to others to shape our destiny for us. So we are not hawkish, we are not anti-communist, we are just plain and simple people who want to live and to survive as free people and a free nation." This unmistakable articulation of Thai diplomacy made by Thanat Khoman in 1968 is still very much alive and kicking today.