OPINION

Re-energising Thai-US relations

News, Kavi Chongkittavorn, 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.