Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken will travel to Bangkok, Thailand, where he will join Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha and Deputy Prime Minister and Secretary of State Don Pramudwinai to reaffirm the US-Thai alliance and India’s commitment to the US-Thai alliance. -Pacific region. They will also discuss the economic and security ties that bind our enduring partnership with Thailand. Minister Blinken will visit a shelter for victims of human trafficking to demonstrate their shared commitment to ending human trafficking. The secretary will meet with US Exchange alumni to gain perspectives on issues important to young Thai leaders. During his visit, Minister Blinken will urge an end to the violence in Burma and an increase in humanitarian aid to vulnerable populations.
The United States and Thailand are close partners and allies
- The United States looks forward to cementing the excellent cooperation between our two countries as allies and friends. Next year will mark 190 years of diplomatic relations.
- Our relationship is deep and enduring. The United States formalized diplomatic relations with Thailand in 1833 with the Treaty of Friendship and Trade and reaffirmed ties with the 1954 Treaty of Manila of the former Southeast Asia Treaty Organization. In 2003, the United States designated Thailand as a key non-NATO ally.
- Thailand and the United States share a commitment to common values - democracy, human rights, labor rights, the rule of law, security and prosperity.
- We applaud Thailand’s focus on addressing the climate crisis and promoting a sustainable and inclusive economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, including in the 2022 host year of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. partnership is involved. We look forward to taking Thailand’s lead on these issues during APEC’s 2023 US host year.
Security cooperation strengthens our partnership and benefits the region
- Thailand is a contractual partner, a leader in the international community, a security guarantor and a trustworthy partner.
- Thailand is a key regional law enforcement partner and leader. The United States and Thailand jointly operate the International Law Enforcement Academy (ILEA) in Bangkok, which has trained more than 22,000 criminal justice officers from across Southeast Asia on anti-corruption, cybercrime and narcotics, and wildlife since 1998. Training offered on issues such as smuggling. , and people.
- Thailand and the United States are co-hosting Cobra Gold, the largest and longest-running annual multinational military exercise in the region. Since the 1950s, Thailand has received US military equipment, vital supplies, training and other assistance in building and improving facilities. We have US$2.85 billion in foreign military sales and an annual program of over 400 joint military exercises and events.
- The United States supports Thailand’s leadership in the Mekong region through the Mekong-US Partnership (MUSP), as a development partner for the Mekong River Commission, and as a development partner for the Ayawadi-Chao Phraya-Mekong Economic Cooperation Strategy (ACMECS). AS, a partnership to coordinate infrastructure development between the five countries of the Mekong region. Through MUSP, the United States is working with Thailand and other lower Mekong countries to strengthen cross-border economic links and address emerging challenges such as resource management, cross-border crime, transparency and good governance, and human resource development. Can you
The American and Thai people benefit from our close economic, environmental, health and educational ties
- The United States is Thailand’s largest export market, buying more than $47 billion worth of goods from Thailand in 2021. In 2021, our total mutual trade was $63.7 billion. Our ties, ranging from trade in consumer goods and agricultural products to cooperation in the defense industry, have fostered cooperation in areas outside of the economic sphere, including security and space technology. The United States contributed US$17.5 billion in foreign direct investment (FDI) to Thailand in 2020, making it Thailand’s third-largest foreign investor.
- For more than 60 years, U.S. agencies like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Armed Forces Research Institute of Medical Sciences, and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) have worked with Thai counterparts to protect America’s health. through medical research and innovation and public health initiatives, the Thai and international community.
- USAID’s environmental programs promote sustainable resource management; conservation of biodiversity; expanding the use of data to inform policy decisions on issues such as air quality; combating illegal wildlife trade; and improving access to clean, safe, economical, reliable and modern energy sources. USAID and the Thailand International Cooperation Agency (TICA) are also deepening their cooperation through a strategic partnership to jointly provide development assistance to other countries in Southeast Asia.
- The United States supports exchange programs that connect Thai youth, students, teachers, artists, athletes and emerging leaders with their counterparts in the United States and the ASEAN region and engage them in strategic priorities ranging from civic engagement to economic stability . Is. Our exchange programs are strong with over 5,000 Thai alumni from the Fulbright program, the International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) and the Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative (YSEALI). The newly formed Thailand-United States Alumni Association brings together alumni from across the country to work together on projects that support our common goals.
- s. Peace Corps volunteers, active in Thailand since 1962, focus on training English teachers and developing youth life skills in elementary schools.
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