After years of benign neglect, Thailand is seeing some earth-shaking developments from the US, with the Biden administration apparently suddenly realising that Thailand remains a key ally in the region that has not yet been fully utilised. At this juncture, the time is right. Both countries are planning to commemorate the 190th anniversary of their diplomatic relations next year. Across the world, the war in Ukraine has already generating long-term regional repercussions, helping to highlight the state of the Thai-US alliance.
According to private conversations with both retired and on-duty senior military officials, the recent surge of visits by senior US officials including US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Indo-Pacific Command (Indopacom) Commander Adm John Aquilino reflects Washington's desire for closer ties with Thailand. Although this objective has been around since the Cold War, it has been neglected over the past few decades due to the lack of common security threats after the fall of the Berlin Wall.
