Thailand Denies Using Military Ties as Trade Bargaining Chip With US
Thailand's government rejected claims it is using military cooperation as leverage in US trade talks, insisting both relationships are pursued independently based on their own strategic interests and frameworks.
Government spokesman Ratchada Thanadirek rejected reports from some foreign news agencies claiming that Thailand plans to use military and security cooperation as a negotiating condition in trade talks with the United States, calling such claims false and contrary to Thai government policy. Trade negotiations with the US are based on Thailand's economic interests, fairness, and balanced trade, with the government carefully considering proposals and their effects on farmers, businesses, manufacturers, and the Thai public while seeking mutually beneficial and fair agreements. Ratchada stated that Thailand-US military and security cooperation is a longstanding relationship pursued on the basis of shared security interests and various collaborative efforts, including the Cobra Gold joint exercise, which continues according to its established framework and plans without being linked as a condition to trade negotiation outcomes. The Cobra Gold 27 exercise, the 46th iteration under a six-year training plan through 2030, will involve 31 countries to build capacity and readiness against traditional and emerging threats such as cyber and space operations, with planning meetings scheduled in Hawaii in September ahead of training in March 2025. Ratchada emphasized that Thailand and the US have broad and deep multidimensional relationships spanning economics, trade, security, and people-to-people ties, and that the government will not trade one national interest against another, with each area requiring careful consideration of its respective framework and benefits.
