US army chief affirms military alliance with Thailand after passing coronavirus test
- Thailand is Washington’s oldest ally in Asia but relations were strained by a 2014 military coup led by Prayuth Chan-ocha, now prime minister
- The US scaled back some military exchanges with Thailand, and Bangkok responded by forging a closer ties with China
US Army chief of staff General James McConville met with Thailand’s prime minister and its army chief on Friday, in the first high-level visit by a foreign delegation to Thailand since the Covid-19 pandemic disrupted international travel.
McConville met with Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha and also Thai army chief Apirat Kongsompong and signed a Strategic Vision Statement, a US Embassy statement said, as Washington looks to reassure allies about its commitment to the region.
The text of the statement was not released, but the embassy said McConville and Apirat “discussed modernisation, interoperability, joint training, and doctrine”.
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Thailand is Washington’s oldest ally in Asia but relations were strained by a 2014 military coup led by then-army chief Prayuth that ousted an elected civilian government.
The US scaled back some military exchanges with Thailand, and Bangkok responded by forging a closer ties with China. But ties improved after last year’s general election that officially restored civilian rule while keeping Prayuth on as a civilian leader, resulting in arms deal for US-made armoured personnel carriers and light attack helicopters last year.
Prayuth on Friday also acknowledged US$2 million in US aid to help Thailand to cope with the coronavirus, according to a news release from his office.
The US delegation visited under a special arrangement to follow strict coronavirus safety measures that required members to wear face masks.
Thailand has gone six weeks without confirmed community transmission of coronavirus, while the US marked a new daily record of more than 60,000 new cases on Thursday.
A photo released by the Thai Army shows a medical team wearing hazmat suits taking a nose swab from McConville on his arrival from Singapore. Thai officials had said they were told he also would be tested before leaving Singapore.
The visit caused a mild brouhaha on local social media with claims the delegation was allowed to short cut a required 14-day quarantine for foreign visitors.
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The claims were false, because regulations for VIP guests of the government include provisions for skipping the quarantine at state facilities for short visits by delegations of 10 members or less.
VIPs must still observe other regulations, including holding certificates that they tested negative for the coronavirus, having Thai liaison officials accompany them, keeping to a fixed itinerary and utilising only their own specially arranged transport.
Additional reporting by Associated Press
