https://www.scmp.com/rss/518920/feed Dr Paul Chambers is a Lecturer at Naresuan University and a Visiting Fellow at the ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute in Singapore. He specialises in civil-military relations and democratization in Southeast Asia and is the co-editor of Khaki Capital: The Political Economy of the Military in Southeast Asia (2017). en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Concerns abound that the return of US President Donald Trump will create significant fissures in US-Thailand relations. But these fears may be overstated, given that Trump’s approach to Southeast Asia is informed by his focus on China. That said, Thailand will need to sustain its hedging strategy in the face of possible pressures from Trump, particularly in the fields of economics and trade. Under his predecessor Joe Biden, the US bolstered alliances and partnerships, supported global... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3297842/why-trump-20-ignoring-thailand-would-be-mistake?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3297842/why-trump-20-ignoring-thailand-would-be-mistake?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 09 Feb 2025 02:00:15 +0000 Paul Chambers Paul Chambers The Royal Thai Air Force’s (RTAF) history of combat aircraft procurement provides insight into Thailand’s efforts to keep up with regional competition and “bend with the wind” with different great powers. This began with Siam’s 1930 purchase of Avro 504s from Britain, followed by purchases of Vought O2U Corsairs/Curtiss P-36 Hawk fighters from the United States in the early 1930s, and acquisitions of Nakajima Ki-27, Tachikawa Ki-36, and Nakajima Ki-43 from Japan during World War II. During the... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3279377/why-thailand-chose-buy-swedish-fighter-jets-instead-us-f-16s?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3279377/why-thailand-chose-buy-swedish-fighter-jets-instead-us-f-16s?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 22 Sep 2024 03:00:17 +0000 Paul Chambers Paul Chambers When a civilian, elected government was formed in Thailand in late August 2023 and approved by an appointed senate, the Biden administration voiced its formal “congratulations”. The advent of the new coalition formally led by Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin (informally dominated by former leader Thaksin Shinawatra) offered the United States a potentially more stable, albeit semi-elected, regime. This was a significant change, especially given the multiple Thai governments after the 2006 coup,... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3264964/us-thailand-ties-strategic-recalculations-amid-bangkoks-tilt-towards-china-and-new-geopolitical?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3264964/us-thailand-ties-strategic-recalculations-amid-bangkoks-tilt-towards-china-and-new-geopolitical?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 01 Jun 2024 03:00:14 +0000