Can U.S. Assistance Reinvigorate the U.S.-Thai Alliance?

PHOTO: Vitalis Barilo via Unsplash

“Mainland Southeast Asia is a pivotal region in the geostrategic landscape. It is also the area of the Indo-Pacific region where the United States and its allies are the least well-equipped to compete with China. Within this context, Thailand is poised to play a crucial role in shaping stability, prosperity, and the geopolitical balance. Thailand is ASEAN’s second-largest economy and the subregion’s economic hub. Thailand is critical for promoting subregional cooperation and economic integration. As the only country that shares borders with Myanmar, Cambodia, and Laos, Thailand has a major stake in the future of the Mekong River. It is also the largest trading partner for Laos, and a key destination for migrant workers from Laos, Myanmar, and Cambodia. Thailand’s role in mitigating the crisis in Myanmar, while often criticized, will be crucial to any viable pathway back to peace and democracy. Given Thailand’s extensive cooperation with China—and its treaty alliance with the United States—this subregional middle power is likely to influence the geopolitical balance in this region for years to come.”

Read more about developments in U.S.-Thai relations from Thomas Parks of The Asia Foundation.