The U.S. Strategy Of Rebalance To Asia And Relations Between Thailand And The United States

This thesis concentrates on the study of the US-Thai relations since the United States put forward "the Rebalance to Asia" strategy in 2011. This study involves political, economic, and military cooperation between the two countries, highlighting the adjustments in Thailand’s policy toward the U.S. after the U.S. implementation of its "Rebalance to Asia" strategy. The thesis concludes with an outlook on the Thai-U.S. relations.Thailand, a firm ally of the United States in Southeast Asia, has become a fulcrum of the U.S. "Rebalance to Asia" strategy. Thailand and the U.S. have had a history of bilateral cooperation since 1950 when the two nations signed "the US-Thai military assistance agreement" and "the US-Thai economic and technical assistance agreement." These two agreements led to the establishment of the U.S.-Thai alliance relationship. During the Cold War, particularly in the Vietnam War, their alliance relationship was very close and strong. Although their bilateral relations fell on an all-time low after the end of the Cold War, the bilateral relations picked up again after the "9.11" terrorist attacks on the United States.With the expansion of the U.S. campaign against terrorism into Southeast Asia and the strategic gravity of the United States shifting to the Asia-Pacific, the economic and security relations between Thailand and the United States were restored and strengthened. The most important military cooperation of Thailand and the US is the annual "Cobra Gold Exercise." In recent years, this bilateral joint military exercise has been expanded to a multilateral military exercise. In economic cooperation, the United States has consistently urged Thailand to participate in the negotiations on the U.S.-led Trans-Pacific Partnership. Thailand has already responded positively although Thailand has not formally joined the others in the negotiations on the TPP. In their bilateral political relationship, the two nations have further developed comprehensive cooperation, and the United States has been a preeminent factor in shaping Thailand’s foreign policy in the region and in the world. In addition, the United States and Thailand have kept frequent contact on environment protection, anti-drug battle, education, development, and so on.On the whole, with the background of the U.S. "Rebalance to Asia" strategy, Thailand and the United States have maintained good and strong bilateral relations though their relations have, sometimes, shown twists and turns with Thai domestic political crises. Currently, political situation in Thailand is not so stable and the U.S. is unhappy and reluctant to work with a military regime in Thailand. Although Thai-U.S. bilateral relations are experiencing some difficulties in the recent years, the U.S.-Thai bilateral relations will develop within the framework of the U.S.-Thai military alliance in the future.