Updated June 17, 2020
Thailand: Background and U.S. Relations
Thailand is a long-time military ally and economic partner
opposition has evolved in recent years with the
of the United States. These ties endure, but more than a
establishment of a range of new parties, but the military’s
decade of political turmoil in Thailand, including two
control over the political process remains largely protected.
military coups in 2006 and 2014, have complicated U.S.-
Thai relations. Although Thailand held elections in March
Figure 1. Thailand at a Glance
2019, many saw the electoral process, which resulted in a
quasi-civilian government led by former Army commander
Prayuth Chan-ocha, as having been weighted to protect
military influence. The U.S. Department of State certified
in July 2019 that a democratically-elected government had
taken office in Thailand, allowing for restoration of military
assistance that had been proscribed since the 2014 coup.
Thailand has indicated it wants to reset its relationship with
the United States after five years of coup-triggered
constraints. As one of Southeast Asia’s most developed
nations and a long-time U.S. partner on a range of issues,
Thailand has the potential to support U.S. initiatives such as
broadening regional defense cooperation and addressing
concerns about management of the Mekong River.
Source: CIA World Factbook, 2020, World Bank.
However, U.S. policymakers face challenges in rekindling
the relationship while encouraging Thailand to fully return
The monarchy is one of Thailand’s most powerful political
to democratic norms. The Thai government’s continued
institutions. The former king, Bhumibol Adulyadej, passed
efforts to suppress criticism, including muzzling journalists
away in 2016, ending a 70-year reign that had made him the
and banning one of the largest opposition parties, raises
world’s longest serving monarch. The king has few formal
further concerns for many about the country’s political
authorities, but Bhumibol enjoyed tremendous popular
prospects.
support and political influence. After his accession to the
Thailand Politics
throne, Bhumibol’s son Maha Vajiralongkorn, now
officially known as King Rama X, has been more politically
The March 24, 2019, elections were described by a number
active than his father was in his last years, opposing some
of independent monitoring groups as heavily tilted to favor
parts of the 2016 Constitution and taking control of the
the military junta. Thailand’s military-drafted constitution
bureau managing the throne’s vast fortune in July 2017.
gave structural advantages to the military, and a series of
laws passed by the junta in 2016 allowed it to tighten
Thailand and the COVID-19 Pandemic
censorship over media outlets and silence critics. The
Thailand was the first country outside of China to identify a
subsequent entrenchment of military personnel in the
case of COVID-19, but appears to have flattened the curve.
government’s most powerful positions—Prayuth is also
In late March, Thailand declared a state of emergency and
defense minister, and three former military officers hold
canceled the popular Songkran water festival, Thailand’s
deputy prime minister positions—has led many analysts to
New Year’s celebration. The health care system’s
conclude that Thailand’s new civilian government is a
experience in containing infectious disease may have
continuation of military rule.
helped reduced the impact of the outbreak.
Thailand remains deeply politically divided, with the
potential for more conflicts ahead. The political turmoil has
Despite these successes, Thailand’s state of emergency has
involved a broad clash between the political establishment
drawn criticism for cracking down on dissenting voices and
(a mix of the military, royalists, senior bureaucrats, and
intimidating journalists or health care workers from
many urban and middle class citizens) and democracy
reporting negative news. Political disagreements have also
activists, rural Thai, and backers of former Prime Minister
broken out, with several lawmakers resigning in protest of
Thaksin Shinawatra, who was deposed in the 2006 coup
how emergency funds were allocated.
and now resides overseas. Between 2001 and 2011, Thaksin
and his supporters won six consecutive national elections,
Economic Impacts of COVID-19
but their leaders were repeatedly removed from office by
Thailand’s economy—driven heavily by tourism and
either military or judicial coup. During this period, Thailand
foreign direct investment—has slowed over the last several
saw numerous large-scale demonstrations, several of which
years, with 2019 marking its slowest growth in over five
resulted in violent confrontations including 2010 clashes
years. Ongoing Sino-U.S. trade frictions, combined with a
that killed 80 civilians in Bangkok. The country’s political
strengthening Thai currency, also strained the country’s
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Thailand: Background and U.S. Relations
economy. Economic factors related to COVID-19—lower
Trade and Economic Relations
tourism levels, slowing production, and weak domestic
Thailand is an upper middle-income country, and trade and
consumption—are all expected to further Thailand’s
foreign investment play a large role in its economy. In
ongoing struggle with stagnant wage growth and rising
2019, Thailand’s GDP grew 2.4%, continuing a period of
levels of poverty. In an effort to curtail further economic
slow growth compared to previous years. The United States
decline, the government approved a number of stimulus
is Thailand’s third largest trading partner, behind China and
packages, the most recent in June 2020 targeting domestic
Japan. In 2018, Thailand was the United States’ 20th largest
tourism. The government also plans to gradually reopen
goods trading partner; its 26th largest goods export market;
international travel in phases over the course of 2020.
and a source of $44.5 billion in total two-way goods trade.
In 2018, the United States ran a $19.31 billion trade deficit
U.S.-Thailand Relations
with Thailand, ranking Thailand as the country with the 13th
The United States and Thailand have long-standing bilateral
largest bilateral surplus with the United States. Trade
relations, including a treaty alliance that derives from the
discussions have focused on Thailand’s relatively poor
1954 Southeast Asian Treaty Organization, which the U.S.
intellectual property rights protections and its subsidization
and Thailand reinforced in a bilateral 1962 agreement, the
of its large agriculture industry. Thailand has remained on
Thanat-Rusk Communique. The United States operates
the United States Trade Representative’s Section 301
numerous regional offices from the Bangkok Embassy, one
Watch List since 2018.
of the largest diplomatic missions in the world. Bilateral
cooperation includes security initiatives and operations,
Thailand’s Regional Relations
regional health and education programs, and others.
Thailand’s importance for U.S. interests in Southeast Asia
stems from its large economy and its good relations with its
Security Relations
neighbors. Thailand has extensive trade and investment
Security cooperation, which dates back to cooperation in
relations across the region. Japan, for instance, is its largest
the Korean and Vietnam Wars, has long been the highest
source of foreign direct investment. Historically, Sino-Thai
profile pillar of the U.S.-Thai relationship. In addition to
ties have been close, and trade has burgeoned under the
hosting military exercises, Thailand has provided the U.S.
2010 China-ASEAN Free Trade Agreement. Unlike several
military with access to important facilities, particularly the
of its neighbors, Thailand has no territorial disputes with
strategically located Utapao airbase and Sattahip naval
China in the South China Sea and has been loathe to take an
base. The U.S. military used Utapao for refueling
assertive stance against China’s actions there. As a member
operations during its campaigns in Iraq and Afghanistan in
of the China-led Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), Thailand is
the 2000s, as well as for multinational relief efforts,
involved in a high speed railway project that would connect
including after the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami and 2015
southern China with several Southeast Asian nations. The
Nepal earthquake. For U.S. officials, intelligence and law
project, which has been backed by the Prayuth government,
enforcement cooperation with Thai counterparts remains a
has raised concerns by some in Thailand who question
priority, particularly as the United States confronts
whether it can be operated profitably.
international criminal and drug networks.
Human Rights and Democracy Concerns
Following the 2014 coup, the United States suspended
International organizations have criticized Thailand’s
military aid to Thailand as required by law, but did not
alleged human rights abuses, including the military
suspended nonmilitary aid or cooperation. Capacity
government’s curtailment of freedoms of speech and
building assistance to the country was largely uninterrupted.
assembly; harassment of government critics; use of lese
The large-scale annual Cobra Gold military exercises
majeste laws to muzzle dissent; arbitrary arrests; and the
continued. The State Department’s certification of
lack of protections for human trafficking victims, laborers,
Thailand’s return to democracy opened the way for the
and refugees. International groups have also identified
renewed expansion of ties. The 2020 Cobra Gold military
human rights violations in the Muslim-majority southern
exercises—held shortly before the coronavirus outbreak
provinces where an ongoing insurgency has killed over
hit—was the largest ever iteration of the annual event.
7,000 people since 2004.
Several analysts have suggested that limits on U.S.
In its 2019 Trafficking in Persons report, the State
engagement allowed U.S.-Thai security ties to weaken, and
Department ranked Thailand as a Tier 2 country. Thailand
that Sino-Thai ties—which already were strong and
is not a signatory to the 1951 Refugee Convention nor its
growing—expanded to fill the vacuum. China’s state-
1967 Protocol and does not have a formal national asylum
owned arms industries provided an appealing and less-
framework. In 2019, the United Nations High
expensive alternative for Thailand. In 2015, Thailand
Commissioner for Refugees reported that Thailand hosted
acquired three diesel-electric submarines from China, and
over 95,000 refugees and stateless people.
in 2017, the Thai government announced it would buy 34
armored personnel carriers and a $530 million submarine
Emma Chanlett-Avery, Specialist in Asian Affairs
from China. Arms sales provide an avenue for renewed
Ben Dolven, Specialist in Asian Affairs
U.S. engagement. Press outlets report that Thailand spent
Kirt Smith, Research Assistant
nearly $500 million on U.S. weaponry in 2019.
IF10253
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Thailand: Background and U.S. Relations
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