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Thailand: Background and U.S. Relations
Thailand is a long-time military ally and economic partner
of the United States. These ties endure, but more than a
decade of political turmoil in Thailand, including two
military coups in 2006 and 2014, have complicated U.S.-
Thai relations. Although Thailand held elections in March
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.
However, U.S. policymakers face challenges in rekindling
the relationship while encouraging Thailand to fully return
to democratic norms. The Thai government's continued
efforts to suppress criticism, including muzzling journalists
and banning one of the largest opposition parties, raises
further concerns for many about the country's political
prospects.
Thaiand Politics
The March 24, 2019, elections were described by a number
of independent monitoring groups as heavily tilted to favor
the military junta. Thailand's military-drafted constitution
gave structural advantages to the military, and a series of
laws passed by the junta in 2016 allowed it to tighten
censorship over media outlets and silence critics. The
subsequent entrenchment of military personnel in the
government's most powerful positions-Prayuth is also
defense minister, and three former military officers hold
deputy prime minister positions has led many analysts to
conclude that Thailand's new civilian government is a
continuation of military rule.
Thailand remains deeply politically divided, with the
potential for more conflicts ahead. The political turmoil has
involved a broad clash between the political establishment
(a mix of the military, royalists, senior bureaucrats, and
many urban and middle class citizens) and democracy
activists, rural Thai, and backers of former Prime Minister
Thaksin Shinawatra, who was deposed in the 2006 coup
and now resides overseas. Between 2001 and 2011, Thaksin
and his supporters won six consecutive national elections,
but their leaders were repeatedly removed from office by
either military or judicial coup. During this period, Thailand
saw numerous large-scale demonstrations, several of which
resulted in violent confrontations including 2010 clashes
that killed 80 civilians in Bangkok. The country's political
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opposition has evolved in recent years with the
establishment of a range of new parties, but the military's
control over the political process remains largely protected.
Figure I. Thailand at a Glance
Wnfant Mortaf1ity
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GDP (offialI exchanlge rate):
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Source: CIA World Factbook, 2020, World Bank.
The monarchy is one of Thailand's most powerful political
institutions. The former king, Bhumibol Adulyadej, passed
away in 2016, ending a 70-year reign that had made him the
world's longest serving monarch. The king has few formal
authorities, but Bhumibol enjoyed tremendous popular
support and political influence. After his accession to the
throne, Bhumibol's son Maha Vajiralongkom, now
officially known as King Rama X, has been more politically
active than his father was in his last years, opposing some
parts of the 2016 Constitution and taking control of the
bureau managing the throne's vast fortune in July 2017.
Thailand and the COVD- 19 Pandemic
Thailand was the first country outside of China to identify a
case of COVID-19, but appears to have flattened the curve.
In late March, Thailand declared a state of emergency and
canceled the popular Songkran water festival, Thailand's
New Year's celebration. The health care system's
experience in containing infectious disease may have
helped reduced the impact of the outbreak.
Despite these successes, Thailand's state of emergency has
drawn criticism for cracking down on dissenting voices and
intimidating journalists or health care workers from
reporting negative news. Political disagreements have also
broken out, with several lawmakers resigning in protest of
how emergency funds were allocated.
Economic impacts of COV D- 9
Thailand's economy driven heavily by tourism and
foreign direct investment has slowed over the last several
years, with 2019 marking its slowest growth in over five
years. Ongoing Sino-U.S. trade frictions, combined with a
strengthening Thai currency, also strained the country's
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