Relationship dossier
Thailand
United States
Relationship assessment
A longstanding security alliance with recurring military cooperation and periodic political strains
Thailand toward United States
+60Thailand participates in the bilateral security alliance and recurring joint military exercises, including Cobra Gold, supporting sustained defense cooperation with the United States.
United States toward Thailand
+55The United States has maintained security cooperation with Thailand, designated it a major non-NATO ally in 2003, and participated in recurring joint exercises. Following Thailand's 2014 coup, the United States curtailed some assistance and high-level engagement.
Overall relationship
+55The enduring bilateral structure is a security alliance with recurring military cooperation, including joint exercises and a major non-NATO ally designation. Political strains, particularly after Thailand's 2014 coup and the ensuing US restrictions on assistance and engagement, have complicated but not displaced that security relationship.
How to read these scores
Scores are rough judgments, not objective measurements or current verification. Directional scores describe government policy and conduct, not public opinion. The overall score is an independent estimate, never an average.
- −100
- Extreme sustained hostility
- −50
- Substantially adversarial
- 0
- Mixed or neutral, supported by knowledge
- +50
- Substantially cooperative
- +100
- Exceptionally close sustained partnership
“Not assessed” means there is no recorded score. Pair existence makes no claim about diplomatic recognition or established relations.
Relationship context
Overview
Thailand and the United States have a longstanding security alliance, reinforced by recurring joint military exercises and cooperation. The relationship has also faced strain over political developments in Thailand: after the 2014 coup, the United States curtailed some assistance and high-level engagement. The alliance remains a central feature of bilateral ties, alongside periods of political friction.
Areas of tension
- The 2014 coup in Thailand prompted US restrictions on assistance and high-level engagement.
Key developments
The United States designated Thailand a major non-NATO ally.
Following Thailand's military coup, the United States curtailed some assistance and high-level engagement.
Thailand and the United States have conducted the recurring Cobra Gold joint military exercises.
Major uncertainties
- The current scope of military cooperation and assistance is unclear.
- The extent to which political disagreements continue to affect high-level engagement is unclear.