Controversial US diplomat to return

The visit is part of a three-nation tourby Russel that includes Laos and Japan between tomorrow and December 21. The strategic dialogue between Thailand and the US was last held in Washington in 2012 and covers the full range of political, security, and economic cooperation between the two countries.

Russel will meet with Thai government officials, civil society representatives, and political leaders on Thursday.

He visited Bangkok in January, becoming the first high-ranking US official to do so since Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha staged a coup last year when he was the Army chief. In a speech during that visit, Russel said the nations’ excellent and long-standing bilateral ties had been affected by the coup as it resulted in the removal of a democratically elected government.

Insisting that the US did not take sides in politics, he criticised the trial against ex-PM Yingluck Shinawatra, labelling it politically driven.“When an elected leader is deposed, impeached by the authorities that implemented the coup, and then targeted with criminal charges while basic democratic processes and institutions are interrupted, the international community is left with the impression that these steps could be politically driven,” he said.

His statements angered Prayut and the government. The US Charge d’affaires in Bangkok met with then-Deputy Foreign Minister Don Pramudwinai and was informed that the criticism hurt Thai sentiments and were tantamount to “interference” in Thailand’s internal affairs.