Prime minister looks forward to warm ties with Trump
PRIME Minister General Prayut Chan-o-cha yesterday congratulated the US president-elect Donald Trump and his running mate Governor Mike Pence for their success in last week’s presidential election.
“Your victory is remarkable and clear evidence that the American people have placed their trust and confidence in you to lead the country forward,” Prayut said in a statement published by the Foreign Ministry.
Emphasising the 183-year-old bilateral bond between Thailand and the United States, Prayut recalled the Kingdom’s status as the US’s first Asian ally, plus cooperation on mutual interests such as economics, security, and social and regional efforts.
The premier ended the letter by expressing his desire to work with Trump’s administration both at the bilateral level and in the Asean-US strategic partnership.
The statement, the Ministry’s second after last week’s immediate message after the election, was issued amid public doubts that policies promoted by Trump, a 70-year-old political novice, could cause a shift in Asia due to his protectionist agendas.
While Trump has rarely referred to Southeast Asia, many analysts anticipate that China will exert increasing influence in the region, particularly in regard to the South China Sea, with the United States withdrawing to a degree while focusing on its own interests at home.
Despite concerns about a potential US shift, Thai government officials said they expected good opportunities to work with the Trump administration thanks to historic ties and economic cooperation, despite an apparent decline in relations since the 2014 coup by the ruling junta.
Many analysts have profound doubts about how the new US administration will prioritise democratic values in terms of foreign relations, while Cambodian Prime Minister and strongman Hun Sen has already declared his support for Trump because “he is a businessman and not wanting wars”.
When presented with the observation that Prayut and Trump shared the trait of having blunt personalities, the Thai prime minister replied: “I don’t know. Is that good or not? I’m not a politician … sometimes I speak too sincerely and might not be polite but I actually never hold grudges against anyone … I could be angry again but it’s my own personality.”