Co-dependant relationship with the US is over
Re: “Some points about US-Thai relations”, Letters, January 18.
Poor Mr Vint Chavala – you sound like a spurned lover. Where have you been lately? Haven’t you heard the old English adage (often attributed to 19th-century prime minister Viscount Palmerston): “Nations have no permanent friends or enemies, only interests”?
Since the end of the cold war, what has Thailand meant to the US? In practical terms, not very much. After all, Thailand has no sizeable reserves of gas, oil or essential metals to feed US needs.
With the changing geopolitical situation, Thailand’s importance to the US has understandably declined. The US is no longer Thailand’s No 1 trading partner in the region. There are now “richer pickings” for America.
There’s also been a distinct change in the makeup of the Thai elite, with growing Sino-Thai influence in business and government that’s evident nationally. It’s plausible that the US might regard these groups as more receptive to China’s influence and is therefore reluctant to engage further or promote the old relationship.
It’s now up to Thailand to forge its own foreign policy, without relying on big and powerful friends such as the US or China. Current Thai relations with the US demonstrate the dangers of over-reliance on someone else.
T Timaphorn
