The Thai government has denied reports that it plans to use military and security cooperation as leverage in its ongoing trade negotiations with the United States, reaffirming its commitment to the nations’ longstanding security relationship.
Rachada Dhanadirek, a spokesperson for the government, said on Wednesday that the talks would focus solely on how to attain fair and balanced trade between the two allies, Thai PBS reported.
Her comments came a day after a Bloomberg report stating that Thailand was preparing to warn the Trump administration that steep U.S. tariffs could force it to scale back military cooperation. This included the annual Cobra Gold joint exercises, a cornerstone of the U.S.-Thai alliance that have taken place since 1982.
The report quoted an unnamed Thai official familiar with the matter, who said this position was expected to form part of Thailand’s negotiating position in the reciprocal trade negotiations that are set to resume later this month.
“While the provision will be broadly worded,” the article stated, “Thailand could reconsider its participation in joint military activities if higher tariffs inflict significant economic damage.”
