The Thai government has dismissed foreign media reports suggesting it intends to use security and military cooperation with the United States as leverage in trade negotiations, insisting the claims are false and do not represent official policy.
Government spokesperson Ratchada Thanadirek said on Wednesday, August 12 that Thailand’s trade discussions with the US are being conducted separately, with negotiations guided by national economic interests, fairness and the goal of maintaining balanced trade.
She said the government would closely examine all proposals, particularly their potential effects on farmers, businesses, manufacturers and the wider public. Any agreement must deliver appropriate and equitable benefits for both countries.
Ratchada stressed that defence and security cooperation between Thailand and the US is founded on a longstanding partnership and shared security priorities, rather than commercial considerations.
Joint initiatives, including the annual Cobra Gold military exercise, will therefore continue under existing arrangements and will not be used as a bargaining tool in trade talks.
The 46th Cobra Gold exercise forms part of a six-year training programme covering 2025 to 2030 and is expected to involve 31 countries.
It aims to strengthen operational capabilities and improve preparedness for both conventional and emerging security challenges, including cyber and space-based threats.
An intermediate planning conference is due to take place in Hawaii in September ahead of the exercise scheduled for March 2027. Ratchada said the training would remain intensive while being expanded to cover a broader range of threats and operations.
“Thailand and the US have broad and deep relations across many dimensions, including the economy, trade, security and people-to-people ties,” she said.
“Each issue has its own framework and national interests that must be carefully considered. The government will not use one area of the country’s interests to exchange for another.”
