The head of Thailand’s junta, Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha, meets President Donald Trump in Washington on Monday and hopes to strengthen ties with the US, marking his first visit to the White House since taking power in 2014.
Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha was welcomed on the south portico by Trump and first lady Melania Trump, who arrived for talks and a working lunch.
Former President Barack Obama’s administration shunned Thailand’s unelected military regime, but relations could change as Trump increasingly turns to Asian countries for support amid escalating tensions on the Korean Peninsula.
In a White House statement issued on September 26 after officially confirming Prayuth’s visit, Trump said he “looks forward to reaffirming the connection between the United States and a key partner and long-time ally in Asia.”
Meanwhile, junta spokesman Werachon Sukhondhapatipak told reporters in Bangkok that the meeting would enable each countries to “further support a strategic partnership for mutual profit.”
“We have a long and very rich history with Thailand,” Trump said within the Oval Office with Prayuth, as quoted by ABC news.
He referred to diplomatic relations spanning almost two centuries, which the president said had developed since he took office in January.
“So we have a very strong relationship right now, and it’s been getting stronger over the last nine months,” he said, emphasizing the importance of trade ties that totaled $40 billion last 12 months, with the United States running a $19 billion deficit.
“I believe we’ll attempt to sell you a bit of more now, make it a bit of higher if possible,” he added.
