Ambassador Eric G. John
Eric G. John was sworn in as the U.S. Ambassador to the Kingdom of Thailand in 2007. Previously, he was the Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Southeast Asia from 2005 to 2007. In that capacity, he coordinated policy in Washington with regard to the eleven nations in that region, as well as the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). He was the lead negotiator of the 2006 U.S.-ASEAN Enhanced Partnership, the chief vehicle for improving political, economic, and cultural relations between the United States and the region.
Ambassador John has served extensively throughout East Asia. He is one of the State Department’s leading experts on Korean affairs, having served thirteen years in Seoul, Busan and Washington working on relations with the Korean Peninsula. Ambassador John’s most recent assignment in Seoul was as the Minister Counselor for Political Affairs at the U.S. Embassy.
Ambassador John also has served in Ho Chi Minh City as the Deputy Consul General, and in Bangkok from 1989 to 1992. He joined the Foreign Service in 1983 after graduating from the Georgetown University School of Foreign Service. Ambassador John speaks Korean and Vietnamese.
Eric John is a native of Indiana, and is married to Sophia John. Ambassador and Mrs. John’s interests include visual arts, theater, music, golf, and tennis. Sophia also is an accomplished chef and linguist. Their son, Adam, is a university student majoring in Economics and Philosophy. He also is a well-regarded singer/songwriter, and he and his band have won several major band contests on the East Coast. Ambassador and Mrs. John’s daughter, Nicole, attends high school in Bangkok.