Embassy Activities
The New U.S. Administration and U.S-Thai Relations
On November 18, Robert Griffiths, Economic Counselor at the U.S. Embassy in Bangkok, spoke to a crowd of 400 students and faculty at Khon Kaen University on the topic of “The New U.S. Administration and U.S-Thai Relations.” During his informative talk, Mr. Griffiths reviewed the long and close relationship the United States has enjoyed with Thailand over the past 175 years, highlighting key areas in which our two countries share common interests today, including cooperation in addressing humanitarian crises in the region, a willingness to come to the aid of refugees, economic and trade development, cutting-edge medical research, as well as culture and sports. He also discussed potential challenges that Thailand and the United States may face as friends and partners in the next four years under the new U.S. administration, such as protection of labor rights and general system of preferences (GSP), differing approaches to advancing democracy in Burma, and the protection of intellectual property rights (IPR). The presentation was followed by a lively question and answer session lasting over an hour. The next day, Mr. Griffiths visited Mahasarakham University for a second, well-attended discussion on U.S.-Thai relations.
Mr. Griffiths was in Northeast Thailand to meet with government officials and visit village councils to learn more about the economic challenges facing Thai agricultural communities. Accompanied by officials from the Northeast office of the National Economic and Social Development Board, he visited villages in Khon Kaen, Mahasarakham and Kalasin provinces, where he learned from village leaders about initiatives to change farming practices to rely less on chemical fertilizers, which have caused pollution and health problems, and efforts to promote “sufficiency economy” principles as a means of earning their livelihood and preserving their traditional way of life.