Page 17 - ELITE PLUS MAGAZINE VOL11

WALKINGA DIPLOMATICTIGHTROPEThe new US ambassador to Thailand speaks of the tradition of close bilateral ties and his hope for greater democracy in the regionAmericans deeply respect and admire King Bhumibhol.I often say that we claim a little bit of the King as a native son of the US, the only modern monarch born on American soilHaving spent only 12 weeks in the country, no one expected Glyn Davies, the new US ambassador, to speak Thai. But the 58-year-old pulled off a charming “Phom rak pasa thai tae pasa thai mai rak phom” (I love Thai but the language doesn’t love me back). The diplomat won over many attendees at “An Evening with GT Davies, new US ambassador to Thailand” at the Foreign Correspondents’ Club of Thailand in late November.US diplomats have been perceived as arrogant and finger-wagging in recent years. Kristie Kenny, Ambassador Davies’ predecessor, was heavily criticized for appearing to favour one political camp during Thailand’s political troubles.Once appointed, Ambassador Davies was expected to play the role of the “ugly American”. His CV suggested him to be hawkish while working on nuclear issues at NATO and more recently as a special representative to the secretary of state for North Korea policy – a background Western journalists in Bangkok joked would be good preparation for dealing with Thailand’s junta.Ambassador Davies, however, sees few parallels with his latest post. “My background in North Korea has nothing to do with Thailand,” he said.He is, however, aware of the complex and sensitive situation in the Kingdom. British ambassador Mark Kent was recently criticized for expressing support for student activists. Last month right-wing protesters gathered in front of the US Embassy after Ambassador Davies criticized the imposition of jail terms for lese majeste suspects.The ambassador clarified the lese majeste’s issue. “Americans deeply respect and admire King Bhumibhol. I often say that we claim a little bit of the King as a native son of the US, the only modern monarch born on American soil, and I bet you know all of that. We think he has done many wonderful things, not only for Thailand but also for the US. That said, we believe no one should be jailed for peacefully expressing their views.”Time will tell whether he can strengthen ties frayed during the term of his predecessor, with the junta now building closer ties with China.The Cobra Gold military exercise, held in Thailand since the 1980s, was put on hold as the US congress would not fund the Asia-Pacific militaryElite+ 15