Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06BANGKOK7182
2006-11-30 08:29:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Bangkok
Cable title:  

THAILAND: POST SEEKS PERMISSION TO PROCEED WITH

Tags:  PGOV PREL MARR MASS TH 
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VZCZCXYZ0000
OO RUEHWEB

DE RUEHBK #7182 3340829
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
O 300829Z NOV 06
FM AMEMBASSY BANGKOK
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 3242
INFO RUEHJA/AMEMBASSY JAKARTA 6448
RUEHGP/AMEMBASSY SINGAPORE 2965
RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 8576
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC
RUEKJCS/JCS WASHDC
RHHMUNA/HQ USPACOM HONOLULU HI
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC
C O N F I D E N T I A L BANGKOK 007182 

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

PACOM FOR FPA HUSO AND J-52 CHAMNESS
NSC FOR MORROW
JCS FOR ROBINSON

E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/30/2016
TAGS: PGOV PREL MARR MASS TH
SUBJECT: THAILAND: POST SEEKS PERMISSION TO PROCEED WITH
EXERCISE PLANNING

REF: A. BANGKOK 7132


B. BANGKOK 6369

C. SECSTATE 174287

Classified By: Ambassador Ralph L. Boyce. Reason 1.4 (a and d)

C O N F I D E N T I A L BANGKOK 007182

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

PACOM FOR FPA HUSO AND J-52 CHAMNESS
NSC FOR MORROW
JCS FOR ROBINSON

E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/30/2016
TAGS: PGOV PREL MARR MASS TH
SUBJECT: THAILAND: POST SEEKS PERMISSION TO PROCEED WITH
EXERCISE PLANNING

REF: A. BANGKOK 7132


B. BANGKOK 6369

C. SECSTATE 174287

Classified By: Ambassador Ralph L. Boyce. Reason 1.4 (a and d)


1. (C) Post seeks Washington approval to proceed with the
planning conferences for three military exercises: Cope
Tiger, Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (CARAT),and
Cobra Gold. In light of several events since the September
19 coup, including establishment of a civilian government,
the progress towards drafting a new constitution, and the
partial lifting of martial law (ref A),coupled with the
practical need for clear instructions from Washington in
order to effectively plan and execute our three largest
military exercises in Thailand, Post recommends that
Washington authorize U.S. planners to move forward with the
aforementioned exercises.



2. (C) Policy guidance contained in Ref C also requires us
to seek approval for the Thai to pay for any military
officers to attend U.S. Professional Military Education (PME)
courses. A long term objective for our mil-mil relationship
is for the Thai to eventually assume more of the costs
associated with U.S.-supplied military training after Section
508 sanctions are lifted. In October, Thai military
representatives asked Embassy officials whether they might be
allowed to buy U.S. training for a small number of courses
previously provided under IMET. At that time, Post
recommended against entertaining any Thai requests to attend
U.S. training courses until we were better able to assess the
interim government's progress towards restoring democracy.
Post now recommends we be authorized to permit the Thai to
purchase U.S. military training at their own expense. As a
practical matter, Post does not anticipate many Thai
participating in such a program but views this as a low-cost
way to encourage continued positive steps in Thailand's
return to a democratically elected government.
BOYCE