THAILAND: ACTION PLAN PROPOSAL

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BANGKOK 000793

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR EAP/MLS
PACOM FOR FPA HUSO

E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/09/2016
TAGS: PGOV PREL MARR TH
SUBJECT: THAILAND: ACTION PLAN PROPOSAL

REF: A. 05 BANGKOK 7030


B. LAMBERT-HIGGINS EMAILS

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


1. (C) Summary. Thailand seeks to conclude an Action Plan
with the United States to enhance bilateral links. The
Action Plan is strongly endorsed by Prime Minister Thaksin.
MFA confirms that the Action Plan document would not be
released to the public. The draft Action Plan basically
outlines items we are already doing with Thailand and may
have some utility in helping us promote key U.S. objectives.
Post suggests we work on an agreed text. Post seeks guidance
from Washington. End Summary.

FOLLOW UP FROM THE STRATEGIC DIALOGUE


2. (C) During the November 7-8, 2005 U.S.-Thailand
Strategic Dialogue, Thailand submitted a draft document
outlining a Plan of Action between Thailand and the United
States aimed at strengthening the bilateral relationship.
That document is six pages long and is basically a list of
ongoing programs ranging from cooperation in military
exercises and the Global Peace Operations Initiative (GPOI)
to fighting Avian Influenza. The Action Plan concept is
supported strongly by Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra.
Thaksin views it as an item he and the President agreed to
explore during their meeting in Washington in September.
Recently, Thaksin has concluded Action Plans with a number of
countries including Sweden and France and is negotiating an
Action Plan with China.


3. (C) In December, Post sent suggested tracked changes to
the Department and sought guidance on how to proceed with the
Action Plan. In January, the Department asked post to seek
clarification on how the RTG seeks to use the Action Plan.

AN IN-HOUSE DOCUMENT WITH A SIGNING CEREMONY


4. (C) In a February 8 meeting with the DCM, MFA DG for
North American and South Pacific Affairs Nongnuth
Phetcharatana clarified how the Thai envision using the
Action Plan and how it would be publicized. She suggested
that the Action Plan would help the MFA and other agencies
win support within the Thai bureaucracy for greater
cooperation with the United States. Given the nature of Thai
Ministries, rarely does a decision maker in a particular
agency have a clear understanding of how his or her joint
program with the United States fits into the overall
bilateral relationship. MFA and the PM's office see the
Action Plan as a way to show how individual programs are part
of a greater whole. In so doing, Nongnuth hopes the Action
Plan could help win interagency endorsement of future
initiatives with the United States. Furthermore, a general
description of the Action Plan aimed at the Thai public could
be useful to proponents of the bilateral relationship to
explain the wide range of benefits that linkages with the
United States afford Thailand.


5. (C) The DCM told Nongnuth that there is some concern
within the USG that elements of the Action Plan might be used
by critics of the U.S. -- or the Thai Government, for that
matter -- if we were to fall short of certain goals.
Nongnuth thought this unlikely since the Action Plan itself
would be an internal document used simply as a reference
tool. She used the Thai-Sweden Action Plan, concluded on
January 23, as an example. Although not classified, the
details of that agreement are used internally and are not
shared with the public or other countries.

THE SWEDISH EXAMPLE


6. (C) In the case of Sweden, Thailand negotiated an agreed
text outlining various programs and aspects of the
relationship. They concluded that Action Plan by issuing a
joint statement signed by the Foreign Ministers of Thailand
and Sweden that simply stated the commitment by the two
countries to enhance their relationship. Nongnuth provided a
copy of that joint statement which has been faxed to EAP/MLS.
In response to the DCM's question about dealing with the
media and our reluctance to share all details of the Action
Plan with the public, Nongnuth suggested that the two
Governments could conclude a joint press statement outlining
how we view the Action Plan -- highlighting the wide-ranging
aspects of our relationship -- and limit our discussion of
specifics as we wish. She made it clear that, in her view,
concluding an Action Plan would have no downsides and instead
be useful in breaking down some of the firewalls separating
Thai Ministries.

COMMENT: POST SUPPORTS


7. (C) Comment. Prime Minister Thaksin looks at Action
Plans with key countries as one of his major contributions to
Thai foreign policy. He seems to envision these plans as a
road map to assist decision makers within the Thai
bureaucracy. The draft document from MFA contains little
that we are not already doing and might even be useful to us
to press the Thai on some of our key objectives such as
stopping human trafficking, fighting Avian Influenza,
improving maritime security and building peace keeping
capabilities throughout the region. We see little risk that
the document could be used against us and believe modalities
could be worked out to ensure smooth implementation outside
the media spotlight. Post seeks guidance from Washington on
whether to proceed with the Action Plan.
BOYCE