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The author's comment that Thailand does not host US military exercises and forces in a manner similar to the Philippines is completely incorrect. In 2019, over 14,000 US troops trained in Thailand, and over 800 US aircraft and 40 naval ships transited the Kingdom. Cobra Gold is the largest and most well-known event, but it is only one in over 100+ annual exercises, exchanges, and other mil-mil events that the US and Thailand conduct each year. Furthermore, these ties extend both ways; the Thai military also sends forces to train with the U.S. in Hawaii and the continental United States. And 2019 is by no means an anomaly. The US-Thai exercise program has for decades been one of the most robust in the Indo-Pacific, consistently ranking as # 1 or 2 in terms of numbers of events, troops deployed, and so on.
Mar 31, 2020 08:03 PM
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