Bangkok’s China ties in focus as US-Thailand ‘Cobra Gold’ military drills return – but smaller
- The once-massive Cobra Gold exercises had to be scaled back again this year because of the pandemic, raising questions about their waning importance
- But analysts say the multinational drills are still a useful diplomatic tool for Washington, as Bangkok increasingly turns to Beijing for arms purchases
Some 3,460 personnel, about a third of the pre-pandemic figures, will take part in this year’s Cobra Gold, including 1,953 Thai troops and 1,296 Americans, it was announced at a Thai military press conference earlier this month joined by the US Chargé d’Affaires Michael Heath.
Of the 20 countries involved, Singapore, Japan, Indonesia, South Korea and Malaysia will also send troops to join the exercises, while China, India and Australia will join humanitarian and civic projects like building school facilities in rural parts of Thailand.
China has joined in a humanitarian and civic assistance capacity since 2014. Myanmar, which took part as an observer every year between 2015 and 2020, will be absent as its military rulers face censure over the worsening political and humanitarian crisis sparked by their coup last year.
Paul Chambers, a security expert at Thailand’s Naresuan University, said Myanmar would not receive an invitation unless it “restores some sort of democracy and improves human rights”.
Bangladesh, Canada, France, Britain, Mongolia, Nepal, New Zealand, the Philippines, Fiji and Vietnam will join the Multinational Planning Augmentation Team, a contingency exercise to strengthen multinational military cooperation in a non-war capacity.
