Pattaya, Thailand. (November 17, 2024): When American Sailors serving in the Pacific need a chance to rest, they enjoy a friendly welcome from the Thai people. In this photo by Grady T. Fontana, local children greet Navy Lieutenant Commander Jamil A. Khan at a community outreach event while in port in Thailand. Navy League Siam, a civilian organization dedicated to providing hospitality to U.S. Navy vessels, facilitated the event,

Thailand is a long-time military ally and economic partner of the United States. U.S. Navy warships regularly make ports of call to this tiny coastal city and Phuket Island in the south, some five hundred miles from Bangkok. The United States also operates numerous regional offices from the Bangkok Embassy, one of the largest U.S. diplomatic missions in the world.

A tropical nation, Thailand is situated between Myanmar to the west, Laos to the north, and Cambodia to the south in Southeast Asia. During the Vietnam War, Thailand played a major role by hosting huge U.S. Air Force bases conducting offensive operations. Since the war, the U.S. bases have closed yet there remain small contingents of Americans stationed there.

Visiting Sailors and Marines take part in cultural exchanges, professional collaborations with the Thai Navy, and numerous community events to build greater understanding between our two nations. In 2003, the U.S. designated Thailand as a major non-NATO ally and they currently receive over $3 billion in U.S. military equipment, training, and construction aid annually. Thailand and the United States co-host Cobra Gold, the Indo-Pacific region’s largest annual multinational military exercise.