US and Thailand announce joint war games

BANGKOK (AFP) — Thailand will next month host troops from the United States, Japan, Singapore and Indonesia for their annual war games, the biggest in Southeast Asia, US and Thai officials announced Tuesday.

About 11,600 military personnel from the five nations will hold the exercises in the northern province of Chiang Mai from February 4 to 17, focusing on peace-keeping and humanitarian operations.

“The exercise is a symbol of US commitment to support the security of our friends and allies in the Asia-Pacific region,” the US ambassador to Thailand Eric John said at the launch of the 28th “Cobra Gold” exercises.

Nearly 7,300 troops will come from the US to train with about 4,000 from Thailand, 106 from Singapore, 75 from Japan and 113 from Indonesia in air, water and ground exercises, a statement from the Thai Armed Forces said.

Thailand will allocate 40 million baht (1.1 million dollars) for the games, while the United States will contribute 13 million dollars, the statement said.

John said the exercises would prepare the region to respond to natural disasters such as the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami and the cyclone which devastated swathes of southern Myanmar last May.

“There is no better exercise than Cobra Gold in keeping our militaries ready to respond to the real-world priorities of peacekeeping, stability, reconstruction and humanitarian assistance,” he said.

Myanmar’s junta snubbed efforts by the United States to send in warships laden with emergency supplies after Cyclone Nargis, instead allowing only regional allies in to help coordinate the distribution of aid.

Thailand and the United States are long-time allies, but a large sum of US military assistance to Thailand was suspended after a coup here in 2006. The aid was resumed after elections in December 2007.