Ties between Thailand and the United States have been thawing with offers of arms packages and security collaborations from the kingdom's long-time ally, even as Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha's government continues to procure arms from China.

Minister of Defence Prawit Wongsuwan's visit to the Pentagon last month saw US Defence Secretary James Mattis pledging "support for enhancing maritime security cooperation, multilateral exercises such as Cobra Gold, and building inter-operability through a strong defence trade relationship".