The 2018 Cobra Gold war games begin next week. The Cobra Gold multilateral military exercise is a barometer of how strong the Thai-US security commitment is despite several hiccups in recent years. After nearly a decade of inertia, the Thai and US administrations are gradually fine-tuning their wave-lengths and meeting mutual security needs. The US was disappointed by the backsliding of Thai democracy and reports of human rights violations, which directly affected Thai-US security ties. As such, Cobra Gold 2018 will be remembered as one the biggest engagements since the fall of the Berlin Wall, with an estimated 12,000 plus troops from 30 countries.

Source: Bangkok Post February 05, 2018 21:56 UTC