Thai naval base not included in US tariff talks - Phumtham

Deputy Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai has dismissed viral reports claiming that the United States wants to establish a naval base in the southern Thai province of Phang Nga, as part of negotiations over tariffs on Thai exports to the US.

He insisted that, in the negotiations to reduce the planned 36% tariff, the use of a naval base in the province was not part of the discussion.

He added that US ships can already use the naval base, as part of the cooperation agreement between the two countries' navies.

Meanwhile, a Thai Navy source said that foreign naval ships, including those from the US, are allowed to use the base in Thap Lamu sub-district under existing agreements.

The source clarified that there has never been any proposal to designate the Phang Nga naval base as a US base, even though it is widely known that the US has long wanted to establish a military base in Thailand.

In fact, he noted, Thailand does not allow any foreign country to establish a military base on its territory but, under the logistics support agreement between Thailand and the US, vessels are permitted to dock at the Phang Nga base for resupply, refuelling or R&R.

The same arrangement applies to other bases, such as Sattahip, Songkhla and even U-Tapao Airport.

Furthermore, it is not just the US. The navies of all allied countries are permitted to dock at and use Thai naval bases under similar agreements, the source added.

Thailand's existing logistics support agreements are already sufficient, he said, noting that U-Tapao Airport is so frequently used by the US that it resembles a US base.