PHNOM PENH: The US President, Barack Obama, has started a three-country tour of Asia, hailing the US alliance with Thailand as key to its commitment to deepen economic and security ties to the region.
Mr Obama landed in Bangkok on Sunday for a 16-hour visit that will bolster support for Thailand's Prime Minister, Yingluck Shinawatra, and show opposition groups the US is standing with her government.
Bitter political rivalries remain in Thailand after a 2006 military coup and years of political unrest, which sometimes led to street violence that at times strained the nation's ties with Washington.
After being greeted by 40 saluting military guards flanking a red carpet, Mr Obama held talks with Ms Yingluck, whose government has been given a behind-the-scenes role to help reduce tensions between China and four member states of the Association of South-East Asian Nations over territorial disputes in the South China Sea.
http://www.smh.com.a...1118-29k8b.html
Edited by Jagger, 18 November 2012 - 23:04.