Trump welcomes Thailand’s junta leader at White House
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump welcomed Thailand’s junta leader to the White House on Monday — a rare instance of a military ruler being feted in Washington before even a nominal return to civilian rule.
Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha was greeted at the South Portico by Trump and first lady Melania Trump as he arrived for talks and a working lunch. The visit comes three years after Prayuth seized power in a military coup, and days after the elected leader whose government he ousted was sentenced in absentia to five years in prison.
Human rights groups are outraged, but it gives a shot in the arm to U.S. relations with its oldest ally in Asia, which has moved more into China’s orbit since Washington scaled back ties because of the military takeover.
The Trump administration, like the Obama administration before it, maintains that relations with Thailand will only be fully restored when democracy returns. But rolling out the red carpet for Prayuth reflects a shift in U.S. foreign policy priorities. Trump espouses a doctrine of “America First,” prioritizing U.S. trade and strategic interests. He’s more willing to engage with anti-democratic leaders and less troubled by their human rights records.