Even before President-elect Joe Biden is officially anointed as the United States' president, a curse has already been cast on Thailand by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, who on Dec 3 passed a resolution regarding the ongoing political unrest in the kingdom. Before spreading this false impression far and wide, the incoming Biden administration should pay full attention to the realities on the ground in Thailand, beyond political correctness reserved for a typical human right and democratic struggles. Otherwise, it could lead to unintended consequences on Thai-US relations as well as the US policy towards the region.

Thailand has to be prepared to engage the new US presidency for two main reasons. First, Mr Biden and his foreign and security teams understand "the big strategic picture" and the broad nature of US vested interests. Second, it has plans to pursue a policy of liberal internationalism, with an emphasis on human rights and democracy. Given the two distinct characteristics, the 202-year-long Thai-US relations looks set to once again face an enormous test.

www.bangkokpost.com/opinion/opinion/2031691/thai-geostrategic-value-to-woo-biden