U.S. Embassy & Consulate in Thailand -- Deputy Prime Minister and Health Minister Anutin, Chargé Heath, ladies and gentlemen:

Sawasdee krab and thank you for the opportunity to be with you today here at the Ministry of Public Health.

It is great to be in Thailand, our close friend and oldest ally in the region.

As the Commander of U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, I am delighted to be here with friends as we partner to defeat the COVID-19 pandemic.

The United States and Thailand have stood shoulder-to-shoulder for two centuries, to increase bilateral trade, strengthen our people-to-people ties, promote regional stability and to improve public health as we are demonstrating here today.

Our alliance continues to play a crucial role in advancing our shared values and interests across the Indo-Pacific region.

Today, the United States and Thailand are working together to keep our people safe from COVID.

The U.S., in coordination with the government of Thailand, has committed over two and a half (2 ½) million doses of vaccine for the people of Thailand.

These vaccines have a high efficacy rate, and we will continue to support the Government of Thailand to provide the necessary equipment and supplies to immunize the population.

This includes support to facilities in:

Saraburi
Prachuap Khiri Khan
Kanchanaburi
and in Klong Toey when a COVID cluster emerged.

Additionally, we have provided 200 refrigeration units across 114 public hospitals and clinics throughout the country to safely store the vaccines.

The Thailand – U.S. medical teams have been partnering for over 60 years.

Through the Armed Forces Research Institute of Medical Sciences, the U.S. Army and the Royal Thai Army have been constantly working to keep us free from disease.

Our joint research has contributed to the development of treatments and medical diagnostics for diseases that affect people worldwide.

That combined work will continue, and we are currently supporting the development of an mRNA vaccine with a local university.

USINDOPACOM is proud to partner with the Government of Thailand to defeat this pandemic and I look forward to returning in the Spring to further strengthen the U.S.-Thai alliance.

Kobkhun krab Thank you again for inviting me to speak.