On 22 January 2026, H.E. Dr. Suriya Chindawongse, Ambassador of Thailand to the U.S., presided over and delivered remarks at the reception on the occasion of Thai Armed Forces Day 2026, hosted by the Office of Defense and Military Attaché at the Royal Thai Embassy in Washington, D.C. The event was attended by prominent U.S. officials and distinguished guests, including Representative Marlin Stutzman (R-IN), Representative Abe Hamadeh (R-AZ), as well as the Hon. Hung Cao, Under Secretary of the Navy, and Lieutenant General Michelle K. Donahue, Deputy Chief of Staff, U.S. Army, as guests of honor. Approximately 200 people attended the event, ranging from senior representatives and officials from the U.S. Department of Defense and the U.S. Armed Forces, defense and military attachés from various countries, friends of Thailand, to members of the Thai community in Washington, D.C. and neighboring states.
Before the ceremony began, the Ambassador and all participants observed a moment of silence in tribute to Her Majesty Queen Sirikit The Queen Mother of Thailand, followed by a commemorative documentary in Her Majesty’s honor. On this occasion, the Ambassador conveyed his warm congratulations to the people and Government of the U.S. on the 250th anniversary of the founding of the nation. He also highlighted the close and long-standing relations between Thailand and the U.S. as trusted allies and strategic partners, with particular emphasis on the continuity and concrete outcomes of bilateral defense and security cooperation, from major joint military operations in the past decades, to the annual Cobra Gold military exercises, the educational and training exchanges, and the cooperation in ADMM Plus and EAS.
The Ambassador further reaffirmed Thailand’s long-standing commitment to promoting peace based on the principles of self-defense and conflict deterrence. This commitment has been reflected through Thailand’s role on the global stage, including its participation in the League of Nations, its contributions to United Nations peacekeeping operations, and its role as a founding member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to advance peace, security, and prosperity in the region. He also underscored Thailand’s adherence to self-defense, international law and humanitarian principles, including in the context of recent armed clashes between Thailand and Cambodia prior to the ceasefire being achieved in December last year.