US Ambassador to Thailand Kristie Kenney announces leaving Thailand

[khunjamesjohnson]

TIME MAGAZINE:
The U.S. Is Freezing the Thai Junta Out of Military Exercises.

Washington gets tough with its longtime ally as junta rides roughshod over human rights.

Thailand has been uninvited from the Rim of the Pacific Exercise (RIMPAC) in Hawaii — the world’s largest international maritime-warfare exercise — this week, in response to spiraling human-rights abuses in the wake of last month’s military coup.

“We take very seriously the whole human-rights aspect to this coup in Thailand,” U.S. Ambassador to Thailand Kristie Kenney tells TIME. “One of the things our government has done is look at our military engagements.”

Washington has already blocked $4.7 million in security-related aid to Thailand, accounting for roughly half its total annual assistance. But more significantly, the U.S. has made it clear that significant progress toward elections must be seen if next year’s high-profile Cobra Gold exercises are to go ahead."

Edited October 8, 2014 by khunjamesjohnson

[norstatin]

Yes she did.

The US embassy celebrated the July 4 Independence Day Thursday night but without the presence of any Thai military leaders.

Nonsense.

Oh, such a powerfully dramatic political statement that was.... not invited to a hot dog roast. I'm sure the junta was emotionally crushed by that.

[khunjamesjohnson]

“The judges [during Thaksin’s 2007 in absentia conviction] were specifically appointed from a small group of people whose qualifications were based upon their antipathy to Thaksin,” adding that Thaksin “never had any independent review of the allegations.”

[norstatin]

Washington has already blocked $4.7 million in security-related aid to Thailand

But more significantly, the U.S. has made it clear that significant progress toward elections must be seen if next year’s high-profile Cobra Gold exercises are to go ahead."

A tiny, paltry amount of money compared to the overall trade which totals tens of billion of dollars.

btw, Cobra Gold (and it's 16,000 military personnel) DID go ahead.

Nothing of true significance and, as said, diplomatic.

Take your empty posturing elsewhere.

[yellowboat]

Didn't come across any Americans in the business community who had a good word for her.

What were there comments ?

[NongKhaiKid]

Must be lonely not having Noluck around to crawl around.

Then with the writing on the wall didn't she throw a piss up for the military brass just before the coup while ignoring the then government ?

Maybe that's just so called diplomacy but of course the State Dept, her bosses, then condemned the coup.

[norstatin]

“The judges [during Thaksin’s 2007 in absentia conviction] were specifically appointed from a small group of people whose qualifications were based upon their antipathy to Thaksin,” adding that Thaksin “never had any independent review of the allegations.”

and also take your incomplete, out of context, off-topic ramblings elsewhere, also.

[theoldgit]

A number of off topic and offensive posts removed, as well as quoted replies.

[khunjamesjohnson]

Yes she did.

The US embassy celebrated the July 4 Independence Day Thursday night but without the presence of any Thai military leaders.

Nonsense.

Oh, such a powerfully dramatic political statement that was.... not invited to a hot dog roast. I'm sure the junta was emotionally crushed by that.

I'm sure the General lost face by the US Ambassador snub, a particularly pointed one, especially in Asia.

Edited October 9, 2014 by khunjamesjohnson

[bertty]

Well, as an American, I am not sorry to see her leave. I am sure there are many things that go on behind the scenes that we do not see or hear about, BUT....... from what I have gathered, she is more of a socialite than an embassador. Her photo ops, are what we see in the newspapers and on TV. Nothing substantial has ever been reported about her. Maybe she is being moved, because she is ineffective, to a highly paid desk job in DC where there is more opportunities for social endeavors.

Kristie Kenney began her duties as the United States Ambassador to the Royal Kingdom of Thailand on January 8, 2011. A career senior Foreign Service officer, she served as the first female United States Ambassador to the Philippines from 2006-2010. She began her diplomatic career in 1981 and her overseas assignments have included serving as the U.S. Ambassador to Ecuador and in positions at U.S. Embassies in Jamaica, Switzerland, and Argentina. For the last twenty-eight years, she has been married to Bill Brownfield, who is currently the Assistant Secretary of State for International Narcotics, Law Enforcement and Crime. (http://bangkok.usembassy.gov/ambassador.html).

Looks to me she has been moved around a lot!

A diplomat moving around a lot .... Well there's a novel idea.

[jayboy]

Kudos to her for learning Thai, an example to all the long term ex-pats who still can't bother to learn the local language.

c'mon son that was pretty basic thai

Actually it was very good Thai - no doubt practised in advance - but still very impressive after so relatively short time in the Kingdom.

The British Ambassador Mark Kent is also excellent but he had the advantage of intensive language training for a year before taking up his post.

[ccarbaugh]

Unfortunately, I didn't stay abreast of the the photo-ops, PR appearances or social events attended by the ambassador. I have lived in Bangkok for the entire tenure of her ambassadorship. The only memory I have of her "service" is the promotion of Mitt Romney in the 2012 election and the (misguided) condemnation of the military-coo. (My experience is that Bangkok has been a much more peaceful, sane, convenient... place to live ever since the good-general put a stop to all the red-shirt, Yingluck, Thaksin nonsense!) I am happy that she learned to speak Thai - albeit at the expense of hard-working taxpayers and all the while collecting a most formidable salary! I hope the replacement ambassador is more practical and substantial as opposed to frill, flash and appearance. Her appointment has always appeared to me to be similar to the Sarah Palin, Michelle Bachman, "lipstick-on-a-pig" job-performance.

[bangrak]

IMO, she will feel very much at home in the blind cave fishes' tank the State Department is, as it has been alas proving to be time after time for over a century, with an endless list of horribly wrong and selfish policies in crucial circumstances as a result. Wild liberal capitalism is not a sustainable model for the World's future, the, alas quite successfull, attempt of the US of A to impose it to the World, using the forcefull introduction of a despicable caricature of, so-called, 'democracy' as Troyan horse to spread it, under the pretence of, fake, humanistic ideals, will, IMHO, in the History books of the next century be considered as a more criminal human error than the whole of the communist system, ...that is after the coming global crisis caused by conflicts for food and water, and the sharing of wealth and resources, will have ended! God save America, the rest of the World is of no importance... I wonder f.i. how deeply Mrs Kenney was ever interested in His Majesty's sufficiency theory (and the spreading of it), which, to me, till today, is the only truly workable model for the future of Humanity I have known of!

[khunjamesjohnson]

Unfortunately, I didn't stay abreast of the the photo-ops, PR appearances or social events attended by the ambassador. I have lived in Bangkok for the entire tenure of her ambassadorship. The only memory I have of her "service" is the promotion of Mitt Romney in the 2012 election and the (misguided) condemnation of the military-coo. (My experience is that Bangkok has been a much more peaceful, sane, convenient... place to live ever since the good-general put a stop to all the red-shirt, Yingluck, Thaksin nonsense!) I am happy that she learned to speak Thai - albeit at the expense of hard-working taxpayers and all the while collecting a most formidable salary! I hope the replacement ambassador is more practical and substantial as opposed to frill, flash and appearance. Her appointment has always appeared to me to be similar to the Sarah Palin, Michelle Bachman, "lipstick-on-a-pig" job-performance.

Misguided condemnation of the coup? Did it ever occur to you the US has better information about the situation.

Even I know the reason for the coup and it aint what The Nation has been telling you.

[bangrak]

“The judges [during Thaksin’s 2007 in absentia conviction] were specifically appointed from a small group of people whose qualifications were based upon their antipathy to Thaksin,” adding that Thaksin “never had any independent review of the allegations.”

and also take your incomplete, out of context, off-topic ramblings elsewhere, also.

Of course it's true. Everyone outside Thailand has read the truth.

The Army tore up the constitution (again) gave themselves amnesty for their crimes, then appointed Thaksins enemies to the Senate.

The Senate stacked the court with Thaksins enemies.

The court was even secretly taped colluding with the Democrats.

You know it's true.

Totally off-topic. And why must the 'red' truth always be so far away from 'the' Truth...?

[gemini81]

Unfortunately, I didn't stay abreast of the the photo-ops, PR appearances or social events attended by the ambassador. I have lived in Bangkok for the entire tenure of her ambassadorship. The only memory I have of her "service" is the promotion of Mitt Romney in the 2012 election and the (misguided) condemnation of the military-coo. (My experience is that Bangkok has been a much more peaceful, sane, convenient... place to live ever since the good-general put a stop to all the red-shirt, Yingluck, Thaksin nonsense!) I am happy that she learned to speak Thai - albeit at the expense of hard-working taxpayers and all the while collecting a most formidable salary! I hope the replacement ambassador is more practical and substantial as opposed to frill, flash and appearance. Her appointment has always appeared to me to be similar to the Sarah Palin, Michelle Bachman, "lipstick-on-a-pig" job-performance.

I'm sure you would do so much more, and contribute far further more worthwhile things to society here. Also, I am confident she is inept at trolling compared to your unparalleled skill level.

[khunjamesjohnson]

IMO, she will feel very much at home in the blind cave fishes' tank the State Department is, as it has been alas proving to be time after time for over a century, with an endless list of horribly wrong and selfish policies in crucial circumstances as a result. Wild liberal capitalism is not a sustainable model for the World's future, the, alas quite successfull, attempt of the US of A to impose it to the World, using the forcefull introduction of a despicable caricature of, so-called, 'democracy' as Troyan horse to spread it, under the pretence of, fake, humanistic ideals, will, IMHO, in the History books of the next century be considered as a more criminal human error than the whole of the communist system, ...that is after the coming global crisis caused by conflicts for food and water, and the sharing of wealth and resources, will have ended! God save America, the rest of the World is of no importance... I wonder f.i. how deeply Mrs Kenney was ever interested in His Majesty's sufficiency theory (and the spreading of it), which, to me, till today, is the only truly workable model for the future of Humanity I have known of!

Thailand has the workable model for the future of humanity?

[khunjamesjohnson]

“The judges [during Thaksin’s 2007 in absentia conviction] were specifically appointed from a small group of people whose qualifications were based upon their antipathy to Thaksin,” adding that Thaksin “never had any independent review of the allegations.”

and also take your incomplete, out of context, off-topic ramblings elsewhere, also.

Of course it's true. Everyone outside Thailand has read the truth.

The Army tore up the constitution (again) gave themselves amnesty for their crimes, then appointed Thaksins enemies to the Senate.

The Senate stacked the court with Thaksins enemies.

The court was even secretly taped colluding with the Democrats.

You know it's true.

Totally off-topic. And why must the 'red' truth always be so far away from 'the' Truth...?

The truth is not easy to find since it's banned in Thailand. Everyone agrees with that.

In Thailand, you can only read what they want you to read.

Thailand's 'free press ranking' fell 100 places recently. You will go to jail (and probably die) if you print or read the correct material.

Have you read the 3,000 Wikileak emails and associated book?

The most explosive story in a decade and totally ignored in the Thai press.

[AlphMichaels]

<script type='text/javascript'>window.mod_pagespeed_start = Number(new Date());</script>

Kudos to her for learning Thai, an example to all the long term ex-pats who still can't bother to learn the local language.

c'mon son that was pretty basic thai alt=laugh.png>

Sure..., wonder how many TV members can speak Thai at her level. She was fluent in less than 2 years. Prior gig was the Philippines and (I believe) Equador before that. She speaks 5 languages fluently and has been a good public servant. Stop the hating of one you know little if anything about.

[gemini81]

<script type='text/javascript'>window.mod_pagespeed_start = Number(new Date());</script>

Kudos to her for learning Thai, an example to all the long term ex-pats who still can't bother to learn the local language.

c'mon son that was pretty basic thai alt=laugh.png>

Sure..., wonder how many TV members can speak Thai at her level. She was fluent in less than 2 years. Prior gig was the Philippines and (I believe) Equador before that. She speaks 5 languages fluently and has been a good public servant. Stop the hating of one you know little if anything about.

Envy.

[BradinAsia]

Well, as an American, I am not sorry to see her leave. I am sure there are many things that go on behind the scenes that we do not see or hear about, BUT....... from what I have gathered, she is more of a socialite than an embassador. Her photo ops, are what we see in the newspapers and on TV. Nothing substantial has ever been reported about her. Maybe she is being moved, because she is ineffective, to a highly paid desk job in DC where there is more opportunities for social endeavors.

Kristie Kenney began her duties as the United States Ambassador to the Royal Kingdom of Thailand on January 8, 2011. A career senior Foreign Service officer, she served as the first female United States Ambassador to the Philippines from 2006-2010. She began her diplomatic career in 1981 and her overseas assignments have included serving as the U.S. Ambassador to Ecuador and in positions at U.S. Embassies in Jamaica, Switzerland, and Argentina. For the last twenty-eight years, she has been married to Bill Brownfield, who is currently the Assistant Secretary of State for International Narcotics, Law Enforcement and Crime. (http://bangkok.usembassy.gov/ambassador.html).

Looks to me she has been moved around a lot!

Foreign service officers normally move around a lot. That's what they are hired and trained to do.

What else would you expect?

[Dag Ekeberg]

<script type='text/javascript'>window.mod_pagespeed_start = Number(new Date());</script>

Kudos to her for learning Thai, an example to all the long term ex-pats who still can't bother to learn the local language.

c'mon son that was pretty basic thai alt=laugh.png>

Sure..., wonder how many TV members can speak Thai at her level. She was fluent in less than 2 years. Prior gig was the Philippines and (I believe) Equador before that. She speaks 5 languages fluently and has been a good public servant. Stop the hating of one you know little if anything about.

Does she claim to be fluent? If so, that’s interesting, because this is far from fluent Thai. Thai is a tonal language…

[jayboy]

Well, as an American, I am not sorry to see her leave. I am sure there are many things that go on behind the scenes that we do not see or hear about, BUT....... from what I have gathered, she is more of a socialite than an embassador. Her photo ops, are what we see in the newspapers and on TV. Nothing substantial has ever been reported about her. Maybe she is being moved, because she is ineffective, to a highly paid desk job in DC where there is more opportunities for social endeavors.

Kristie Kenney began her duties as the United States Ambassador to the Royal Kingdom of Thailand on January 8, 2011. A career senior Foreign Service officer, she served as the first female United States Ambassador to the Philippines from 2006-2010. She began her diplomatic career in 1981 and her overseas assignments have included serving as the U.S. Ambassador to Ecuador and in positions at U.S. Embassies in Jamaica, Switzerland, and Argentina. For the last twenty-eight years, she has been married to Bill Brownfield, who is currently the Assistant Secretary of State for International Narcotics, Law Enforcement and Crime. (http://bangkok.usembassy.gov/ambassador.html).

Looks to me she has been moved around a lot!

Foreign service officers normally move around a lot. That's what they are hired and trained to do.

What else would you expect?

Your laconic and to the point comment (absolutely right of course) amused me because it elegantly demonstrated the stupidity of your interlocutor.A similar level of genius is indicated in other comments on this thread criticising the Ambassador's social life, forgetting if they ever knew it is the duty of any Ambassador to do the diplomatic circuit of cocktail and dinner parties (that's where they meet Thai policy and opinion makers).I have occasionally seem Ms Kenney at these functions, never met her but have observed her from across the room in lively and animated discussion with influential Thais.

The criticism of Ms Kenney seems to arise from the fact she kept up contact with the wide spectrum of Thai opinion, again the duty of an Ambassador.This was interpreted as showing support for the PTP/redshirt side of the spectrum.Across the social media particularly Facebook there was an extraordinary campaign of hate against her, mainly of course from the Bangkok middle class.Leaving aside the ugliness and discourtesy involved, these people failed to comprehend that US policy is directed by the President and the State Department, not the Ambassador.She would provide advice as would the senior staff reporting to her.

The key noticeable elements of her critics were its vehemence and startling ignorance.Its cheerleader was that obese huckster Michael Yon.On this forum without appearing to be impolite its proponents (i'm guessing mostly middle aged tourists who have settled down here, ie retired sexpats) are not exactly distinguished by intelligence, knowledge or by being articulate.They should be ignored.

Edited October 9, 2014 by jayboy

[A1Str8]

Who's the girl?

[Time Traveller]

Finally, she was terrible.

Hopefully they advise the next Ambassador that the job is not about tweeting what restaurant you visited for lunch and other meaningless bits of information to make your self popular

Edited October 9, 2014 by Time Traveller

[Time Traveller]

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Kudos to her for learning Thai, an example to all the long term ex-pats who still can't bother to learn the local language.

c'mon son that was pretty basic thai alt=laugh.png>

Sure..., wonder how many TV members can speak Thai at her level. She was fluent in less than 2 years. Prior gig was the Philippines and (I believe) Equador before that. She speaks 5 languages fluently and has been a good public servant. Stop the hating of one you know little if anything about.

I've never heard her speak, but I doubt she would be fluent in less than 2 years.

In anycase, there's 60 million Thais that are fluent in Thai. But that doesn't make them qualified to be an ambassador. There's more to it than just appearing in local media, saying nice things and smiling

[BirdsandBooze]

It does make me laugh when farang students of the Thai language pompously try to educate the members here. If you can read and write Thai and speak colloquial Thai as spoken by the person in the street then you can consider yourself fluent. Most farangs I've met who see themselves as fluent can't hold a seamless conversation with the local motorcycle taxi rank inhabitants or have a decent conversation with their muu baan security guard or the phone seller in Pantip because neither party can understand each other. My wife wanted a native English speaker fluent in Thai for a position in her company. All those with Thai education qualifications who I interviewed struggled to read and write Thai at an acceptable speed, and when invoved in a 3 way conversation with myself and my wife's P.A struggled to keep up unless formal Thai was used. The only fluent candidate and also got the job was a Canadian who had been working for some years with his girlfriend on her food stall. He hadn't spent a single hour in the classroom and yet spoke like and had the accent of a Bangkokian. Neither Ms Kenney (who speaks decent formal Thai) and especially not Mark 'Clark' Kent are fluent in the true sense of the description.

[jayboy]

It does make me laugh when farang students of the Thai language pompously try to educate the members here. If you can read and write Thai and speak colloquial Thai as spoken by the person in the street then you can consider yourself fluent. Most farangs I've met who see themselves as fluent can't hold a seamless conversation with the local motorcycle taxi rank inhabitants or have a decent conversation with their muu baan security guard or the phone seller in Pantip because neither party can understand each other. My wife wanted a native English speaker fluent in Thai for a position in her company. All those with Thai education qualifications who I interviewed struggled to read and write Thai at an acceptable speed, and when invoved in a 3 way conversation with myself and my wife's P.A struggled to keep up unless formal Thai was used. The only fluent candidate and also got the job was a Canadian who had been working for some years with his girlfriend on her food stall. He hadn't spent a single hour in the classroom and yet spoke like and had the accent of a Bangkokian. Neither Ms Kenney (who speaks decent formal Thai) and especially not Mark 'Clark' Kent are fluent in the true sense of the description.

Your avatar "BirdsandBooze" says it all.The stress you place on speaking Thai like a Bangkok working class person suggests you may not have had much contact with the elevated Thai world that diplomats often have to move in.More formal, structured and polite Thai is required than might be picked up for example by some expat drifter working with his girl friend on a food stall.In any case those foreigners with good formal Thai can easily make themselves understood on the street.Those with colloquial but unstructured Thai cannot however operate with upper class or well educated Thais - their source of language would be revealed in an instant.And as for Mark Kent you are just plain wrong:he is fluent by any reasonable standard though he would (and does not) profess to be perfect.

[Orac]

Kudos to her for learning Thai, an example to all the long term ex-pats who still can't bother to learn the local language.

c'mon son that was pretty basic thai alt=laugh.png>

Sure..., wonder how many TV members can speak Thai at her level. She was fluent in less than 2 years. Prior gig was the Philippines and (I believe) Equador before that. She speaks 5 languages fluently and has been a good public servant. Stop the hating of one you know little if anything about.

I've never heard her speak, but I doubt she would be fluent in less than 2 years.

In anycase, there's 60 million Thais that are fluent in Thai. But that doesn't make them qualified to be an ambassador. There's more to it than just appearing in local media, saying nice things and smiling

Rather than comment on something you admit you know nothing about why don't you just watch the video in the OP ?

[craigt3365]

Several off topic and rude posts have been removed from view. Show some respect.