Today, Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Mike Gilday met with the Commander-in-Chief of the Royal Thai Navy Adm. Cherngchai Chomchoengphaet aboard the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force helicopter destroyer JS Izumo (DDH-183) in the Pacific Ocean, as part of his trip to the Indo-Pacific region to attend the International Fleet Review and Western Pacific Naval Symposium.

The U.S. and Thailand relationship runs deep. As the oldest U.S. treaty ally in Southeast Asia, the two leaders discussed their nations’ deep and broad relationship. They also affirmed the importance of Thailand and the Royal Thai Navy’s leadership in support of the international rules based order and expressed commitment for continued cooperation between the two navies.

The U.S. and Royal Thai Navies regularly operate together. Notably, Thailand hosts exercise Cobra Gold, an annual Combined Joint Task Force and joint theater security cooperation exercise conducted in the Kingdom of Thailand to strengthen the U.S.-Thai alliance.

This was the first meeting between Gilday and Cherngchai.