U.S. troops arrive in Thailand for joint exercises

The Thailand-U.S. ties are as strong and solid as ever as over a hundred American soldiers arrived in the Kingdom last week for joint exercises with their Thai counterparts. The drills and training will begin after the troops complete a 14-day quarantine.

The American troops arrived to take part in Balance Torch, one of eight joint exercises conducted by Thailand and the U.S. each year. Balance Torch is a wide-ranging training for special operations forces.

Training exercises beginning with the word “Balance” are for ground-focused Joint Combined Exchange Training events that U.S. Army Special Forces conduct throughout the Pacific region with partner units, including foreign special operators.

Many of the joint trainings have changed focus in recent years from combat to humanitarian and disaster relief because Asia is the region most prone to natural disasters. Balance Torch, however, is about combat, especially asymmetric conflicts.

The Head of Thailand’s Centre for COVID-19 Situation Administration Dr. Taweesilp Visanuyothin told reporters that all the U.S. soldiers are undergoing quarantine at facilities, where Thai troops are stationed to ensure that no one violates the quarantine period.

The American troops in Thailand for Balance Torch have arrived from Japan and Guam, where the U.S. has military bases.

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