US embassy cable - 05BANGKOK6101

C O N F I D E N T I A L BANGKOK 006101 
 
SIPDIS 
 
EAP FOR A/S HILL AND EAP DAS JOHN NSC FOR MICHAEL GREEN AND 
HOLLY MORROW 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/23/2015 
TAGS: PREL, BM, TH, BURMA, US-Thai FTA 
SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR RAISES KANTATHI'S COMMENTS TO PRESS ON 
FTA AND BURMA WITH MFA PERMANENT SECRETARY 
 
Classified By: AMBASSADOR RALPH BOYCE.  REASON: 1.4 (D) 
 
1.  (C)  During a September 23 call on MFA Permanent Secretary 
Krit Garjana-Goonchorn, the Ambassador pointed out that Foreign 
Minister Kantathi Suphamongkhon's reported September 20 comments 
to the press on FTA and Burma appeared to be at odds with what 
was discussed on these issues between the President and Prime 
Minister Thaksin in Washington.  The Ambassador noted to Krit 
that the subsequent MFA statement refuting the news report as 
"misrepresentation" still left questions about Thailand's stance 
on these issues. 
 
2.  (C)  The Ambassador also told Krit that he had been in 
contact with NSC staff who were aware that Kantathi had called 
the Secretary to reassure her that his comments were taken out 
of context and represented nothing at variance with the Prime 
Minister's September 19 meeting with the President. 
Nevertheless, the Foreign Minister's comments and the subsequent 
MFA statement had created concern that the RTG was adopting a 
utilitarian approach to the September 19 White House meeting, 
taking one position in Washington and saying something else for 
domestic consumption in Thailand (and in Burma, for that 
matter). 
 
3.  (C)  Krit was aware of the AP article and the Ministry's 
statement, but the Foreign Minister's call to the Secretary was 
news to him.  He noted that Prime Minister Thaksin had returned 
from Washington delighted with his meeting with the President, 
and wondered aloud why the Foreign Minister had even agreed to 
do such an interview only a day after the White House meeting. 
He agreed that the Joint Statement spoke for itself, and took 
note of the need for there to be concrete positive actions on 
both the FTA and Burma in the near future. 
 
4.  (C)  Comment:  Leaving aside the wisdom of granting an 
exclusive interview to an untested journalist, we do not think 
Kantathi was acting as anything other than the inexperienced 
Foreign Minister that he is.  The Ambassador also raised the 
unfortunate interview with Thaksin's chief policy advisor, 
Pansak Vinyaratu, who was appalled by the whole affair, 
commenting "why does the Foreign Minister have to keep opening 
his mouth?"  Before last month's cabinet reshuffle, there were 
rumors that Katathi might be dropped because Thaksin was 
unimpressed with his performance.  This latest incident won't 
help. 
BOYCE