US embassy cable - 05BANGKOK7268

UNCLAS BANGKOK 007268 
 
SIPDIS 
 
WHA/AND FOR NAN FIFE; USOAS/POL FOR SERGIO GARCIA 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: EAID, PTER, TH, OAS, Demarche 
SUBJECT: DEMARCHE DELIVERED: THAILAND INTERESTED BUT 
NONCOMMITAL ON CONTRIBUTING TO COLOMBIA OAS MISSION 
 
REF: SECSTATE 207705 
 
1. Poloff delivered Reftel demarche on November 21 to Ms. 
Patchanee Kithavorn, Director of the Latin America Division 
of the MFA Department of American and South Pacific Affairs. 
Patchanee told Poloff that she received Post's non-paper and 
that the RTG was sympathetic to the needs of the OAS Mission 
in Colombia. Although Thailand has been an observer member of 
the Organization of American States since 1998, Patchanee 
believed this was the first time the RTG had been solicited 
for a contribution of this nature. Although Thailand has 
historically been active in assisting peacekeeping missions 
around the world, it was almost always done under the 
auspices of the United Nations. The MFA, she explained, had 
no mechanism in place to contribute funds or personnel to an 
OAS mission. She added that it was "possible" that the RTG 
might be able to come up with something. Poloff suggested the 
OAS mission might be a good opportunity for the MFA to 
discuss what sort of procedures could be implemented to 
contribute assistance to non-UN missions. Patchanee agreed to 
discuss the matter with her colleagues in the Ministry, but 
remained non-committal on what sort of contribution, if any, 
Thailand might agree to make. 
BOYCE