In an effort to strengthen the abilities of Thailand and the United States to counter the spread of weapons of mass destruction (WMD), the Royal Thai Government hosted a Proliferation Security Initiative (PSI) bilateral table top exercise with the United States in Bangkok on August 20, 2013. The exercise focused on improving national capabilities and bilateral cooperation in the realms of maritime and air interdiction. This is the first PSI capacity-building event hosted by Thailand since it endorsed the PSI in November 2012.
Thailand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs hosted the event. Other participating Thai organizations included the National Security Council, National Intelligence Agency, Ministry of Defense, Customs Department, Port Authority, Department of Civil Aviation, Airports of Thailand, Office of Atoms for Peace, Department of Land Transport, Department of Industrial Works, and the Royal Thai Army, Air Force, Navy and Police. Participants from the United States included officials from the Department of State, the Department of Defense, the Joint Staff, the National Defense University, and the United States Embassy.
Launched in 2003, the PSI is a global effort that aims to stop trafficking of WMD, their delivery systems, and related materials to and from states and non-state actors of proliferation concern. At the PSI Tenth Anniversary High-Level Political Meeting in Warsaw on May 28, 2013, President Obama issued a statement calling for all countries to “commit to concrete, tangible actions to strengthen the PSI and sustain it as a core element of the international nonproliferation regime.” This exercise follows up on commitments made by the United States and Thailand, along with over 70 other countries, at the Tenth Anniversary to meet the President’s call to ensure a robust PSI by strengthening our authorities for taking action against WMD-related shipments and enhancing our critical interdiction-related capabilities and practices.