BANGKOK, 3 July 2012-Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra said in her statement that her luncheon with Army Commanders was not for a special occassion, citing that the relationship between the government and the Amry remains good.
Ms. Yingluck said that the lunchoen with the Army top brass was held in a regular meeting format. Among the topics discussed was the U-tapoa airbase issue, over which she said the government needed to seek an opinion from the Army whether to allow NASA to use the airport to study the weather in this region.
She added, however, that the issue does not affect the relationship between the Thai and the US Armies, given that the request to use U-tapoa was for scientifice reasons and the recent Thai Army’s visit to the US Army and vice versa. She reiterated that the Thai government has always maintained a strong relationship with the US.
Meanwhile, she said she might be traveling to attend the UN conference in September if her schedule allowed. She said it would be a good opportunity to strengthen relationships between Thailand and other countries. In addition, Ms. Yingluck said the government and the Army have always been on good terms despite a few differences in opinions; most importantly, both parties are working for the better of the country.
