Experts:US presidential election have no impacts on Thailand

BANGKOK, November 2 (TNA) - The next US presidential election, set on November 6, 2012, is seen to have no significant impacts on Thailand in both economic and security aspects. A senior Thai political science academic, Dr. Sujit Boonbongkarn, told a public forum on "the next step of Thailand and the whole Asian region after the forthcoming US presidential election", organized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' Department of American and South Pacific in Bangkok on Thursday, that he believed the upcoming US presidential election would have no serious impacts on the Thai economy and security. Dr. Sujit, who is also President of Thailand's Political Development Council and a political science professor of Bangkok-based Chulalongkorn University, pointed out that policies campaigned by both US presidential candidates, incumbent US President Barack Obama and his Republican challenger Mitt Romney, appear to have no obvious differences and both have not mentioned the Association of Southeast Asian Nations or ASEAN, but focusing on China. Professor Dr. Sujit said it is, however, interesting to see whom the American people will choose to become their next president, as the incumbent Obama administration is considered having failed to achieve his economic policies, while Romney's conservative policies should create more opportunities for the rich. Meanwhile, Deputy Permanent Secretary for Defence General Nipat Thong-lek acknowledged that relations between Thailand and the United States have remained close, as Washington has provided military support to Thailand so far. General Nipat noted that US military leaders and top-ranked Department of State officials have frequenly visited Thailand lately, as Washington promotes Thailand's vital roles in ASEAN and wants to seek Bangkok's cooperation on Myanmar's issues and on developments in the South China Sea. (TNA)