Obama ends official visit to Thailand, leaves for Myanmar

BANGKOK, November 19 (TNA) - US President Barack Obama ended his two-day official visit to Thailand on Monday morning and has departed for Myanmar. Accompanied by US Secretary of State Hilary Clinton, Obama was seen off at Bangkok's Don Mueang Airport at 9am, Thailand's time, by a privy councilor and a former Thai prime minister, General Surayuth Chulanond, who brought with him flower garlands presented to the US President and the Secretary of State by His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej, along with US Ambassador to Thailand Kristie Kenny, Thai Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Kittarat Na Ranong and Deputy Prime Minister and Education Minister Phongthep Thepkanjanaใ During their official trip to Bangkok at the invitation of the Thai government, Obama and Clinton first visited Phra Chettuphon Wimon Mangkhlaram Ratchaworamahawihan Temple, also known as Wat Pho, on Sunday afternoon and were then granted an audience with His Majesty the King at Siriraj Hospital. The US President was later officially received by Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra at Government House, where the US and Thai leaders also had bilateral discussions and signed a joint declaration between Washington and Bangkok on participating in Trans-Pacific Economic Strategic Partnership or TPP negotiations and on further strengthening bilateral ties between the two long-time allied nations on the occasion of the 180th anniversary of their diplomatic relations. Updated reports said that Obama and Clinton have already arrived in neighbouring Myanmar, the second leg of their ongoing Southeast Asian tour, but the first overseas tour after Obama was re-elected for his second four-year term on November 6. (TNA)