Pearl Harbor, July 7 (AseanAll)  — On 6 July 2026, Sihasak Phuangketkeow, Thai Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, paid a visit to Pearl Harbor-Hickam Joint Base. He was welcomed by and led on a tour by Admiral Samuel J. Paparo, Commander of U.S. Pacific Command (USPACOM). USPACOM high-level officials also participated.

On this occasion, the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs laid a wreath at the USS Arizona Memorial to honor those who lost their lives at Pearl Harbor on 7 December 1941, accompanied by Dr. Suriya Chindawongse, Ambassador of Thailand to the United States, the USPACOM Commander, and other Thai and U.S. representatives.

The Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs also visited the U.S. Pacific Fleet as well as international fleets participating in the Rim of the Pacific biennial exercise (RIMPAC), the largest multilateral maritime exercise in the world, currently taking place from 24 June - 31 July 2026.

The Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs expressed his appreciation to the USPACOM Commander for his warm welcome. He underscored the importance of the longstanding Thailand - U.S. alliance to regional peace and security, particularly in the context of the rapidly changing international security landscape, and reaffirmed readiness to deepen cooperation for the mutual benefit of Thailand and the United States.