The close security ties continued
throughout the Cold War, with Thailand serving as a solid anti-Communist ally in the region.
More recently, Thai ports and airfields played a crucial role in maintaining the flow of troops,
equipment, and supplies in both the 1991 and 2003 Iraq wars. In 2003, President George W. Bush
designated Thailand as a “major non-NATO ally,” a distinction which allows Thailand to receive more U.S. foreign aid and military assistance, including credit guarantees for major weapons
purchases.12