List of ambassadors of the United States to Thailand

(Redirected from U.S. Ambassador to Thailand)

This is a list of ambassadors of the United States to Thailand.

Ambassador of the United States of America to Thailand
เอกอัครราชทูตสหรัฐอเมริกาประจำประเทศไทย
Seal of the United States Department of State
Incumbent
Robert F. Godec
since October 7, 2022
NominatorThe President of the United States
AppointerThe President with Senate advice and consent
Inaugural holderJohn A. Halderman
as Minister Resident/Consul General
FormationJuly 13, 1882
WebsiteU.S. Embassy - Bangkok

Thailand has had continuous bilateral relations with the United States since 1882. Relations were interrupted during World War II when Bangkok was occupied by Japanese forces. Normal relations were resumed after the war in 1945.

The United States Embassy to Thailand, which was designed by Gerhard Kallmann of Kallmann McKinnell & Wood,[1] is located in Bangkok.

Ambassadors

NamePortraitCareer statusTitleAppointedPresentation

of credentials

Termination of missionComment
John A. Halderman[2]Minister Resident/Consul GeneralJuly 13, 1882October 23, 1882Left post April 1, 1885
Jacob T. ChildMinister Resident/Consul GeneralMarch 9, 1886June 5, 1886Presented recall, January 17, 1891Note: President Harrison nominated Alexander C. Moore for the ministerial post on July 9, 1890, but Moore declined the appointment.
Sempronius H. Boyd Minister Resident/Consul GeneralOctober 1, 1890January 17, 1891Relinquished charge, June 13, 1892
John Barrett Minister Resident/Consul GeneralFebruary 14, 1894November 15, 1894Presented recall, April 26, 1898
Hamilton King[a]Minister Resident/Consul GeneralJanuary 14, 1898April 26, 1898April 27, 1903
Hamilton King[a][b]Envoy Extraordinary and Minister PlenipotentiaryApril 27, 1903July 3, 1903Died at post September 2, 1912
Fred W. Carpenter[c]Political appointeeEnvoy Extraordinary and Minister PlenipotentiarySeptember 12, 1912January 22, 1913Left post November 16, 1913President Wilson nominated Alexander Sweek of Oregon for the post in 1913 but Sweek’s nomination was not confirmed by the United States Senate.
William H. HornibrookPolitical appointeeEnvoy Extraordinary and Minister PlenipotentiaryFebruary 12, 1915May 31, 1915Presented recall, October 24, 1916
George Pratt IngersollPolitical appointeeEnvoy Extraordinary and Minister PlenipotentiaryAugust 8, 1917November 24, 1917Left post June 23, 1918
George W. P. Hunt Political appointeeEnvoy Extraordinary and Minister PlenipotentiaryMay 18, 1920September 6, 1920Left post October 1, 1921
Edward E. Brodie Political appointeeEnvoy Extraordinary and Minister PlenipotentiaryOctober 8, 1921January 31, 1922Left post May 2, 1925
William W. Russell[d] Career FSOEnvoy Extraordinary and Minister PlenipotentiarySeptember 28, 1925January 9, 1926[e]Left post January 7, 1927
Harold Orville MacKenziePolitical appointeeEnvoy Extraordinary and Minister PlenipotentiaryMarch 3, 1927June 28, 1927Left post March 29, 1930
Arthur H. Geissler[f]Political appointeeEnvoy Extraordinary and Minister PlenipotentiaryDecember 16, 1929
David E. KaufmanPolitical appointeeEnvoy Extraordinary and Minister PlenipotentiaryJune 12, 1930December 9, 1930Left post June 15, 1933
James Marion Baker[g] Political appointeeEnvoy Extraordinary and Minister PlenipotentiaryAugust 30, 1933December 9, 1933Left post May 2, 1936
Edwin L. NevilleCareer FSOEnvoy Extraordinary and Minister PlenipotentiaryMay 28, 1937October 2, 1937Left post May 1, 1940Note: Siam changed its name to Thailand in 1939, but ambassadors were commissioned to Siam until 1954.
Hugh Gladney Grant Political appointeeEnvoy Extraordinary and Minister PlenipotentiaryApril 3, 1940August 20, 1940Left post August 30, 1941
Willys R. PeckCareer FSOEnvoy Extraordinary and Minister PlenipotentiaryAugust 19, 1941September 16, 1941Japanese forces occupied Bangkok, December 8, 1941Note: Thailand declared war on the United States January 25, 1942. Ambassador Peck was initially interned and then freed. He departed Thailand on June 29, 1942.

Note: Normal relations between Thailand and the United States were resumed after the war in October 1945.

Charles W. Yost Career FSOChargé d’AffairesNot commissionedA letter of credence was sent to Yost by telegram, October 16, 1945.Superseded by commissioned envoy July 4, 1946
Edwin F. StantonCareer FSOEnvoy Extraordinary and Minister PlenipotentiaryApril 27, 1946July 4, 1946Promoted to Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary April 10, 1947.Note: The legation in Bangkok was raised to embassy status March 18, 1947. At the same time the envoy was promoted to ambassador.
Edwin F. Stanton[h]Career FSOAmbassador Extraordinary and PlenipotentiaryApril 10, 1947May 9, 1947Left post June 30, 1953Note: Hereafter ambassadors were commissioned to Thailand rather than Siam, as previous envoys had been.
William J. Donovan Political appointeeAmbassador Extraordinary and PlenipotentiaryAugust 3, 1953September 4, 1953Left post August 21, 1954
John E. Peurifoy[i] Career FSOAmbassador Extraordinary and PlenipotentiarySeptember 15, 1954December 3, 1954Died near Hua Hin, August 12, 1955
Max Waldo Bishop[j] Career FSOAmbassador Extraordinary and PlenipotentiaryDecember 3, 1955January 9, 1956Left post January 6, 1958
U. Alexis Johnson Career FSOAmbassador Extraordinary and PlenipotentiaryJanuary 30, 1958February 14, 1958Left post April 10, 1961
Kenneth Todd Young Political appointeeAmbassador Extraordinary and PlenipotentiaryMarch 29, 1961June 22, 1961Left post August 19, 1963
Graham A. Martin Career FSOAmbassador Extraordinary and PlenipotentiarySeptember 10, 1963November 7, 1963Left post September 9, 1967
Leonard S. Unger Career FSOAmbassador Extraordinary and PlenipotentiaryAugust 11, 1967October 4, 1967Left post November 19, 1973
William R. KintnerPolitical appointeeAmbassador Extraordinary and PlenipotentiarySeptember 28, 1973November 29, 1973Left post March 15, 1975
Charles S. Whitehouse Career FSOAmbassador Extraordinary and PlenipotentiaryMay 8, 1975May 30, 1975Left post June 19, 1978
Morton I. Abramowitz Career FSOAmbassador Extraordinary and PlenipotentiaryJune 27, 1978August 9, 1978Left post July 31, 1981
John Gunther DeanCareer FSOAmbassador Extraordinary and PlenipotentiaryOctober 1, 1981October 26, 1981Left post June 6, 1985
William Andreas Brown Career FSOAmbassador Extraordinary and PlenipotentiaryJune 6, 1985July 5, 1985Left post August 5, 1988
Daniel Anthony O'DonohueCareer FSOAmbassador Extraordinary and PlenipotentiaryJuly 11, 1988August 13, 1988Left post August 10, 1991
David Floyd LambertsonCareer FSOAmbassador Extraordinary and PlenipotentiaryJuly 22, 1991September 24, 1991Left post August 25, 1995
William H. ItohCareer FSOAmbassador Extraordinary and PlenipotentiaryDecember 19, 1995February 20, 1996Left post February 1, 1999
Richard E. HecklingerCareer FSOAmbassador Extraordinary and PlenipotentiaryDecember 1, 1998March 9, 1999Left post December 21, 2001
Darryl N. Johnson Career FSOAmbassador Extraordinary and PlenipotentiaryNovember 26, 2001March 29, 2002Left post December 28, 2004
Ralph Leo Boyce[3] Career FSOAmbassador Extraordinary and PlenipotentiaryJuly 2, 2004March 9, 2005Left post July 21, 2007
Eric G. John[4] Career FSOAmbassador Extraordinary and PlenipotentiaryAugust 3, 2007January 8, 2008Left post September 30, 2010
Kristie A. Kenney[5] Career FSOAmbassador Extraordinary and PlenipotentiaryDecember 9, 2010January 8, 2011Left post November 6, 2014
W. Patrick Murphy[6] Career FSOChargé d’affaires a.i.November 6, 2014N/ASeptember 22, 2015
Glyn T. Davies[7] Career FSOAmbassador Extraordinary and PlenipotentiaryAugust 6, 2015September 22, 2015Left post September 29, 2018
Michael G. DeSombre Political appointeeAmbassador Extraordinary and PlenipotentiaryJanuary 8, 2020March 2, 2020January 20, 2021
Michael G. Heath[8] Career FSOChargé d’affairesJanuary 20, 2021N/AOctober 7, 2022
Robert F. Godec Career FSOAmbassador Extraordinary and PlenipotentiaryAugust 4, 2022[9]October 7, 2022[10]Incumbent

See also

Notes

References

Sources