US Ambassador to Thailand quits after Biden inaugurated

**misskit** · 21-01-2021, 07:10 PM

The US Ambassador to Thailand seems to have quit after only serving less than 1 year in office and moments after President Biden’s inauguration. Michael George DeSombre, who was appointed by President Trump in early 2020, made the announcement of his departure on the embassy’s official social media platform yesterday. A day before, he met with PM Prayut to “thank the Royal Thai Government” as is customary with departing ambassadors. DeSombre succeeded career diplomat Glyn T. Davies.

“It has been a privilege serving as the United States Ambassador to the Kingdom of Thailand. I am exceedingly proud of all we have done to strengthen the US-Thai relationship. I am signing off now from this account and leaving it in the good hands of our Embassy staff.”

Now, as the US Embassy official website names Chargé d’Affaires Michael Heath as its diplomatic mission leader, it is not known when a new ambassador will be chosen by the Biden administration.

Just last year in October, DeSombre wrote, on the same day that President Trump tested positive for the virus, that he was less than supportive of a full-blown shutdown.

“The evidence over the last six months shows that the costs of a really extreme shutdown are generally worse than the benefits and it is better to keep the economy running.”

According to Wikipedia, DeSombre co-founded Republicans Overseas for Americans abroad in 2013 in which the organisation focuses on tax reform. Upon his appointment as Ambassador, DeSombre stated that his office would primarily encourage the economic partnership between the two countries, with a focus on American investments and Thailand’s infrastructure projects and supply chains.

He has also said that US firms were interested in increasing investments in Thailand, including in areas under the 1966 Amity treaty. Thailand and the US established relations in 1818 and later formalised the ties in 1833.

US Ambassador to Thailand quits after Biden inaugurated | The Thaiger

**VocalNeal** · 21-01-2021, 07:48 PM

He probably knew he would get fired anyway.

**armstrong** · 21-01-2021, 10:09 PM

No one seems to be sad that he's gone.

**russellsimpson** · 22-01-2021, 12:05 AM

I may be wrong but isn't it normal for all ambassadors to resign after a change in administration? It's a courtesy to the incoming president. Ambassadors may be re-appointed of course. Important ambassadors (and the Thai ambassador wouldn't be in this group) do of course change with the new administration. I stand to be corrected, hopefully in a dignified manner.

**Backspin** · 22-01-2021, 12:22 AM

He will be replaced by another DC intl law firm apparatchik with a history of overseeing regime change operations and general fuckery.

**harrybarracuda** · 22-01-2021, 12:27 AM

Originally Posted by russellsimpson

I may be wrong but isn't it normal for all ambassadors to resign after a change in administration? It's a courtesy to the incoming president. Ambassadors may be re-appointed of course. Important ambassadors (and the Thai ambassador wouldn't be in this group) do of course change with the new administration. I stand to be corrected, hopefully in a dignified manner.

Thailand's last political appointment to ambassador was under another crook republican president - Nixon.

All the rest have been career foreign service officers and have served anywhere between 2-4 years.

DeSombre probably got the job as a thank you for his efforts to support Republican voting overseas (he founded some organisation for this purpose). He's a mergers and acquisitions lawyer by trade and does not have Thai language on his CV although apparently is fluent in Mandarin Chinese, which I suppose could be useful in trying to tie up a few of baldy orange loser's magical trade deals without drawing too much attention.

Added: The DCM, Michael Heath, will presumably be acting for a while - he was Consul General in Chiang Mai a few years back, so there might be some here that had dealings with him.

**Backspin** · 22-01-2021, 12:35 AM

Desombre got the job because he had experience in destabilising Hong Kong. He will be replaced by someone else with experience in Hong Kong. Probably that runt woman who was caught red handed with the Hong Kong youth gangs a year ago

**panama hat** · 22-01-2021, 01:02 AM

Originally Posted by russellsimpson

I may be wrong but isn't it normal for all ambassadors to resign after a change in administration? It's a courtesy to the incoming president.

You're half right/wrong.

The US has political appointees and career diplomats who become ambassadors. It's up to the new administration as to what they do with the political ones.

**harrybarracuda** · 22-01-2021, 02:07 AM

Originally Posted by panama hat

You're half right/wrong.

The US has political appointees and career diplomats who become ambassadors. It's up to the new administration as to what they do with the political ones.

Well we know baldy orange loser was essentially selling them.

**Storekeeper** · 22-01-2021, 02:35 AM

Originally Posted by panama hat

You're half right/wrong.

The US has political appointees and career diplomats who become ambassadors. It's up to the new administration as to what they do with the political ones.

My understanding is normally the out going President asks for the resignation letters of his/her political appointees but Trumpty never did it. But I noticed a lot resigned anyway ... Harry Harris at South Korea, Callista Gingrich at the Vatican and some others like the one in South Africa are still hanging in there waiting to be told to hit the road.

Ambassadors of the United States - Wikipedia

**panama hat** · 22-01-2021, 03:20 AM

The one here left last month - ridiculous piece of work, he was.

**Seekingasylum** · 22-01-2021, 09:28 AM

Desombre was a bright cookie, a Harvard law school graduate and went on to take an MA at Stanford. He worked for the long established law firm of Sullivan & Cromwell which specialised in commercial law, international and domestic, and which also acted as counsel for corporate clients resisting government actions. One wonders just what the deal was between the company and Trump.

Perhaps the orange beast is a client in his tax affairs and dealings with the Deutsche bank and the Russian leveraged deals.

Poor Donald will have need of expert counsel as he navigates his post POTUS vulnerability.

**Seekingasylum** · 22-01-2021, 09:30 AM

Originally Posted by Backspin

Desombre got the job because he had experience in destabilising Hong Kong. He will be replaced by someone else with experience in Hong Kong. Probably that runt woman who was caught red handed with the Hong Kong youth gangs a year ago

Surely there is somewhere else for you to go to post your fucking gibberish.

**panama hat** · 22-01-2021, 10:00 AM