In Thailand, U.S. Government development assistance began in 1950 with the United States Operations Mission. Between 1950 and 1996, more than 11,000 Thais were trained in the United States and more than 100,000 Thais received in-country training in agricultural productivity, science and technology, health and family planning, and infrastructure development. In 1996, the USAID bilateral mission closed.

USAID’s Regional Development Mission for Asia (RDMA), established in 2003 in Bangkok, Thailand, expands opportunities for cooperative solutions to problems that cross national boundaries, such as human and wildlife trafficking, HIV/AIDS, and global climate change, as well as addresses bilateral challenges related to trade and natural resources management across the Asia region. RDMA implements programs in countries where there are no USAID Missions, such as China, Thailand, and Laos, and also provides operational support to bilateral Missions across the Asia region in countries such as Burma, Vietnam, Cambodia, and Timor-Leste.