The US Special Representative for North Korea Policy has praised Thailand for its role in trying to help pressure the reclusive communist state to denuclearise.
Joseph Yun said, he has had a constructive exchange of views with Thai officials after explaining US policy in trying to denuclearise North Korea.
He had separate meetings with the National Security Council secretary-general, Wanlop Rugsanoh, and Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Virasakdi Futrakul on Thursday.
"I appealed to both the secretary-general and the deputy foreign minister that Thailand as a leader in Southeast Asia with long-time connections on the Korean Peninsula to see whether we can work together," he said adding that Asean and associate bodies such as its dialogue partners and the Asean Regional Forum have also been very supportive.
"They were open-ended discussions and I appreciate very much and am grateful for what Thailand has done in leading Asean ... in terms of an overall approach to North Korea," he said.
However, he did not elaborate on what measures or results the US expects to see from Thailand.
"We leave it up to the authorities in the individual country to deal with that," he said.
Asked whether he had any information about North Korean proxy businesses in Thailand, Mr Yun said, "We looked at the data and there is fortunately no trade as the PM mentioned between North Korea and Thailand."
Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha on Tuesday said Thailand had cut all trade links with North Korea to comply with a United Nations Security Council resolution over the rogue state's repeated missile tests.
Thailand's bilateral trade with North Korea fell to only US$1.5 million (50 million baht) during the first half of this year compared to $19 million in the same period last year.
Trade between the two countries stood at $82 million in 2015 and $50 million last year.
Mr Yun did not say what retaliatory measures the US would take against countries that fail to abide by the UN sanctions on North Korea.
Chulalongkorn University political scientist Surachart Bamrungsuk said the US is trying to show that Thailand is now part of its coalition on the issue of North Korea and its nuclear ambitions.
On what else the US can expect Thailand to do, he said the US may want the country to cease all North Korean business activities in Thailand, which include North Korean restaurants.
Meanwhile, Panitan Wattanayagorn, an adviser to Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Prawit Wongsuwon, said the US is following up on Thailand's compliance with the United Nations Security Council's (UNSC) resolutions and discussing with security agencies what else Thailand can do to help put pressure on Pyongyang.
"Thailand follows the UNSC resolutions and has cut off trade. But in terms of humanitarian issues or people's welfare these are another issue.
"Thailand has no reason to cut ties with North Korea, which has an embassy in the kingdom, beyond the framework of the UNSC resolutions," he said.
He also said that although Mr Yun was only visiting Japan and Thailand on this trip, he had the chance to meet with many Asean diplomats in Thailand.
Mr Yun yesterday emphasised a diplomatic resolution to the nuclear issue, distancing himself from conflicting comments coming from US President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Rex Tillerson.
Conflicting signals have come from Washington DC this week with Mr Tillerson hinting at a softer stance saying the US was ready to talk to North Korea without preconditions. The White House, however, later said the US stance toward Pyongyang had not changed and there would be no talks if the communist regime continued activities deemed threatening to its neighbours.
