The U.S. began a 12-day annual, multinational
Cobra Gold military exercise on Monday (February 9), despite the
biggest pro-democracy protest in months displaying coup leader Gen.
Prayuth Chan-ocha as a gigantic faux Teletubby authoritarian.

In a sign of disapproval against the coup, Washington scaled-down
Cobra Gold, its biggest military exercise in the Asia-Pacific, and
this year sent about 3,600 U.S. troops instead of last year's 4,300.

"The large-scale, live-fire exercise associated w/ amphibious landing
was cancelled," American Embassy charge d'affaires W. Patrick Murphy
tweeted on Tuesday (February 10).

Other lethal exercises will be included.

A "non-combatant evacuation" from Thailand's tourist-packed Pattaya
beach near Bangkok is also scheduled, plus a "field training exercise"
involving troops in various formations.

Thailand is a key non-NATO ally of the U.S. in Southeast Asia.

Gen. Prayuth staged a bloodless coup on May 22, toppling a popularly
elected prime minister, Yingluck Shinawatra.

In response, Washington suspended a token $4.7 million in security aid
to Bangkok and other training, but the two countries have emphasized
the need to maintain close relations.

Despite those concerns -- and fresh anti-coup protests by students in
Bangkok during the weekend -- the United States Pacific Command
(USPACOM) will be training Thailand's military from Monday (February
9) to February 20.

"We can't deny that this period is a challenging one, and has
necessitated a modified Cobra Gold, as Thailand manages its return to
democracy," U.S. charge d'affaires Murphy told the opening ceremony in
Nakhon Nayok on Monday (February 9).

"Thailand is a valued friend and ally," U.S. State Department deputy
spokeswoman Marie Harf told reporters in Washington on Thursday
(February 5).

"We will continue cooperation on issues that matter to the security
and well-being of our country and theirs as well," Ms. Harf said.

Cobra Gold began in 1982 as bilateral training by the U.S. and Thailand.

It has expanded to this year's 24 nations including South Korea,
Japan, Singapore, Indonesia, and Malaysia plus other mostly Pacific
countries.

China will join non-combat events designed for humanitarian assistance.

In Bangkok meanwhile the mood is not upbeat.

"The most joyless, soulless war games in history," the Bangkok Post
said on Sunday (February 8), describing the mood on both sides.

During the past two weeks, Gen. Prayuth and his regime expressed
displeasure at the U.S. State Department and American Embassy for
their repeated criticism of his martial law regime and lack of
elections.

Some Thai and foreign analysts said Washington may be worried about
Bangkok moving too close to Beijing, and thus did not cancel Cobra
Gold because the would severely disrupt U.S.-Thai relations.

Cobra Gold 2015 coincides with China's offer to Thailand to hold their
own bilateral war games.

"We agreed to increase joint military exercises between Thailand's air
force and China's air force, and to increase overall military
cooperation over the next three to five years," Thai Defense Minister
Gen. Prawit Wongsuwan told reporters after Chinese Defence Minister
Chang Wanquan ended a two-day visit to Bangkok.

The two countries also agreed on Friday (February 6) to share more
intelligence information, and jointly tackle cross-border crime and
drug syndicates.

"China will not intervene in Thailand's politics but will give
political support and help maintain relationships at all levels. This
is China's policy," Gen. Prawit said.

On Saturday (February 7), Bangkok witnessed the biggest pro-democracy
protest in months when -- during a soccer game's scheduled parade --
prestigious Thammasat University's students smuggled subversive floats
into the National Stadium.

Gen. Prayuth's weekly, nationally televised lectures were mocked by a
float showing him speaking on TV flanked by the infantile characters
from the British "Teletubbies" series for children.

In the stadium's bleachers, an unfurled banner said, "Coup = Corruption."

Gen. Prayuth's personal "Twelve Core Values" -- which schools
throughout Thailand now require students to memorize and repeat -- was
changed to one word, "Democracy," and partially covered by red
splotches, as if stained with blood.

Other banners said, "Down with Dictatorship" and "Long Live
Democracy," before surprised police grabbed the long pieces of cloth.

The soccer game is an annual match between Thammasat and Chulalongkorn
universities, and traditionally permitted tame, humorous floats.

The Thammasat students' parade on Saturday (February 7) was the most
daring and biggest anti-coup protest in months, defying military
officers who earlier warned them against staging any dissent.

Shortly after Gen. Prayuth's coup, hundreds of pro-democracy Thais
gathered in the streets here in Bangkok and flashed the three-finger
salute portrayed in the Hollywood film, "The Hunger Games," which
symbolizes defiance against dictatorship.

Thai dissidents staged other imaginative protests by creating
symbolic, coded activities such as intentionally eating sandwiches in
public, silently reading Orwell's "1984" dystopian novel, and posting
vivid anti-coup memes and slogans on Twitter, Facebook and other
social media.