10-07-2025
White House taps O'Neill as next envoy to Thailand
The White House has nominated Sean Kotaro O'Neill as the next United States Ambassador to Thailand, replacing Robert F Godec, who has held the post since Oct 7, 2022.
The nomination was formally announced on Wednesday as part of a list of presidential nominations submitted to the US Senate for confirmation. Mr O'Neill, a career member of the Senior Foreign Service, is currently serving as the Senior Bureau Official for the State Department's Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs, a role he assumed in January 2025.
Mr O'Neill joined the Foreign Service in the aftermath of the Sept 11, 2001, attacks and has since completed eight overseas assignments across the Indo-Pacific region. His prior postings include Bangladesh, Pakistan, Myanmar, and Hong Kong, as well as a term as US Consul General in Chiang Mai.
Domestically, he has held several key roles within the Department of State, including legislative fellow on the staff of the Chairman of the US House Foreign Affairs Committee and Foreign Policy Adviser to the Commandant of the US Marine Corps.
A native of New York, Mr O'Neill previously worked as a capital markets attorney in New York and Tokyo. He holds a bachelor's degree from Tulane University and a Juris Doctor from Fordham University School of Law. He has studied several Asian languages, including Thai.
The nomination is pending confirmation by the Senate.
Alongside Mr O'Neill, three other ambassadorial nominees were announced: Nicholas Adams (to Malaysia), Julie Stufft (to Kazakhstan), and Eric Meyer (to Sri Lanka).
