"I hereby designate the Kingdom of Thailand as a Major Non-NATO Ally of the United States," Bush, who was vacationing at his Texas ranch, said in a memorandum to US Secretary of State Colin Powell.

Thailand is joining an exclusive club of countries that enjoy a privileged security relationship with the United States.

Its members, which include Japan, Australia, Israel, Egypt, South Korea, Argentina, New Zealand and the Philippines, are granted significant benefits in the area of foreign aid and defense cooperation.

Major non-NATO allies are eligible for priority delivery of defense material and the purchase, for instance, of depleted uranium anti-tank rounds.

They can stockpile US military hardware, participate in defense research and development programs, and benefit from a US government loan guarantee program, which backs up loans issued by private banks to finance arms exports.

However, the designation does not afford them the same mutual defense guarantees enjoyed by members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).

Thailand has steadily strengthened its ties to Washington since the September 11, 2001 attacks on the United States, and this year after prolonged domestic debate committed to sending troops to Iraq.

The US president had announced his intention to make the designation during a state visit to Thailand in mid-October.

During a speech to members of the Thai military, Bush said he was "confident in the strength of our alliance and I have acted to designate Thailand a major non-NATO ally of the United States."

WAR.WIRE