US Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Daniel Russel appears to be the "Ugly American" in the eyes of quite a number of Thai nationalists who have accused him of interference in the internal affairs of Thailand and being undiplomatic, among others.
Some of the vernacular press were fiercely critical of the US administration, particularly Mr Russel for his remarks made in a speech delivered at Chulalongkorn University on Monday, not to mention the warning by US State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki that Thai-US relations cannot become normal until democracy is re-established.
Mr Russel repeated the US call for the lifting of martial law and the return of democracy, and asked Foreign Minister Tanasak Patimapragorn when an election would be held.
In his speech, he was quoted to have said that the impeachment of former prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra by "the authority that implemented the coup" and the criminal charges against her "while basic democratic processes are interrupted" gave the impression of political motivation.
The indignation directed at Mr Russel and Ms Psaki is understandable. No government leader likes to be criticised by guests in their home countries, good intentions notwithstanding.
When Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha was briefed by Gen Tanasak about the discussion with Mr Russel, he appeared annoyed with the remarks made by the two envoys.
Gen Prayut's response was measured and he shrugged off the call to lift martial law and stressed that it must remain in place as a necessary tool to prevent bloodshed and direct the country back towards democratic rule. He told the media that Gen Tanasak asked Mr Russel how the US would handle political violence of a similar magnitude before the coup and Gen Tanasak did not get an answer.
Cool heads should prevail. Any groups of people who plan to hold a protest in front of the US embassy to vent their anger against perceived US interference in Thai internal affairs should rethink their actions.
The Foreign Ministry has taken the appropriate steps by inviting the US charge d'affaires for a discussion on Wednesday to officially express disappointment, point out public sentiment, and clarify judicial and parliamentary procedures against Ms Yingluck for dereliction of duty over the notorious rice-pledging scheme.
The government and its supporters may believe it is the internal affairs of Thailand to decide when martial law is scrapped or when the election will be held, but the government and the National Council for Peace and Order should bear in mind that the longer martial law remains, the more it will hurt the country's standing in the eyes of the international community.
Apart from creating a climate of fear and suppressing political participation, martial law is also severely damaging tourism, which is the main source of foreign exchange. A delayed election, too, will lead to more political resentment and heightened tension.
The government should not fret over the US envoy's remarks about domestic politics. Instead, it should view his observations as reflecting the perception of Thailand by certain quarters of the international community.
Thailand and the US have been good friends for over 200 years. The US remains engaged with Thailand, despite its comments and the good relationship should return to normal soon. The government can speed up this process by bringing Thailand back to democracy quickly as promised.