Mayaguez incident

The Mayagüez incident was the first major foreign policy crisis of United States President Gerald R. Ford.

The crisis began on May 12, 1975, when the Cambodian navy seized the American merchant ship USS Mayagüez in international waters. President Ford was determined to end the crisis decisively, believing that the recent withdrawal of the United States from the Vietnam War had severely damaged the country's reputation. Ford also wished to avoid echoes of the USS Pueblo, an American naval ship captured by North Korea in 1968.

Negotiations were not feasible, as the United States had no diplomatic contact with the newly installed Khmer Rouge regime in Cambodia, and were unlikely to be successful in any case. President Ford ordered the aircraft carrier USS Coral Sea into the area, and moved a substantial number of Marines from Okinawa to U Tapao Airforce Base in Thailand.

The incident ended on May 15 when U.S. Navy and Marines raided the Cambodian island Koh Tang and recovered the Mayagüez. During the operation 38 servicemen were killed but all 40 of the Mayagüez's crew were returned safely.

The Mayagüez incident also had an indirect affect on the politics of Thailand. The U Tapao airbase was used by American forces despite an explicit refusal by the Thai government to allow this, and there was considerable anger towards the United States as a result. The Thai government called the act a violation of Thailand’s sovereignty, and many Thai groups called for the withdrawal of all American forces from the country. There was also heightened distrust in Thailand of the Thai military, which was presumed to be complicit in the use of its airbase.