Eric G. John

Who is Eric G. John?

Eric G. John is the former U.S. Ambassador to the Kingdom of Thailand, having been appointed October 22, 2007. Ambassador John joined the Foreign Service in 1983 and has served primarily in East Asia. He has three tours in Korea, most recently as the Minister Counselor for Political Affairs at the U.S. Embassy in Seoul. He also served as the Deputy Director of Korean Affairs in Washington, D.C. His other tours include Deputy Principal Officer of the U.S. Consulate General in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam; the Orderly Departure Program at the U.S. Embassy in Bangkok, Thailand; and the U.S. Embassy in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. In 2005, Ambassador John was named Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Southeast Asia. He currently serves as the Foreign Policy Advisor to the Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force.

The ambassador grew up in New Castle, Ind. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Foreign Service from the Georgetown University School of Foreign Service and a graduate degree in National Security Studies from the National War College. He speaks Korean and Vietnamese. The ambassador is married and has had a son and daughter. On August 27, 2010, his daughter Nicole fell to her death in NYC from a window ledge. She was aged 17.