David Floyd Lambertson (born June 30, 1940)[1] of Kansas served as United States Ambassador to Thailand from September 1991 until August 1995.
He was posted to Tokyo in 1977 as Deputy Chief of the political section, responsible for working with the Japanese Foreign Ministry on U.S.-Japan bilateral issues and cooperative US-Japanese approaches to multilateral questions.
In 1980-1981 Lambertson attended the Royal College of Defence Studies in London, after which he returned to Washington as Director of the Office of Korean Affairs, 1982-84.
His work during his three years in that position focused on negotiations to end the war in Cambodia, support for the newly established democracy in the Philippines, and efforts to achieve the fullest possible accounting for Americans missing in action in Indochina.
He was responsible for all aspects of U.S. relations with Thailand during a period of significant political upheaval and change, burgeoning growth in US-Thai economic relations, intensified efforts to combat drug production and trafficking, and major refugee and displaced persons issues along Thailand’s borders with Cambodia, Laos and Burma.
Lambertson was active in the early years of the Dole Institute of Politics, as a member of planning groups and as a moderator in conferences on China MFN and the future of NATO, and has participated in several more recent programs.
Beginning in November 2000, and continuing through December 2005, he was American representative of the Korean Peninsula Energy Development Organization in North Korea.
Lambertson is a member of the International Relations Council of Kansas City, and the American Foreign Service Association.