US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton will visit US treaty allies Thailand and the Philippines before attending the annual East Asia summit in Bali this month. The State Department said on Wednesday the visits underscore US efforts to strengthen key alliances in the region. Clinton will first attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum in Hawaii and hold bilateral meetings with a number of foreign ministers. President Barack Obama will also attend APEC. After APEC, Clinton will visit Manila and Bangkok, and then attend the East Asia summit in Bali with Obama.—AP