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      • The Khabarovsk War Crimes Trial - Guide >
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        • The Employment of the Bacteriological Weapon in the War
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        • Establishing Manchukuo
        • The Development of Unit 731
        • Plan Kantokuen and Bacteriological Warfare
        • The Downfall of the Japanese WW2 Era
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        • Lasting Impacts
      • Marutas of Unit 731 - Guide >
        • How did Ishii Shiro start unit 731?
        • A Beta Testing Site
        • Establishing Pingfan
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An Overview of Thailand's Participation in WW2

6/28/2019

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by Ally Diwik
Picture
In December 1941, over the course of only a few days, the Thai government moved from a public stance of neutrality to a military alliance with Japan. Thailand’s alliance with Japan would ultimately define Thailand’s role in World War II in the Pacific Theater. ​
(continued) After allying itself with Japan, Thailand would go on to declare war against the British and Americans as well as assist the Japanese in supplying their troops through the completion of the infamous Thailand-Burma Railway. Thus, it is valuable to examine how this rapid shift in government policy took place in Thailand. 

​Prior to the outbreak of war in the Pacific, Thailand was a quasi-independent state in which the British and French exercised considerable influence. The area to the east of the Menam Chao Phraya Basin fell within the French sphere of influence while the area to the west of the river basin lay within the British sphere. However, in December 1938, Phibunsongkhram took power in Thailand as a military dictator. Phibunsongkhram, also known as Phibun, maintained friendly relations between Thailand and Japan. Relations with Japan had been increasing amiable since the early 1930s and when paired with Thailand’s new strongly nationalistic policies which were anti-Chinese at home and pro-Japanese abroad, relations between Thailand and European powers were increasingly strained. Thai-European relations continued to falter when in November 1940, Phibun ordered the invasion of French territories in western Laos and northwestern Cambodia that had formerly been under Thai control. This move on the part of Thailand was strongly supported by Japan. 

The relationship between Thailand and Japan didn't remain friendly especially when it came to the convenience of Thailand. Japanese aggression in the Pacific increasingly strained the Thai-Japanese relationship. Thai officials, including Phibun himself, repeatedly appealed to the British and Americans to help Thailand defend its territory and sovereignty against Imperial Japan. But neither country was able to offer any significant support to the Thai government. As a result, as relations between Japan and its Pacific rivals worsened following the advance of Japanese forces into southern French Indo-China, Phibun declared that Thailand would remain neutral. Unfortunately, the likelihood of war only increased in the following months which in turn increased apprehension within the Thai government that they would be able to remain neutral. 

Phibun attempted to remain friendly and yet noncommittal towards the Japanese officials that urgently lobbied his government for support. But by December 8th, 1941, the Thai government was forced to seriously consider all options following the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor and the impending Japanese invasion of Thailand. Four main options were discussed at a cabinet meeting on December 8th. The options included were: (1) Japan and Thailand would conclude an offensive/defensive alliance; (2) Thailand would join the Tripartite Pact with Germany, Italy, and Japan; (3) Thailand would cooperate with Japanese military operations; (4) Thailand and Japan would undertake the mutual defense of Thailand. All four options held the expectation that Japanese forces would be allowed to pass through Thailand. Additionally, each option was accompanied by the Japanese offer to assist Thailand in recovering its lost territories. On the evening of December 8th, 1941, the Japanese ambassador, accompanied by military and naval attachés, went to see Phibun. They arrived with a draft of an alliance treaty they expected the Thai government to agree to. On December 21st, the formal signing of the Treaty of Alliance took place as scheduled at Wat Phra Kaeo. Phibun then reshuffled his cabinet to ensure that it represented a more pro-Japanese group of officials. Then, on January 25th, 1942, the deputy foreign minister announced over the radio that Thailand was joining Japan and declaring war on Britain and the United States. 

Following the declaration of war, the most significant role Thailand played in the Pacific War was in building the Thailand-Burma Railway. The Japanese decided it was necessary to build a railway to connect Bangkok, Thailand, with Moulmein, Burma. By early 1942, shipping lanes had become incredibly vulnerable to allied attacks and thus a railway was necessary to bring much-needed supplies to Japanese forces in Burma. It was designed to be 259 miles long running through jungles, across rivers, and over the mountain chain that separated Burma and Thailand. To build the railway, the Japanese and Thai used thousands of Allied prisoners of war (POWs) as well as hundreds of thousands of Romusha (indigenous contract laborers) from Burma, Malaya, Java, and other conquered nations as a labor force. Construction began in October 1942 and within a few months the Imperial General Command in Tokyo, anxious to complete the project, moved up the completion date to October 1943. This acceleration was known as “the Speedo” and it was during this time that the Thailand-Burma railway earned its nickname: the “death” railway.

Ultimately, during World War II, Thailand was only able to gain minor territorial concessions in Burma, Malaya, Laos, and Cambodia as a result of its alliance with Japan. Additionally, the Thai economy greatly suffered during this time which undermined public support for Phibun. The waning public support for Phibun allowed resistance groups based in the United States and Britain to make contact with similar groups within Thailand. The Free Thai, as these groups were known, conducted raids against the Japanese and ultimately succeeded in infiltrating the Thai government. By July 1944, Phibun was forced to resign and his 1942 declaration of war was determined to be unconstitutional and therefore legally void. As a result, Thailand never needed to official surrendered to the allies. Instead, following Phibun’s resignation, Thailand did its best to repair diplomatic relations with the Allies and ceased the majority of its wartime operations. 

References:
  1. Eldredge, Sears, “The Thailand-Burma Railway: An Overview” (2014). Book Chapters. Book 21. http://digitalcommons.macalester.edu/thdabooks/21. 
  2. Keyes, Charles F. and Jane E. Keyes. “Thailand.” Encyclopaedia Brittanica, Encycloaedia Brittanica, Inc., 9 June 2019, https://www.britannica.com/place/Thailand/Chulalongkorn-and-the-foundations-of-modern-Thailand. 
  3. Swan, William L. "Thai-Japanese Relations at the Start of the Pacific War: New Insight into a Controversial Period." Journal of Southeast Asian Studies, vol. 18, no. 2, 1987, pp. 270-293.
  4. Wilson, Hugh. "The Best of Friends: Britain, America and Thailand, 1945-48." Canadian Journal of History, vol. 25, no. 1, 1990, pp. 61-84.

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  • Home
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        • Presenting at 112th Annual Meeting of Pacific Coast Branch
        • Summer Research Relocation Fund
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      • Black Hearts (2021)
    • Blog
    • Podcast: Forgotten History
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      • 2017 Summer Showcase & Fundraiser
  • Books
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  • Resource Page
    • Supplementary Research Guides >
      • Unit 731 - Guide >
        • Background of Biochemical Warfare Development
        • Imperial Japan's Chemical Warfare Development Program
        • Map of Unit 731
        • Personnel of Unit 731
        • Duties of Unit 731
        • Human Experimentation
        • [GRAPHIC] Germ Warfare Attacks
        • Cover Ups After the War
        • [OLD] Cover Ups After the War
      • Philippines' Resistance - Guide >
        • Philippines World War II Timeline
        • The Japanese Invasion & Conquest of the Philippines
        • Bataan Death March
        • Formation of Underground Philippines Resistance
        • Supplies of the Guerrilla Fighters
        • The Hukbalahap
        • Hunter's ROTC
        • Marking's Guerrillas
        • United States Army Forces in the Philippines of Northern Luzon (USAFIP-NL)
        • The Aetas
        • Chinese and Filipino-Chinese Nationalist Guerrilla Units
        • The Female Faces of the Philippine Guerrillas
      • Rising Sun Flag - Guide >
        • History of the Rising Sun Flag
        • Atrocities Committed Under the Flag
        • Rising Sun Flag in Pop Culture
      • Pinay Guerrilleras - Guide >
        • Japanese Occupation of the Philippine Islands: Pinays Answering the Call to Arms
        • The Fierce Heneralas and Kumanders of the Hukbalahap Guerrillas
        • Amazons of the Pacific Theater
        • Filipina American Veterans: Recovering the Extraordinary Feats of the Ordinary Pinays
        • The Legacy of the Asian Women Soldier
      • Fall of Singapore - Guide >
        • Singapore World War II Timeline
        • History of World War II in the Pacific
        • History of Singapore
        • Japan's Conquest in Asia
        • Japan's Invasion of the Malay Peninsula
        • Sook Ching Massacre
        • Double Tenth Incident
        • Social Changes and Challenges in Singapore
        • Voices from Syonan
        • Return to British Rule
      • Three Years and Eight Months - Guide >
        • Hong Kong before WW2
        • Buildup to World War 2
        • The Battle of Hong Kong
        • Life during 3 Years and 8 Months
        • East River Column Guerrilla Fighters
        • Prisoners of War Camps
        • End of Japanese Occupation
        • War Crimes Trials
      • Siamese Sovereignty - Guide >
        • The Land of Smiles
        • The Thai-Japanese Relationship
        • Phibun’s Domestic and International Policies
        • The Free Thai Resistance Movement
        • Post WW2 Aftermath of Thailand
      • The Khabarovsk War Crimes Trial - Guide >
        • Defendants of Khabarovsk War Crime
        • The Japanese Empire and USSR in WW2
        • The Employment of the Bacteriological Weapon in the War
        • Planning of Japan invasion to USSR
      • Unit 731 Cover-up : The Operation Paperclip of the East - Guide >
        • Establishing Manchukuo
        • The Development of Unit 731
        • Plan Kantokuen and Bacteriological Warfare
        • The Downfall of the Japanese WW2 Era
        • Three Stages of Interrogations
        • Lasting Impacts
      • Marutas of Unit 731 - Guide >
        • How did Ishii Shiro start unit 731?
        • A Beta Testing Site
        • Establishing Pingfan
        • Experiences at the Human Experimentation Complex
        • Vivisection at the Unit 731
        • Anta Testing Grounds
        • Overall Advance from the Laboratory Creations
        • The End of the War
      • Prince Konoe Memoir - Guide >
        • Who is Prince Konoe?
        • Preparation to Tripartite Pact
        • Emperor Hirohito and Prince Konoe
        • The End of Prince Konoe
      • Competing Empires in Burma - Guide >
        • What was the China-Burma-India Theater?
        • When did the China-Burma-India Theater Happen?
        • Who Fought in the China-Burma-India Theater?
        • The Second Sino Japanese War
        • Japan in the South
        • Operation U-Go
      • Battle of Shanghai - Guide >
        • The Battle of Shanghai. Background
        • Shanghai Before War
        • The First Battle of Shanghai 1932
        • Battle of Shanghai 1937
        • Aftermath of Battle for Shanghai
      • Ishi Shiro - Guide >
        • History of Biological Weapons and The Young Ishii Shiro
        • Establishment in Manchuria
        • Pingfang District - Harbin
        • Failures and Corruption
        • Post War
      • Taiwan The Israel of the East - Guide >
        • Background of Formosa
        • Industrialization of Japan
        • China During WWII
        • Taiwan under Kuomintang
        • New Taiwanese National Identity
      • Seeking Justice for Biological Warfare Victims of Unit 731 - Guide >
        • Introduction of Wang Xuan
        • Colonel Memorandum
        • The Beginning of Biological Warfare
        • The Bacteriological Warfare on China
        • Victims in Zhejiang’s Testimonies
        • After the War
      • Rice and Revolution - Guide >
        • The French Colonial Period
        • Anti-Colonial Resistance
        • The Rise of the Communist Movement
        • Imperial Japan’s Entry into Indochina
        • The Portents of Famine
        • The Famine (1944-45)
        • Legacy of the 1944-45 Vietnam Famine
      • Clash of Empires - Guide >
        • Japan’s Imperialist Origins
        • Japan’s Competition against the West: Nanshin-ron and Hokushin-ron
        • Japanese Imperialism Through the Lens of French Indochina
        • The U.S.-Japan Relations and the Pearl Harbor Attack
      • Hunger for Power and Self-SufficiencyI - Guide >
        • The Influence of War Rations on Post-War Culinary Transformations
        • How World War II Complicated Food Scarcity and Invention
        • American Military Innovations
        • Government-Sponsored Food Inventions in Europe during World War II
        • Feeding the Army: The Adaptation of Japanese Military Cuisine and Its Impact on the Philippines
        • Mixed Dishes: Culinary Innovations Driven by Necessity and Food Scarcity
      • Denial A Quick Look of History of Comfort Women and Present Days’ Complication - Guide >
        • The Comfort Women System and the Fight for Recognition
        • The Role of Activism and International Pressure
        • The Controversy over Japanese History Textbooks
        • The Sonyŏsang Statue and the Symbolism of Public Memorials
        • Activism and Support from Japanese Citizens
        • The Future of Comfort Women Memorials and Education
      • Echoes of Empire: The Power of Japanese Propaganda - Guide >
        • Brief Overview of Imperial Japan
        • Defining Propaganda
        • Propaganda Encouraging Action​
        • The Rise of Nationalism
        • The Formation of Japanese State Propaganda
        • Youth and Education
      • Shadows of the Rising Sun: The Black Dragon Society and the Dawn of Pan-Asianism - Guide >
        • Origins of the Black Dragon Society
        • The Influence of Pan-Asianism
        • Relationship with Sun Yat-sen
        • The Role in Southeast Asia
        • The Spread of Ideology and Espionage
        • Disbandment and Legacy
      • Chongqing Bombing: The Forgotten Blitz of Asia and Its Lasting Impact - Guide >
        • Introduction and Historical Background
        • The Class Divide During the Bombings
        • Resilience and Unity of Chongqing
        • Key Incidents - Great Tunnel Massacre
        • The Aftermath of the Bombings
        • Legacy and Commemoration
      • Shanghai's International Zone: A Nexus of War, Intelligence, and Survival - Guide >
        • Historical Background
        • The International Zone
        • Battles in Shanghai
        • Civilian Intelligence Efforts
        • Wartime Brutality
        • Aftermath & Legacy
    • Lesson Plans >
      • Reparations
      • Ethics in Science
      • Writing the Narrative of a Pinay Fighter
      • Privilege Journal
      • Environmental Injustices
      • Female Guerrillas
      • Hunter's ROTC
      • Scientific Advancements
      • Seeking Justice: A Humanities Lesson Plan
      • The Hukbalahap
      • Trading Immunity
      • Bataan Death March
      • Biochemical Warfare Development
  • History Remembered
Contribute