Thailand participates fully in international and regional organizations. It has developed close ties with other ASEAN members—Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Brunei, Laos,and Vietnam—whose foreign and economic ministers hold annual meetings. Regional cooperation is progressing in economic, trade, banking, political, and cultural matters. In 2003, Thailand served as APEC host. Dr. Supachai Panitchpakdi, the former Deputy Prime Minister of Thailand, served as Secretary-General of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) from 2005 until 31 August 2013. In 2005 Thailand attended the inaugural East Asia Summit.
Since the military coup of May 2014, Thailand's global reputation has plunged, according to Professor Thitinan Pongsudhirak of Chulalongkorn University. He maintains that, "When the fourth anniversary of Thailand's coup comes to pass later this month [May 2018], Thailand's foreign relations will be one of the many costs to be counted from the military government....Instead of moving ahead in its relations with the outside world, Thailand has regressed to a standstill.[1]
Disputes
Parts of the border with Laos are undefined. A maritime boundary dispute with Vietnam was resolved, August 1997. Parts of maritime border with Cambodia are disputed.[2] Sporadic conflict with Myanmar over alignment of border.[3]
Diplomatic relations
List of countries which Thailand maintains diplomatic relations with:[4][5][6]
Parts of Cambodia's border with Thailand are indefinite, and the maritime boundary with Thailand is not clearly defined. On 5 November 2009 Thailand recalled its ambassador from Cambodia in protest of the Cambodian government's appointment of Thai ex-leader Thaksin Shinawatra as an economic adviser.[25] Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva stated that this was "the first diplomatic retaliation measure" against the appointment.[25] He also said that Cambodia was interfering in Thai internal affairs and as a result bi-lateral co-operation agreements would be reviewed.[25] The Cambodian government has stated that it would refuse any extradition request from Thailand for Thaksin as it considered him to be a victim of political persecution.[25]
In the months leading up to the Cambodian decision, troops from both nations had clashed over territory claimed by both countries immediately adjacent to Cambodia's Preah Vihear temple, leading to a deterioration in relations.[25] At 20:30 on 5 November Cambodia announced that it was withdrawing its ambassador from Thailand as a retaliatory measure.[26][27]Sok An, a member of the Council of Ministers and Deputy Prime Minister of Cambodia, said that the appointment of Thaksin is a decision internal to Cambodia and that it "conforms to international practice".[27] The mutual withdrawal of ambassadors is the most severe diplomatic action to have occurred between the two countries.[27]
Thailand has an embassy in Phnom Penh, while Cambodia has an embassy in Bangkok.
Indonesia and Thailand are viewed as natural allies.[29]
Indonesia is Thailand's third most important trade partner within ASEAN, with bilateral trade worth $8.7 billion in 2007.[30] Trade between the two countries is set to grow over the years.
Following the military takeover of the government in Thailand in May 2014, Indonesia supports the restoration of democracy in Thailand. Indonesia urged the military and civilian elements in Thailand to work together to quickly restore the political situation in Thailand.[31]
In some respects, Thailand can be seen as a greater threat to Laos's independence than Vietnam because of its closer cultural affinity, its easier access, and its control over the railroad and highway routes to the sea. The Mekong River, which both sides have an interest in making a "river of true peace and friendship" — as their respective prime ministers called for in 1976 – also provides a north–south artery during the rainy season.[33]
Thailand has an embassy in Kuala Lumpur, and consulate-general offices in George Town and Kota Bharu. Malaysia maintains an embassy in Bangkok. Recently, Thai-Malay relations have soured considerably due to the ethnically Malay Pattani separatists in three southern provinces of Thailand. There have been claims by some Thai politicians that certain parties in Malaysia has taken an interest in the cause of their opponents in the war, which is vehemently disputed by the latter.
Thailand is one of the Philippines' major trading partners and one of the Philippines' rice suppliers. Relations continue to be strengthened through talks and agreements on economic, security, and cultural matters including concerns on rice trading, and combatting drugs and human trafficking.
Thailand has an embassy in Manila and an honorary consulate in Cebu.[36]
Bilateral relations between the two nations formally date to 1965, when Thailand established diplomatic relations soon after the independence of Singapore.
Diplomatic relations between the two countries have existed since 1976, and are very friendly both economically and politically nowadays.[41] Yet, relations between the two countries had always been marred by discord, which resulted from bitter rivalry to gain control of the area of what is today Laos and Cambodia.
In the 19th century, Thailand (then known as Siam) had fought a series of wars with the Nguyễn dynasty which then ruled over Vietnam over control of Cambodia. This rivalry will only temporarily subside when French colonists stepped in and gradually building an establishment in Southeast Asia, known as French Indochina.
In 1979, when the Khmer Rouge government in neighbouring Cambodia was toppled, this had raised concerns in Thailand and the Thai government quickly allied itself with the Khmer Rouge, later the CGDK, in fear of Vietnamese expansionism. In fact, Thailand was foremost among the ASEAN, of which it is part of, in opposing the Vietnamese invasion of Cambodia.
Cambodian refugees soon stayed at border camps straddling the Thai-Cambodian border, and these camps are often controlled by the Khmer Rouge or the CGDK. In the years that followed, Vietnam launched a series of raids on the camps and Vietnamese troops often penetrated into Thai territory and shelled Thai border villages and towns.
Historically, Bahrain and Thailand shared mutual common of historical civilizations developed in both countries.[42]
Since the 1990s, Thailand and Bahrain signed a major framework on economic cooperation, thus effectively making them important economic partners.[43] Today, Thailand is a major investor in Bahrain.
In March 2019, Bahraini Prime Minister and Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa, during his participation in the Thai Culture and Food Festival held in capital Manama, praised Thailand and expressed wish to promote the relations.[42]
Relations are considered close and cordial and have made strides to improve trade and investment between the two countries. Diplomatic relations were established on 5 October 1972 and Thailand opened its embassy in 1974 followed by Bangladesh setting up their own in Bangkok in the following year. The first visit between the two countries was President Ziaur Rahman's visit to Thailand in 1979 followed by Prime Minister Prem Tinsulanonda in 1983. Other Heads of States like Ershad visited in 1985, 1988 and 1990 and Thaksin Shinawatra in July and December 2002 and January 2004. Thailand is a key country in Bangladesh's "Look East" policy and relations have begun to increase and diversify into different areas.
They seek not to intervene in each other's internal matters as shown by their response to the events occurring in their own respective countries in 2006 such as the 2006 Thai coup d'état and 2006–2008 Bangladeshi political crisis. Both have considerable cooperation in summits organised by BIMSTEC and the ASEAN regional forum. Upper class and upper middle class Bangladeshis often go to Thailand for medical treatment and operations that the country's medical infrastructure cannot provide.
Thailand established diplomatic relations with the PRC on 1 July 1975. It remains as a key regional ally of China, with growing cooperation between both countries.[47][48][49][50][51]
For an evaluation of Sino-Siamese relations, see Siamese Inter-State Relations in the Late Nineteenth Century: From An Asian Regional Perspective.[52]
On 27 April 2017, Hong Kong Chief Executive CY Leung met Thai Deputy Prime Minister Somkid Jatusripitak at Government House, Hong Kong. They exchanged views on Hong Kong's free trade agreement negotiations with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.[53]
Diplomatic relations between India and Thailand were established in 1947, soon after India gained independence. Thailand maintains three diplomatic posts in India: in Mumbai, in New Delhi, and in Calcutta. India maintains an embassy in Bangkok and a consulate-general in Chiang Mai.
The end of the Cold War led to a significant enhancement in the substance and pace of bilateral interactions. Indian Look East policy from 1993 and Thailand's Look West policy since 1996 set the stage for a substantive consolidation of bilateral relations. The past few years since 2001 have witnessed growing warmth, increasing economic and commercial links, exchange of high-level visits on both sides, and the signing of a large number of Agreements leading to a further intensification of relations. Thailand and India are cooperating in various multilateral fora like India's dialogue partnership with ASEAN, the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF), and the East Asia Summit, the sub-regional grouping BIMSTEC involving Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Myanmar, Nepal and Bhutan, and trilateral transport linkages with Thailand, Myanmar and India. India is a member of the Asia Cooperation Dialogue (ACD) initiated by Thailand in 2002 and of the Mekong–Ganga Cooperation (MGC), a group of six countries.
Relations between the two countries began when visits of Persian diplomatic delegations to Siam are attested as early as 1685.[54] Indo-Persians made up the largest group of Muslims from the 16th to 18th centuries. Influential Persian families like the Bunnag dominated Thai courts for some time.[citation needed]
Israel and Thailand have had official relations since June 1954. The Israeli embassy in Bangkok was established in 1958.[56] Since 1996, Thailand has had an embassy in Tel Aviv.[57] After the floods in 2011, Israel sent water management experts to Thailand. Princess Chulabhorn Mahidol is involved in advancing scientific cooperation between the two countries. The Thai ambassador to Israel is Jukr Boon-Long.[58]
Japan has become a key trading partner and foreign investor for Thailand. Japan is Thailand's largest supplier, followed by the United States. Since 2005, the rapid ramp-up in export of automobiles of Japanese makes (esp. Toyota, Nissan, Isuzu) has helped to dramatically improve the trade balance, with over 1 million cars produced last year. As such, Thailand has joined the ranks of the world's top ten automobile exporting nations. In 2007, a Japan–Thailand Economic Partnership Agreement was signed, aiming at free trade between the two countries after a transition period of 10 years.
Thailand has an embassy in Tokyo and consulates-general in Osaka and Fukuoka.
Japan has an embassy in Bangkok and a consulate-general in Chiang Mai.
Both countries established diplomatic relations on 1 October 1958. The year 2008 is the 50th year of bilateral relations with two nations. During the Korean War, Thailand was the second nation sending troops for supporting South Korea just after the United States. In October 2003, South Korea president Roh Moo-hyun visited Thailand while Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra went to Seoul in November 2005.[60] South Korean is the 10th largest trade partner, which is about to reach the scale of 10 billion dollars.[61]
Both countries established diplomatic relations in 1980. Their cooperation mainly revolves around tourism and energy.[68]
According to the Thailand Labour Ministry, in 2017 there were 1,188 Thai citizens working in Qatar, and were mainly concentrated in the massage services industry and the construction industry.[69]
Relations Saudi Arabia and Thailand were established in 1957 and hundreds of thousands of Thais went to Saudi Arabia to work.[70] However, relations have been severely strained for the past 20 years due to fallout from the Blue Diamond Affair. Diplomatic missions were downgraded to chargé d'affaires level and the number of Thai workers in Saudi Arabia plummeted.[70] Saudi Arabia does not issue working visas for Thais and discourages its citizens from visiting the country.
On January 26, 2022, both countries announced they restored full diplomatic relations and would appoint ambassadors.[71]
Thailand has an embassy in Riyadh and a consulate-general in Jeddah.
In 2009, Thailand and Peru signed a free trade agreement calling for elimination of tariffs on 70% of 5,000 items listed in the agreement. Thailand imports tin and fish from Peru. Peru imports auto parts, electrical appliances, and clothes from Thailand.[83]
Thailand has had relations with the United States since 1833. In 2003, the United States designated Thailand as a major non-NATO ally, which grants Thailand many financial and military benefits derived from the United States.
See Thailand-Russia relationsPresident Putin with former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra before the start of the APEC Summit in 2003
The Soviet Union and Thailand established diplomatic relations with each other on 12 March 1941; Thailand recognised Russian Federation as the successor to Soviet Union on 28 December 1991. Russia has an embassy in Bangkok and two honorary consulates in Phuket and Pattaya. Thailand has an embassy in Moscow and two honorary consulates in Saint Petersburg and Vladivostok.
In 1917 the modern Siamese kingdom declared war on Germany during World War I, which secured it a seat at the Versailles Peace Conference. Foreign Minister Devawongse Varopakarn used this as an opportunity to argue for the repeal of the 19th century treaties and restoration of full Siamese sovereignty. While Britain and France delayed until 1925, the United States obliged in 1920. Following the outbreak of World War II, relations with Britain, France and the United States deteriorated rapidly – though former Queen Rambai Barni was nominal head of the Seri Thai resistance movement in Great Britain. Japan allowed Thailand to resume sovereignty over the sultanates of northern Malaya that had been lost in the 1909 treaty with Britain, and to invade and annex the Shan States in northern Burma. After the Japanese surrender, Allied military responsibility for Thailand fell to the British, who favoured treating the kingdom as a defeated enemy. Americans, however, supported Thailand's new government; during the Cold War relations with the United Kingdom took a back seat to those with the United States.
↑ "Bilateral Relations". Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the People's Republic of China. 23 October 2003. Archived from the original on 23 July 2011. Retrieved 12 June 2010.
↑ Koizumi, Junko (3 April 2008). "Siamese Inter-State Relations in the Late Nineteenth Century: From An Asian Regional Perspective"(PDF). Taiwan Journal of Southeast Asian Studies. pp.5 (1):65–92. Archived from the original(PDF) on 8 July 2011. Retrieved 12 June 2010. This article examines the Siamese inter-state relations since the mid-19th century by placing them within the wider regional contexts of "East Asia." After the conclusion of the Treaty of Friendship and Commerce with the British in 1855 and the gradual colonization of mainland Southeast Asia toward the 1880s, it is generally understood that Siamese diplomatic relations with its neighboring countries were replaced with relations with the colonial powers. However, Thai archival records suggest that there existed continuous negotiations between Siam and other Asian countries, particularly China, and that such relations still constituted an important part of Siamese diplomacy after 1855.
Busbarat, Pongphisoot. "Thailand's foreign policy towards neighbouring countries and ASEAN." in Routledge Handbook of Contemporary Thailand (Routledge, 2019) pp.431–446.
Chachavalpongpun, Pavin. Reinventing Thailand: Thaksin and his foreign policy (Institute of Southeast Asian Studies, 2010).
Chambers, Paul, and Poowin Bunyavejchewin. "Thailand's foreign economic policy toward mainland Southeast Asia." (2019). onlineArchived 10 November 2022 at the Wayback Machine
Guan, Ang Cheng. Southeast Asia's cold war: An interpretive history (U of Hawaii Press, 2018).
Klein, Ira. "Salisbury, Rosebery, and the Survival of Siam." Journal of British Studies 8.1 (1968): 119-139. in 1890s
Suwannathat-Pian, Kobkua. Thai-Malay relations: traditional intra-regional relations from the seventeenth to the early twentieth centuries (Oxford University Press, USA, 1988).
Theeravit, Khien. "Thailand: An Overview of Politics and Foreign Relations." Southeast Asian Affairs (1979): 299-311. online
Theeravit, Khien. "Thai-Kampuchean Relations: Problems and Prospects." Asian Survey, 22#6 1982, pp.561–576. online for Cambodia
Zawacki, Benjamin. Thailand: Shifting ground between the U.S. and a rising China (2nd ed. . Bloomsbury, 2021).
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