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Myanmar | Thailand |
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Diplomatic mission | |
Burmese Embassy, Bangkok | Royal Thai Embassy, Yangon |
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Ambassador | Ambassador |
Myanmar–Thailand relations refers to the current and historical relations between Myanmar (also known as Burma) and Thailand. Myanmar has an embassy in Bangkok, while Thailand has an embassy in Yangon. [1] [2] In recent decades, relations between Burma and Thailand focus mainly on economic issues and trade. Burmese-Thai relations have been shaped by a long and complex history, marked by periods of cooperation, conflict, and political maneuvering. Both nations have shared cultural, religious, and geopolitical interests, yet their interactions have often been characterized by rivalry and territorial disputes. There is sporadic conflict between Myanmar and Thailand over three disputed islands. [3]
Thai nationalism plays a significant role in shaping how Thailand views Myanmar. The notion of Thailand as an independent nation-state that resisted foreign domination resonates strongly in Thai nationalism, positioning Burma as a historical aggressor in this narrative. Historic conflicts between Siamese and Burmese kingdoms and the Fall of Ayutthaya in 1767 have contributed to this prevailing view in Thai discourse. Thai cinematic depictions of these historical conflicts, including King Naresuan, Suriyothai , and Bang Rajan, have glorified these conflicts to stimulate patriotism. [4] [5] Damrong Rajanubhab's Our Wars with the Burmese is "responsible for popularizing the image of the Burmese as an enemy of the Thai nation," and has been instrumental in shaping Thai views on the Burmese. [6] In recent years, Thais have begun re-examining their understanding of Thai history in relation to the Burmese. [7]
The Burmese–Siamese war of 1547–1549 was the first of many wars fought between the Burmese of Pegu and the Siamese of Ayutthaya. The war began with an invasion by King Tabinshwehti of the Taungoo Dynasty through the Three Pagodas Pass into Siamese territory, which presaged an attack on the capital city of Ayutthaya itself. The invasion came after a political crisis in Ayutthaya that had ended with the placing of Maha Chakkraphat on the Siamese thrones
The war is notable for the introduction of early modern warfare by Portuguese mercenaries. It is most notable in the history of Thailand for the valiant death in battle of Siamese Queen Suriyothai on her war elephant. As a result, the conflict is often referred to in Thailand as the War that led to the loss of Queen Suriyothai. [8]
The Burmese–Siamese War (1594–1605) was the war caused by the vengeance of Siam towards the Burmese rule. King Naresuan of Ayutthaya was planning to conquer Burma. The war began with Siamese attacks on and occupation of the cities of Tenasserim and Myeik, then proceeded to Toungoo.
The Burmese–Siamese War (1765–1767) was the second military conflict between the Konbaung Dynasty of Burma and the Ban Phlu Luang Dynasty of Siam (Thailand), and the war that ended the four-century-old Siamese kingdom. [9] Nonetheless, the Burmese were soon forced to give up their hard-won gains when the Chinese invasions of their homeland forced a complete withdrawal by the end of 1767. A new Siamese dynasty, to which the current Thai monarchy traces its origin, emerged to reunify Siam by 1770.
This war was the continuation of the war of 1759–1760. The casus belli of this war were also the control of the Tenasserim coast and its trade, and the Siamese support for the rebels in the Burmese border regions. [10] The war began in August 1765 when a 20,000-strong northern Burmese army invaded northern Siam, and was joined in by three southern armies of over 20,000 in October, in a pincer movement on Ayutthaya. By late January 1766, the Burmese armies had overcome numerically superior but poorly coordinated Siamese defences, and converged before the Siamese capital. [9]
The siege of Ayutthaya began during the first Chinese invasion of Burma. The Siamese believed that if they could hold out until the rainy season, the seasonal flooding of the Ayutthayan central plain would force a retreat. But King Hsinbyushin of Burma believed that the Chinese war was a minor border dispute, and decided to continue the siege. During the rainy season of 1766 (June–October), the battle moved to the waters of the flooded plain but failed to change the status quo. [9] When the dry season came, the Chinese launched a much larger invasion but Hsinbyushin still refused to recall the troops. In March 1767, King Ekkathat of Siam offered to become a tributary but the Burmese demanded an unconditional surrender. On 7 April 1767, the Burmese sacked the starving city for the second time in history, committing atrocities that have left a major black mark on Burmese-Thai relations to the present day. Thousands of Siamese captives were relocated to Burma.
The Burmese occupation was short-lived. In November 1767, the Chinese again invaded with their largest force yet, finally convincing Hsinbyushin to withdraw his forces from Siam. In the ensuing Siamese civil war, Taksin's Thonburi forces emerged the sole winner by mid-1770. The Burmese had also defeated a fourth Chinese invasion by December 1769.
By then, a new stalemate had taken hold. Burma had annexed the lower Tenasserim coast but again failed to eliminate Siam as the sponsor of rebellions in her eastern and southern borderlands. In the following years, Hsinbyushin was preoccupied by the Chinese threat, and did not renew the Siamese war until 1775—only after Lan Na had revolted again with Siamese support. The post-Ayutthaya Siamese leadership proved more than capable; they defeated the next two invasions (1775–1776 and 1785–1786), and annexed Lan Na in the process.
Bodawpaya of Burma pursued his ambitious campaigns to expand his dominions. The Burmese-Siamese War (1785–1786) was called “Nine Armies War” by Siam because the Burmese came in nine armies. The armies surged into Lan Na and Northern Siam, yet the governor of Lampang managed to partly halt the Burmese, waiting for the troops from Bangkok. As Phitsanulok was captured, Rama I himself led an army to the north.
In the south, Bodawpaya was waiting at Three Pagodas Pass. The Front Palace led his troops to the south the counter-attacked the Burmese came from Ranong through Nakhon Si Thammarat and the engagements occurred at Kanchanaburi. The Burmese also attacked Thalang (Phuket), where to governor had just died. Chan, wife of the governor, and her sister Mook gathered people to defend Thalang against the Burmese. Today,[ when? ] Chan and Mook are revered as two heroines opposing the Burmese invasions.
The Burmese proceeded to capture Songkhla. Upon hearing the news, the governors of Phatthalung fled. However, a monk named Phra Maha encouraged the citizens to turn up their arms against the Burmese. Phra Maha was later raised to nobility by Rama I.
As his armies were destroyed, Bodawpaya retreated, only to renew attacks the next year (1786). Bodawpaya, this time, didn't divide his troops but instead formed into single army. Bodawpaya passed through the Chedi Sam Ong and settled in Ta Din Dang. The Front Palace marched the Siamese forces to face Bodawpaya. The fighting was very short and Bodawpaya was quickly defeated. This short war was called “Ta Din Dang campaign”.
In the 19th century, Burma became a colony of the British Empire. This prevented any Burmese-Siamese conflict.
In 1942, Thailand sent the Phayap Army to occupy the Shan State and Kayah State of Burma. The principal objective of the army commander was to procure opium. Diplomatic relations were established in 1948.
Recently, Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva made clear that dialogue encouraging political change is a priority for Thailand, but not through economic sanctions. He also made clear to reconstruct temples damaged in the aftermath of Cyclone Nargis. [11] However, there were tensions over detained opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi, with Thailand calling for her release. [12] She was released in 2010. [13]
As of 2020 [update] , sovereignty over three Andaman Sea islands remains disputed. The standing agreement, negotiated in February 1982, left undetermined the status of Ginga Island (Ko Lam), Ko Kham, and Ko Ki Nok at the mouth of the Kraburi River (Pakchan River). Subsequent negotiations in 1985, 1989, and 1990 made no progress. The two parties have designated the islands as "no man's land". Ongoing tensions in the area resulted in minor clashes in 1998, 2001, 2003, and 2013. [3]
The 2010–2012 Myanmar border clashes were a series of ongoing skirmishes between the Myanmar Armed Forces (Tatmadaw) and splinter brigades of the Democratic Karen Buddhist Army (DKBA). The clashes erupted along the border with Thailand shortly after the general election on 7 November 2010. [14] An estimated 10,000 refugees fled into nearby neighbouring Thailand to escape the violent conflict. [15] There was concern that, due to discontent with the elections and speculations of electoral fraud, that the conflict could escalate into a civil war. [16]
In 2018, Senior General Min Aung Hlaing received the Knight Grand Cross First Class of the Most Exalted Order of the White Elephant, after being nominated by King Maha Vajiralongkorn. [17]
Both Thailand and Myanmar have been in chaos due to protests (2020–2021 Thai protests and 2021 Myanmar protests) against the military juntas in both countries; there has been solidarity between Thai and Burmese protesters. [18] However, while Thai protests, despite its significance, is mostly peaceful, the Burmese protests were met with brutal repression. [19] [20] [21] [22] The Thai government, led by a former General himself, is accused of helping the Tatmadaw to maintain power in Myanmar, which was denied. [23] At the same time, Burmese refugees have been flowing to Thailand, creating a border crisis and fear of COVID-19 spikes, in which the Thai government was also accused of trying to drive the refugees away, despite having guaranteed not to turn away the refugees. [24] [25] [26]
Thailand was a key ally of the junta with former Prime Minister of Thailand Prayut Chan-o-cha using back-channel contacts in mid-2021 to shape Thailand's diplomatic options, especially as it related to ASEAN. [27] [28] In 30 June 2022, when the Myanmar Air Force allegedly violated Thai airspace, Thailand scrambled a defense attache. Later, Prayuth said that the incident was "not a big deal." [29] After the 2023 Thai general election, the new Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin has shown support for the military's Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement urging all parties in Myanmar to stay on the path for peace and stability. [30]
Hsinbyushin was king of the Konbaung dynasty of Burma (Myanmar) from 1763 to 1776. The second son of the dynasty founder Alaungpaya is best known for his wars with Qing China and Siam, and is considered the most militaristic king of the dynasty. His successful defense against four Qing invasions preserved Burmese independence. His 1765 invasion of Ayutthaya brought an end to the Ayutthaya Kingdom. The near simultaneous victories over Qing and Siam has been referred to as testimony "to a truly astonishing elan unmatched since Bayinnaung." He also raised the Shwedagon Pagoda to its current height in April 1775.
Maharurasinghanat, Prince of Front Palace (Thai: สมเด็จพระบวรราชเจ้ามหาสุรสิงหนาท; RTGS: Somdet Phra Boworaratchao Mahasurasinghanat was the younger brother of King Rama I, the first monarch of the Chakri dynasty of Siam. As an Ayutthayan general, he fought alongside his brother in various campaigns against Burmese invaders and the local warlords. When his brother crowned himself as the king of Siam at Bangkok in 1781, he was appointed the Front Palace or Maha Uparaj, the title of the heir. During the reign of his brother, he was known for his important role in the campaigns against Bodawpaya of Burma.
The Burmese–Siamese War (1785–1786), known as the Nine Armies' Wars in Siamese history because the Burmese came in nine armies, was the first war between the Konbaung dynasty of Burma and the Siamese Rattanakosin Kingdom of the Chakri dynasty.
The Tha Din Daeng campaign was a short conflict, occurring in 1786 in Tha Din Daeng, now in Kanchanaburi Province in western Thailand. The belligerents were King Bodawpaya of the Burmese Konbaung Dynasty, against Phraphutthayotfa Chulalok and Maha Sura Singhanat of the Rattanakosin Kingdom.
Maha Chakkraphat was king of the Ayutthaya kingdom from 1548 to 1564 and 1568 to 1569. Originally called Prince Thianracha, or Prince Tien, he was put on the throne by Khun Phiren Thorathep and his supporters of the Sukhothai clan, who had staged a coup by killing the usurper King Worawongsathirat and Si Sudachan.
Mahinthrathirat was king of Ayutthaya 1564 to 1568 and again in 1569. He ruled his first reign as a vassal of Toungoo Burma before restoring his father in 1568 as the sovereign king. He became king again in 1569 after his father's death during the Third Siege of Ayutthaya by Toungoo forces. Mahinthrathirat was the last monarch of the Suphannaphum Dynasty as the kingdom fell to the Burmese in 1569. Mahinthrathirat was known for his efforts to counter Burmese and Phitsanulok power by seeking alliance with Setthathirath of Lan Xang.
Maha Thiha Thura was commander-in-chief of the Burmese military from 1768 to 1776. Regarded as a brilliant military strategist, the general is best known in Burmese history for defeating the Chinese invasions of Burma (1765–1769). He rose to be a top commander in the service of King Alaungpaya during the latter's reunification campaigns of Burma (1752–1759), and later commanded Burmese armies in Siam, Lan Na, Luang Prabang (Laos), and Manipur.
The Burmese–Siamese War (1547–1549), also known as the Shwehti war was the first war fought between the Toungoo dynasty of Burma and the Ayutthaya Kingdom of Siam, and the first of the Burmese–Siamese wars that would continue until the middle of the 19th century. The war is notable for the introduction of early modern warfare to the region. It is also notable in Thai history for the death in battle of Siamese Queen Suriyothai on her war elephant; the conflict is often referred to in Thailand as the War that Led to the Loss of Queen Suriyothai (สงครามคราวเสียสมเด็จพระสุริโยไท).
The Sino-Burmese War, also known as the Qing invasions of Burma or the Myanmar campaign of the Qing dynasty, was a war fought between the Qing dynasty of China and the Konbaung dynasty of Burma (Myanmar). China under the Qianlong Emperor launched four invasions of Burma between 1765 and 1769, which were considered one of his Ten Great Campaigns. Nonetheless, the war, which claimed the lives of over 70,000 Chinese soldiers and four commanders, is sometimes described as "the most disastrous frontier war that the Qing dynasty had ever waged", and one that "assured Burmese independence". Burma's successful defense laid the foundation for the present-day boundary between the two countries.
Ne Myo Thihapate, also spelled Nemyo Thihapte and Nemiao Sihabodi, was a general in the Royal Burmese Army of Konbaung Dynasty of Burma (Myanmar). The general is best known for conquering the Ayutthaya Kingdom, along with Gen. Maha Nawrahta, in April 1767.
Ekkathat or Borommoracha III or King of Suriyamarin Throne Hall was the 6th monarch of the Ban Phlu Luang dynasty, the 33rd and the last monarch of Ayutthaya Kingdom, ruling from 1758 to 7 April 1767, prior to the fall of Ayutthaya. Moreover, he was called by the people in his time as "King Khiruean", which meant "the king with skin disease," due to his chloasma.
The Burmese–Siamese War (1759–1760) or Alaungpaya's War was the military conflict between the Konbaung dynasty of Burma (Myanmar) and the Ban Phlu Luang Dynasty of the Ayutthaya Kingdom of Siam, in which the Burmese forces under King Alaungpaya of the Konbaung dynasty invaded Siam. After about a century of relative hiatus of Burmese–Siamese conflicts, this war reignited the new round of military conflicts between Burma and Siam that would last for about a century to come.
The Burmese–Siamese War of 1765–1767, also known as the war of the second fall of Ayutthaya was the second military conflict between Burma under the Konbaung dynasty and Ayutthaya Kingdom under the Siamese Ban Phlu Luang dynasty that lasted from 1765 until 1767, and the war that ended the 417-year-old Ayutthaya Kingdom.
The Burmese–Siamese War (1584–1593), also known as the Nandric War(Burmese: နန္ဒဘုရင်စစ်ပွဲ), was a war fought between the Toungoo dynasty of Burma and the Ayutthaya Kingdom of Siam. This war led Ayutthaya out of Burmese vassalship. This war was notable for the duel between King Naresuan and the Burmese Crown-Prince, Mingyi Swa. This war freed Siam from further Burmese domination for 174 years until 1767 when King Hsinbyushin invaded Siam, which resulted in the end of Ayutthaya rule.
The Burmese–Siamese War (1809–1812) or the Burmese Invasion of Thalang was an armed conflict fought between Burma under Konbaung dynasty and Siam under the Chakri dynasty, during the period of June 1809 and January 1812. The war centered on the control of the Phuket Island, also known as Thalang or Junk Ceylon, and the tin rich Andaman Coast. The war also involved the Kedah Sultanate. This occasion was the last Burmese offensive expedition into Siamese territories in Thai history, with British acquisition of the Tenasserim Coast in 1826, following the First Anglo-Burmese War, removing several hundred miles of the existing land border between Siam and Burma. The war also left Phuket devastated and depopulated for many decades until its reemergence as a tin mining center in the late 19th century.
The Burmese–Siamese War (1775–1776) or Maha Thiha Thura's Invasion of Siam or Athi Wungyi's War was a major military conflict between the Konbaung dynasty of Burma and the Thonburi Kingdom of Siam.
The Burmese–Siamese War (1792–1794) or the Siamese Invasion of Tavoy was the conflict between the Kingdom of Burma under Konbaung dynasty and the Kingdom of Siam under the Chakri dynasty over the town of Tavoy and the Tenasserim Coast.
The siege of Ayutthaya in 1766–1767, also known as the Fall of Ayutthaya and Sack of Ayutthaya, was a part of the Burmese–Siamese War (1765–1767), in which King Hsinbyushin of the Burmese Konbaung dynasty sent his generals Maha Nawrahta and Ne Myo Thihapate to conquer the Siamese Kingdom of Ayutthaya. After conquering and subjugating Siamese peripheral cities, the two Burmese invading columns converged onto and reached the royal city of Ayutthaya in January 1766. Unable to halt Burmese advances at the frontiers, the Siamese were obliged to take defensive positions in the Ayutthaya citadel.
The Tavoy campaign of 1788 was a conflict between the Kingdom of Burma under Konbaung dynasty and the Kingdom of Siam under the Chakri dynasty over the town of Tavoy and the Tenasserim Coast.
Bangkaeo Campaign or the Battle of Bangkaeo was a military conflict between Burma under the Konbaung dynasty and the Siamese Thonburi Kingdom under King Taksin in February–April 1775, in which Maha Thiha Thura, the Burmese commander, sent an expeditionary force to invade Western Siam through the Three Pagodas Pass. The Burmese stationed at Bangkaeo in modern Ratchaburi Province. King Taksin ordered the Siamese armies to completely encircle the Burmese at Bangkaeo, resulting in the starvation and defeat of the Burmese at Bangkaeo.