US battling to swing Thailand away from China

[webfact]

A busy street in Bangkok's Chinatown. Thailand and China have relations and connections going back centuries. Photo: WikiCommons

 

Chinese submarines and American stealth fighter jets are both on the menu for Thailand’s military-aligned government

By RICHARD S EHRLICH

 

NONG KHAI, Thailand – You can see China’s inexorable southern thrust along the Mekong River where tall, fanciful, Chinese buildings sprout on the Laos side of this sleepy northern border, sparking hopes and fears about Beijing’s influence and intent in Thailand.

 

The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) chief’s recent visit to Bangkok amid a flurry of lucrative US military and business deals may lure Thailand back toward the US and away from China in the future, but the rivalry is heating up.

 

“Thailand has been leaning toward China, and away from the US, for two decades,” said Benjamin Zawacki, the Bangkok-based American author of Thailand: Shifting Ground Between the US and a Rising China.

 

Full story: https://asiatimes.com/2022/01/us-battling-to-swing-thailand-away-from-china/

 

-- © Copyright ASIA TIMES 2022-02-01

 

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[Soikhaonoiken]

Yes,, the US can see what China is doing to Thailand, and its future intentions... 

[ChC1]

Judging from the history in 20th Century, I somehow feel that a certain country will be the wrong side of the history again. It is an obvious choice for many. But for the certain country, it is almost like it feels the answer is too obvious and then it will think outside the common sense and make the wrong choice. I sincerely hope this certain country can see through the tricks (submarine) and bribes (High speed rail) and comes to its senses.

[daveAustin]

53 minutes ago, webfact said:

“Thailand has been leaning toward China, and away from the US, for two decades,” said Benjamin Zawacki, the Bangkok-based American author of Thailand: Shifting Ground Between the US and a Rising China.

Apologies if sounds racist, but a lot of mandarin blood in Thai leaders' veins perhaps... coupled with the promise of easy coin. Bung em a few billion Joe boy; the current Thai 'administration' sucks giant monkey b***s but at least it is not complete Sino-style totalitarianism... just yet!

[talahtnut]

Amrican hegemony is withering throughout the world,

trust in the US admin and its MSM lies is at an all time low.

Say hello to the WEF and China. 

[Pique Dard]

1 hour ago, webfact said:

“Thailand has been leaning toward China, and away from the US, for two decades,”

well! isn't normal? there is an ocean between thailand  and the US, so thailand can't lean on the US without drowning!

[steven100]

Thai-Chinese DNA goes back 1000's of years.    Thailand will side with China as history shows. 

 

Are Thai descendants of Chinese?

What are considered modern-day Thai people today actually emigrated from China into Thailand a long time ago. Between the 8th and 10th centuries, the Tai people — that's descendants of those who spoke a common Tai language — migrated from China down throughout Southeast Asia, with many settling in Thailand.

[Paulaew]

Thailand played off the British and the French in the 19th century and managed to retain their independence. It looks like they are trying to do the same with China and the USA. They let both sides offer their inducements and they take the ones that seem to work for Thailand.

 

Whether Thailand can walk this tightrope successfully again remains to be seen. Thailand's biggest problem may be a looming demographic crunch that will prevent them from developing their economy.

 

Paul Laew

[RichardColeman]

Well, they'll have problems making a connecting train for the two countries !

[Guest Isaanlife]

USA ONLY see's Thailand as a strategic, geographic staging location in the event of War in South East Asia.

 

Other than that, they could care less.

 

 

[Joe Farang]

Neither the US nor China have Thailands best interests in what they want.

Thailand is correct to try use both for the benefit of Thailand and keep both at a distance where it's not.

[SiamAndy]

Do you really think Bumbling Joe and his administration can sway them? If anything, he'll drive them further away!

[jacko45k]

Judging by the noise of firecrackers all yesterday I suspect they are losing this....

[RichardColeman]

56 minutes ago, Isaanlife said:

USA ONLY see's Thailand as a strategic, geographic staging location in the event of War in South East Asia.

well, that and a sailors end away station

[Andycoops]

Probably too late, lost years under the vile Trump with Yankee first nonsense.

Besides the corrupt here like doing business with the equally corrupt CCP as it makes for a cosy arrangement where they all benefit and aren't scrutinized as the commies transparency is like looking into a black hole.

[OneMoreFarang]

Currently the USA is more or less a failed state. They are divided like (almost) never before and it doesn't look that that will change anytime soon. Nobody can rely on the USA because some of their politicians are unpredictable. And it seems about 70 million Americans want more of that lying traitor.

The USA has so many problem that they need decades to solve their own problems - if they want to do that.

It makes no sense for Thailand to rely on such an unpredictable country.

 

Obviously China is also far away from perfect.

[Tarteso]

4 hours ago, webfact said:

Thailand back toward the US and away from China in the future

Waiting for Anutin’s answer..????

[aarontendo]

I actually wish we would back off our whole "pivot to Asia" and to a large extent treaties we have with other nations.  If China wants to roll SEA then that's a UN issue not ours.  Oops, well those are our troops so we won't be helping there.  Have fun getting your salad tossed by Mao 2.0 up in Beijing.

[aarontendo]

2 hours ago, Isaanlife said:

USA ONLY see's Thailand as a strategic, geographic staging location in the event of War in South East Asia.

 

Other than that, they could care less.

 

 

Yeah I get ya, and I'd like to see that end.  Do me a favor though, and this goes for a lot of people here. I see a lot of "boohoo more Chinese coming, they don't like us farangs anymore here...why don't they like us..." Yeah, don't expect that to get any better for y'all when Thailand becomes cozier to China.  Guess the phrase here is som nom na right?

[Guest Isaanlife]

10 minutes ago, aarontendo said:

Yeah I get ya, and I'd like to see that end.  Do me a favor though, and this goes for a lot of people here. I see a lot of "boohoo more Chinese coming, they don't like us farangs anymore here...why don't they like us..." Yeah, don't expect that to get any better for y'all when Thailand becomes cozier to China.  Guess the phrase here is som nom na right?

It's been that way since the Vietnam War. 

 

Ever wonder why Thai's can go to the USA and get everything, yet farang's here get nothing reciprocated?

 

Thailand politicians are all about the money.

 

They will only get in bed with countries they know they can get away with it.

 

Why else do you see so much military junk instead of the best US technology and equipment?

[Guest Isaanlife]

1 hour ago, OneMoreFarang said:

Currently the USA is more or less a failed state. They are divided like (almost) never before and it doesn't look that that will change anytime soon. Nobody can rely on the USA because some of their politicians are unpredictable. And it seems about 70 million Americans want more of that lying traitor.

The USA has so many problem that they need decades to solve their own problems - if they want to do that.

It makes no sense for Thailand to rely on such an unpredictable country.

 

Obviously China is also far away from perfect.

You obviously have no clue how Thailand operates.

 

The USA uses Thailand a geographic staging area only in the event of war in South East Asia, since the Vietnam War. Other than that, the USA could give a <deleted> what happens in Thailand. Ever wonder why everything Thai's get in the USA is not reciprocated in Thailand?

 

The Thai politician's could give a <deleted> what happens to their country because they all own houses in first world countries where their spoiled brat kids go to expensive first world schools.

 

Thai politicians are in it for the money and only the money. To enrich themselves while the country goes down the drain.

 

Did you know Thailand has more billionaire politicians than any country in the world? Of course not.

 

Why would a Thai billionaire want to be a politician? To make even more money.

 

Thailand will never rely on any country. Didn't you know? Ask any Thai? They are the greatest of everything in the entire world.

 

But at the end of the day, the politicians will cosy up to whoever they can make the most money from corruption. 

 

Chinese junk submarines, Ukraine armored carriers. Fake bomb scanners. Blimp Air ships. All made politicians filthy rich.

 

Forget investing in education, people, expats.

 

Money buys power, more money buys more power. Sooner or later you have enough money and power that you do not need to rely on any country or anyone.

 

If you think Thailand will ever rely on any country for anything other that politician corruption money, you have no idea about Thailand.

 

Thai politicians will sell Thailand out, while the Chinese buy banks, properties and everything of value. 

 

When they have enough money, these Thai politician's will be living in YOUR country where you, yourself cannot even afford to live.

 

This is the way the real world works.

 

 

 

 

 

[mtls2005]

Cobra Gold 2022

 

February 22 - March 5

 

 

 

 

[JonnyF]

Thailand has much more in common with China than with the USA.

 

Many of Thailand's leaders have Chinese ancestry, they both have little concern for human rights, they share business practices such as widespread corruption on g2g deals, they both love ruling by force and rolling out the tanks on the populace when required.

 

The US has no chance - especially with the current government/President. Too busy preaching about pronouns, micro aggressions and Ultra Wokeness to actually achieve anything of note on the international scene (apart from sending Iraq into chaos by withdrawing troops overnight of course). 

 

**edited for typo not content

Edited February 1, 2022 by JonnyF

[1duckyboy]

To the highest bidder until the nest highest bidder comes along.

[OneMoreFarang]

24 minutes ago, JonnyF said:

The US has no chance - especially with the current government/President. Too busy preaching about pronouns, micro aggressions and Ultra Wokeness to actually achieve anything of note on the international scene (apart from sending Iraq into chaos by withdrawing troops overnight of course). 

That was Afghanistan and not Iraq. But then again for some people in the USA that's all the same.

And about that current government/President over there: Obviously he is far away from perfect but look at the alternative lying traitor. 

[mikebell]

2 hours ago, Tarteso said:

Waiting for Anutin’s answer..????

He's made his fortune on Sinovac - so there's a clue.

[Pedrogaz]

The US tears up treaties and deserts their allies in times of need. Go with the Chinese option....at least you will still have the high speed train after the love is gone....with the US, you do them favours that really cost you, they give back nothing except a few military toys that you pay through the nose for.

[RayOday]

57 minutes ago, Isaanlife said:

You obviously have no clue how Thailand operates.

 

The USA uses Thailand a geographic staging area only in the event of war in South East Asia, since the Vietnam War. Other than that, the USA could give a <deleted> what happens in Thailand. Ever wonder why everything Thai's get in the USA is not reciprocated in Thailand?

 

The Thai politician's could give a <deleted> what happens to their country because they all own houses in first world countries where their spoiled brat kids go to expensive first world schools.

 

Thai politicians are in it for the money and only the money. To enrich themselves while the country goes down the drain.

 

Did you know Thailand has more billionaire politicians than any country in the world? Of course not.

 

Why would a Thai billionaire want to be a politician? To make even more money.

 

Thailand will never rely on any country. Didn't you know? Ask any Thai? They are the greatest of everything in the entire world.

 

But at the end of the day, the politicians will cosy up to whoever they can make the most money from corruption. 

 

Chinese junk submarines, Ukraine armored carriers. Fake bomb scanners. Blimp Air ships. All made politicians filthy rich.

 

Forget investing in education, people, expats.

 

Money buys power, more money buys more power. Sooner or later you have enough money and power that you do not need to rely on any country or anyone.

 

If you think Thailand will ever rely on any country for anything other that politician corruption money, you have no idea about Thailand.

 

Thai politicians will sell Thailand out, while the Chinese buy banks, properties and everything of value. 

 

When they have enough money, these Thai politician's will be living in YOUR country where you, yourself cannot even afford to live.

 

This is the way the real world works.

 

 

 

 

 

I have to agree that money is the root of weakneds in the corrupt Thai government. Money and the power to control it are the motivators.

CP Group's vertical integration and cooperation with CCP rubber-stamping their investments in the mainland is a poor example spun as gold.

Most ASEAN Chinese are not from Mandarin speaking China rather Guangdong and Fujian. These are the same populations that occupy Hong Kong and Taiwan (how is that working out?) with the exception of Mandarin speaking refugees that left, mostly from Nanjing and Shanghai, during Mao's effort to crush the KMT. These Chinese speak Guangdonghua (Cantonese), Hakka, and other tribal dialects of Southeast China. The Southeast coast afforded merchants the ability to explore, save themselves from numerous threats, and exploit new markets in what is now ASEAN. Thailand is not alone with the richest Filipinos and Malay Strait countries hailing  from SE China. 

Does anyone think that Rama 9 supported the communists of CCP ideology? (Hmmm CP/CCP) I have no comment on the current government's ideology as money and power dominate as well as a bloated bureaucracy. Many improvements the current government is undertaking will improve the lives of many Thai people and strategically, most likely, cement their hold on power. The Thai people, not someone unqualified as me, can make such forecasts.

Craven interests in lucre and power have taken over, and to some degree, stratified class power and produced legions of corrupt and greedy wannabees. Education, constitution, rule of law, and the minimization of corruption will aid in carrying the country forward. The unintended consequences of playing both sides is useful although in this case I fear it is not just a case of guiding altruism for the Thai people by it's leaders in government and business. The recent upgrades in ASEAN infrastructure and advancing education are empowering. Seeding an unelected government with millionaires and billionaires excludes a diversity of constituents and advances an economic patriarchy of unqualified mini-oligarchs. Corruption, fear and greed are debilitating this nation of great potential. Only my most humble opinion of a historically and strategically complex subject. 

 

 

 

[SunsetT]

5 hours ago, steven100 said:

Thai-Chinese DNA goes back 1000's of years.    Thailand will side with China as history shows. 

 

Are Thai descendants of Chinese?

What are considered modern-day Thai people today actually emigrated from China into Thailand a long time ago. Between the 8th and 10th centuries, the Tai people — that's descendants of those who spoke a common Tai language — migrated from China down throughout Southeast Asia, with many settling in Thailand.

So who was in Thailand before 8th & 10th centuries?

[vandeventer]

4 hours ago, SiamAndy said:

Do you really think Bumbling Joe and his administration can sway them? If anything, he'll drive them further away!

Yes but Sleepy Joe did give us some good vaccines but the Chinese did give us some and charge for many. And it would be nice if we could send them all back to the Chinese with a note to tell them where to stick them.

Edited February 1, 2022 by vandeventer