Will Thailand have to get involved in the South China Sea tensions?

[webfact]

File photo

 

The senior diplomats have been flying around Asia this month as China ramped up its muscles with a huge display of military hardware close to Taiwan.

 

This was at a time when Nancy Pelosi an American politician serving as speaker of the United States House of Representatives decided to pay a visit on the President of Taiwan.

 

Some would say her timing was not helpful, however, tensions have been rumbling in the region for some time.

 

Apart from China declaring they want to reclaim Taiwan, there have also been several conflicts in the South China Sea involving Vietnamese and Filipinos commercial vessels being stopped by Chinese navy gunboats.

 

File photo

The Philippines has been told it needs to foster long-term cooperation with like-minded nations to protect its strategic interests and become a "constructive" player in the region amid a rapidly changing geopolitical landscape, a political analyst from the Stratbase ADR Institute said this week.

Sounds like the superpowers are ganging up to set up alliances and in the Philippine’s case, they are the piggy in the middle of this potentially delicate situation.

It is not surprising that although China has re-opened talks with the Marcos government over investments, that the US sent its top diplomat to Manila.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken was the first major overseas top diplomat to actually sit down and hold serious talks with the newly elected President.

Bangkok Visit

Meanwhile, Blinken attended the G20 Foreign Minister in Indonesia and came to Bangkok for meetings with the Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-ocha.

They had met previously in Washington back in May. 

 

The message posted by the US Department of State stated how important it was to push our cooperation, not only between Thailand and the United States but between ASEAN and the United States, into tangible cooperation in areas such as public health and climate change, as well. 

 

The two countries signed a Communiqué on the Strategic Alliance and Partnership between the two countries.

Bangkok will be hosting the APEC Economic Leaders Meeting later in the year and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is due to attend.

China has also confirmed that President Xi Jinping will visit Thailand for the APEC summit in November.

This will be the first time President Xi has been to Thailand.

Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-ocha is keen to chair this prestigious meeting maybe before he is forced to step down from office.

Meanwhile if US China relations don’t improve the Thai government like the Philippine government will have to decide if they can continue to stay neutral for much longer.

 

-- © Copyright  ASEAN NOW 2022-08-22

 

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[Jerno]

Will Thailand get involved...?  Of course not!  When there's been past armed conflicts and (many) wars, Thailand has never picked sides. Have never sent Military to aid any other country during wars.  Can't even admit or commit to the undeniable fact that Putin/Russia is a barbaric aggressor and totally wrong invading Ukraine.  

[Soikhaonoiken]

Thailand will sit on the fence yet again, and certainly won't be upsetting China...

[Thunglom]

Thailand is already "involved" - in any trade war or conflict Thailand will be used by one side or the other as a base - this has been thecae for the past 100 years or even more.

Thailand currently is having a dalliance with China and getting new railways and roads from the deal....perhaps not so good when it comes to paying off loans etc which will put them in debt to china.

 

Essentially China's extension is trade-based but it seems the Xi is getting more and more dictatorial in his dotage and this could lead to serious problems for Thailand

They have USE, European and JAnaese industries here in big numbers - they also have Taiwanese factories - if China polarises the situation, Thailand could have serious economic repercussions.

[Thailand]

Not if they can help it!

[2baht]

2 hours ago, webfact said:

This will be the first time President Xi has been to Thailand.

It will be interesting to watch them bow to the Emperor! ☹️

[grain]

1 hour ago, Jerno said:

Will Thailand get involved...?  Of course not!  When there's been past armed conflicts and (many) wars, Thailand has never picked sides. Have never sent Military to aid any other country during wars.  Can't even admit or commit to the undeniable fact that Putin/Russia is a barbaric aggressor and totally wrong invading Ukraine.  

Not quite correct. Thailand certainly picked sides in WW2 and sided with the Axis and a declaration of war was sent to the USA. There were also Thai troops fighting in Vietnam. And I read long ago that some Siamese troops were fighting in Europe during WW1, from memory they were attached to the French Indo-China colonial forces.

[Geoffggi]

Will Thailand have to get involved in the South China Sea tensions?

 

Only if there is no other way to dodge getting involved - Dual standards being the stumbling block ......................LOL

[wombat]

No more than other conflicts where it's been the R&R center 

[LomSak27]

2 hours ago, webfact said:

Meanwhile if US China relations don’t improve the Thai government like the Philippine government will have to decide if they can continue to stay neutral for much longer.

Thailand has not been neutral for a long time, although it likes to pretend it is.  

[Rampant Rabbit]

huh

[Moonfire]

When there was the iron curtain the rail road tracks were difference sizes to prevent East or West from rail heading troops and equipment into the others territory in time of war. When I hear about the China/Thailand rail road I think well it will make it easy for China to transport troops and equipment into Thailand. China has a grand master plan, but hey Thailand play nice and they will save you for the last meal. 

[Sharp]

Chiland knows where it's bread is buttered. 

[Excel]

They ( The current Thai government ) will certainly become involved if the opportunity to make money exists. Other than that they will do what they are good out, talk their front teeth out trying to convince themselves how good they are.

Edited August 22, 2022 by Excel

[DUNROAMIN]

1 hour ago, grain said:

Not quite correct. Thailand certainly picked sides in WW2 and sided with the Axis and a declaration of war was sent to the USA. There were also Thai troops fighting in Vietnam. And I read long ago that some Siamese troops were fighting in Europe during WW1, from memory they were attached to the French Indo-China colonial forces.

Thais army entered the WW1 when it was over, went as peace keepers to Germany, never fired a shot in anger. 

[micmichd]

2 hours ago, Thunglom said:

Thailand is already "involved" - in any trade war or conflict Thailand will be used by one side or the other as a base - this has been thecae for the past 100 years or even more.

Thailand currently is having a dalliance with China and getting new railways and roads from the deal....perhaps not so good when it comes to paying off loans etc which will put them in debt to china.

 

Essentially China's extension is trade-based but it seems the Xi is getting more and more dictatorial in his dotage and this could lead to serious problems for Thailand

They have USE, European and JAnaese industries here in big numbers - they also have Taiwanese factories - if China polarises the situation, Thailand could have serious economic repercussions.

USE? 

You mean the Eurozone? 

Lol ????

[harada]

1 hour ago, grain said:

Not quite correct. Thailand certainly picked sides in WW2 and sided with the Axis and a declaration of war was sent to the USA. There were also Thai troops fighting in Vietnam. And I read long ago that some Siamese troops were fighting in Europe during WW1, from memory they were attached to the French Indo-China colonial forces.

351 Thai soldiers died fighting alongside allied troops in Vietnam.

[Tarteso]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

before he is forced to step down from office.

The good news ????

[Excel]

5 minutes ago, harada said:

351 Thai soldiers died fighting alongside allied troops in Vietnam.

But let's face it, joining in with the US in the Vietnam war was something that I doubt they choose to do, rather what they were told to do as some kind of recognition for the millions upon millions of dollars that the US poured into Thailand to build the infrastructure necessary for their ( the US ) war. 

[micmichd]

3 hours ago, Jerno said:

Will Thailand get involved...?  Of course not!  When there's been past armed conflicts and (many) wars, Thailand has never picked sides. Have never sent Military to aid any other country during wars.  Can't even admit or commit to the undeniable fact that Putin/Russia is a barbaric aggressor and totally wrong invading Ukraine.  

What has Thailand (a country in South East Asia) got to do with Ukraine? 

[AussieinThaiJim]

Thailand will sit on the fence yet again, and certainly won't be upsetting China...Barb wire in your undies is very uncomfortable!

Edited August 22, 2022 by AussieinThaiJim

[shackleton]

Thailand will not get involved in any conflict with China

They are more interested in getting investment and Chinese tourists 

From China ????

Money is their motivation to stay neutral and friendly to China 

[The Deerhunter]

3 hours ago, Soikhaonoiken said:

Thailand will sit on the fence yet again, and certainly won't be upsetting China...

Yes. Even if it feels like sitting on a picket fence.  

[Asquith Production]

You would have to think for all eventualities and what might happen to U.S expats

here if Thailand came down on the side of China.

[howlee101]

Of course they will lend support.  They will patrol the South China Sea in that new sub they just bought, granted it will stayed anchored since it doesn't have an engine.  And they will provide Combat Air Patrols with their (soon to be) newly acquired F-35 fighters.  

[Excel]

1 minute ago, Asquith Production said:

You would have to think for all eventualities and what might happen to U.S expats

here if Thailand came down on the side of China.

You mean all the pretend SEALS and other "special forces personnel" may not be welcomed anymore on their bar stools in Soi 6 ?

[vandeventer]

1 hour ago, grain said:

Not quite correct. Thailand certainly picked sides in WW2 and sided with the Axis and a declaration of war was sent to the USA. There were also Thai troops fighting in Vietnam. And I read long ago that some Siamese troops were fighting in Europe during WW1, from memory they were attached to the French Indo-China colonial forces.

Thailand did have troops in Vietnam but not many but they were good fighters. But the best fighters in Vietnam in the year that I was there was the South Koreans which had 2 division's.

[Asquith Production]

Just now, Excel said:

You mean all the pretend SEALS and other "special forces personnel" may not be welcomed anymore on their bar stools in Soi 6 ?

 

Just now, Excel said:

You mean all the pretend SEALS and other "special forces personnel" may not be welcomed anymore on their bar stools in Soi 6 ?

Who knows?. Fail to plan plan to fail

[topt]

The body language in that first photo does not look good.......

 

Would be good for a caption comp ????

[spidermike007]

1 hour ago, grain said:

Not quite correct. Thailand certainly picked sides in WW2 and sided with the Axis and a declaration of war was sent to the USA. There were also Thai troops fighting in Vietnam. And I read long ago that some Siamese troops were fighting in Europe during WW1, from memory they were attached to the French Indo-China colonial forces.

Very few people seem to know the allies conducted bombing raids on Bangkok. They still find unexploded ordinance here and there. The battle of Prachuap lasted only a few hours, then Thailand agreed to be occupied by Japan.