Thailand declares war on United States and Britain, Jan. 25, 1942

[sean in udon]

This report is just ridiculous, it doesn't tell the whole story!

The mayor reason that Thailand sided with Japan was that Japan promised to get Thailand back the land France had occupied from Thailand for their colonies in Cambodia and Laos. And the Brits had taken parts of Thailand to their colonize of Burma and Malaysia. Saying that Thailand should have sided with the allies is the same as saying that France should have sided with Germany when they invaded!!!

I believe that this is one of the reasons why we as foreigners can't buy land in Thailand today!

Not exactly. You fail to mention how Siam had originally come by much of the territory it subsequently lost. Remember 1767, when the Kingdom of Ayutthaya was defeated by the Burmese? Much of the country of Siam you claim was stolen by foreigners was never held by the Siamese and was in fact taken from others. Ever hear of the Kingdom of Chiang Mai? Do you even know how the British allowed Siam to annex that kingdom? Chiang Mai's Princess Dararasmi was made a concubine of Chulangkorn's brother. That was in the late 1860's. How about 1909 and the British transfer of the three independent sultanates on the Malaysian border? That bitter land dispute is still going on today.

In plain language, the Thai actions were a self serving land grab meant to expand Thailand. The reference to a greater Thailand including parts of China is prescient, as it will be China that annexes part of Thailand over time. The USA blundered when it blocked the British efforts to change things in Thailand, but then the USA never had an intelligent or an effective policy in SE Asia.

"...but then the USA never had an intelligent or an effective policy in SE Asia."

I would like to expand on that a little and say "the USA never had an intelligent or an effective policy anywhere."

Certainly not in my lifetime.

Enjoying the history lesson about Thailand's involvement in WWII. Thanks to all contributors.

[puukao]

It would be interesting to get Thai TV posters reaction on this. Not bashing at all. my home country the UK has many historical atrocities across the decades. I accept that. I Would like to know how Thai people feel here if the truth should be more prominent and people made aware of it, for the better.

I doubt most people here under 45 years old even know there was something called WW2.

Dude.....bro......i'm 19 and played COD WW2 for months!!!!!!!!

and my boy 50 cent raps on WW2 damn skippy.....

let me tell you one of his lyrics....

"On Dec 8 bombs flew.......hit the Philippines and then there was two....

two big powers that we had to fight

started with an embargo that was out of sight

but it was 10 years before the japs went inland......

manchuria was not to be mended...

the stock market got cracked

and all was lost

USA took normandy and was the boss

from the whites to the reds to the zeros flying

my name is 50 cent and i'm trying!!!!"

notes: housing bubble florida in the 20's, then stock market crash, germany's currency to 1 trillion to 1, and that helped hitler get to power and he wanted land the size of USA. ukraine.....and bosheiviks...people thought that was a jewish group. USA and germany thought that. and japan invaded shanghai in 32 and 37 and by then mao was in power after their long march.

you can write encyclopedias and not cover it all.... when you say thailand 1860.....i think USA first were seen by japs maybe 20 years earlier or less...and then civil war....and french revolution 1789 and then Napoleon....and it's all related....

i'm sure the USA CIA was in Thailand wondering if it was Operation Condor time......or what happened in Indonesia......i know, both took place after....

Edited January 26, 2016 by puukao

[bark]

Don't see this historical citation as newsworthy and a shortened misleading headline! The economy, international relations and political stability in LOS are a powder keg right now... Articles like this bring bowl & spoon to mind.

On the contrary, it is a bit of history few Thais are taught and is an important part of the development of S.E Asian relations to this day. Brief but conciese article.

There is no Thai history. They think that China, landed the first man on the moon. Most Thai's do not know about 911 in USA.

[hugh2121]

Don't see this historical citation as newsworthy and a shortened misleading headline! The economy, international relations and political stability in LOS are a powder keg right now... Articles like this bring bowl & spoon to mind.

Ahem! Did you see Bridge over the River Kwai? Ever wonder what the nips were doing building a railway in Thailand? Never Ever Forget!

[seedy]

troll flaming post removed

[jayboy]

after making sure their allies were in debt to two world wars

Yeah, I guess we did force those Old World countries into debt, after they had the audacity to start two world wars in Europe, then couldn't pay for them. Shame on us for providing loans -- then troops -- to aid the continuance of these European follies. If we hadn't butted in, with our bankers and soldiers, Europe would now be happily either fascist, or communist. Either way, no big deal to the Yanks -- plus, they would have saved a bundle -- not to mention tens-of-thousands of American lives -- by not funding these wars. Then, stupidity upon stupidity, having to provide Marshall Plan money to rebuild those sorry countries. Shame on us, for sure.

You betray a profound stupidity if you believe a totalitarian Europe of whatever complexion would not have been a disastrous impact on the US.Fortunately FDR was of a wiser and more compassionate nature and saw the necessity to battle a profound evil.

Incidentally the bravery and sacrifice of innumerable GIs are not in doubt - but in terms of wining the war the lion's share was done through the Soviet Union.

Edited January 26, 2016 by jayboy

[Jaggg88]

Alliances have been made and broken , some good some bad

history shows Thailand made the wrong choice at that time ;

the choices made now Thailand , will be evaluated in history,

some good , some bad

The wrong choice? on a pragmatic level it was a briliantly lucky choice, they were spared the destruction and enslavement the Japs would have inflicted had they resisted and then when they lost, the Yanks forgave reparations.... brilliant.

wars rarely turn out the way anyone expects,

and history is written by the victors

[JusMe]

So essentially the same now, but China instead of Japan.

Thailand was a rug that the Japanese just walked right in on! no army, no navy and no desire to get into a fight with anyone, they never had a war or victory, just a country laying around for anyone to come in and shop around! they just sat around and waited for the winner to give them something! I never did figure out what the victory monument was all about in bangkok! the people were compasonate but the government was not much different than it is today.

In 1940, Thailand had quite some battles with the French forces to the east. Great air victories, with news reports in the Bangkok newspapers of heroic action by Thai pilots. Great interest and support from the Thai people at that time. (Yes, I have seen and read those newspapers - available in archives at some universities in Thailand.)

[JusMe]

The Japanese slaughtered thousands of Thais and raped Thai women just as they did in occupied Korea, the Philippines and Manchuria. The tragedy of Thailand is that no one was held responsible for the crimes against the Thai people. It is Thailand's dark secret that should be told. In France, Denmark and Holland, collaborators were dealt with. In Thailand, collaborators and profiteers were rewarded weren't they?

Absolute rubbish. The Japanese did NOT slaughter any Thais, let alone thousands. The Kempetai was in Thailand, but not a single Thai was imprisoned, tortured, or killed by them. There is no evidence whatsoever of Thai women being raped by Japanese soldiers as the comfort women of Korea, Chine, The Philippines and Indonesia were.

[EyesWideOpen]

This report is just ridiculous, it doesn't tell the whole story!

The mayor reason that Thailand sided with Japan was that Japan promised to get Thailand back the land France had occupied from Thailand for their colonies in Cambodia and Laos. And the Brits had taken parts of Thailand to their colonize of Burma and Malaysia. Saying that Thailand should have sided with the allies is the same as saying that France should have sided with Germany when they invaded!!!

220px-Siam_territoral_losses.gif

I believe that this is one of the reasons why we as foreigners can't buy land in Thailand today!

My assessment has always been the majority of France and its people DID side with Germany after they invaded. Far more than they will ever admit !

France and Thailand have one thing in common. They both gave up their

capital cities without firing a shot.....

[smotherb]

This report is just ridiculous, it doesn't tell the whole story!

The mayor reason that Thailand sided with Japan was that Japan promised to get Thailand back the land France had occupied from Thailand for their colonies in Cambodia and Laos. And the Brits had taken parts of Thailand to their colonize of Burma and Malaysia. Saying that Thailand should have sided with the allies is the same as saying that France should have sided with Germany when they invaded!!!

I believe that this is one of the reasons why we as foreigners can't buy land in Thailand today!

Not exactly. You fail to mention how Siam had originally come by much of the territory it subsequently lost. Remember 1767, when the Kingdom of Ayutthaya was defeated by the Burmese? Much of the country of Siam you claim was stolen by foreigners was never held by the Siamese and was in fact taken from others. Ever hear of the Kingdom of Chiang Mai? Do you even know how the British allowed Siam to annex that kingdom? Chiang Mai's Princess Dararasmi was made a concubine of Chulangkorn's brother. That was in the late 1860's. How about 1909 and the British transfer of the three independent sultanates on the Malaysian border? That bitter land dispute is still going on today.

In plain language, the Thai actions were a self serving land grab meant to expand Thailand. The reference to a greater Thailand including parts of China is prescient, as it will be China that annexes part of Thailand over time. The USA blundered when it blocked the British efforts to change things in Thailand, but then the USA never had an intelligent or an effective policy in SE Asia.

I wonder how the intelligent and effective Brit policies in SEA were blocked so successfully by those blundering Yanks.

When you hold the purse strings, as the Americans did, after making sure their allies were in debt to two world wars, blocking your allies is easy.

Unfortunately, doesn't mean you've got any better ideas as we saw ably demonstrated in Vietnam and Laos.

Ah, then you were outsmarted by those <deleted>, says a lot, doesn't it

[Pete Beale]

This report is just ridiculous, it doesn't tell the whole story!

The mayor reason that Thailand sided with Japan was that Japan promised to get Thailand back the land France had occupied from Thailand for their colonies in Cambodia and Laos. And the Brits had taken parts of Thailand to their colonize of Burma and Malaysia. Saying that Thailand should have sided with the allies is the same as saying that France should have sided with Germany when they invaded!!!

220px-Siam_territoral_losses.gif

I believe that this is one of the reasons why we as foreigners can't buy land in Thailand today!

My assessment has always been the majority of France and its people DID side with Germany after they invaded. Far more than they will ever admit !

France and Thailand have one thing in common. They both gave up their

capital cities without firing a shot.....

90'000 Frenchmen died in The battle of France, the Germans lost 50'000 men and 1800 tanks.

[sebastion]

General Prem who still graces the halls of power was 22 years old and in his second year of military school. He has witnessed a lot of Thailands history.