BLUF
Thailand’s alliance with Japan during World War II was driven by both coercion and strategic opportunism, enabling Thailand to pursue territorial ambitions. The legacy of this alliance shapes contemporary defence cooperation between the nations.Learning Outcomes
- Understand the historical drivers behind Thailand’s wartime alignment with Japan, including territorial revisionism and Pan-Thai aspirations.
- Evaluate how Thailand leveraged Japan’s support to regain territories from French Indochina during WWII.
- Analyse the duality of Japan’s legacy in Thailand as both enabler and oppressor, and its impact on contemporary strategic relations.
