One of the monuments found in Bangkok is the Victory Monument. Most assume that the "victory" must be one from the endless wars between Burma and Siam. Upon looking closer, it is obvious that this assumption is wrong for the frieze around the monument clearly shows troops armed with 20th century weapons. Nor do many Thais know which victory is celebrated. The monument was actually quickly erected in 1941 to commemorate the Thai victory in the Franco-Thai War of the same year.
French Indochina was a colony that included the present nations of Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, and Chinese Guangzhou. When World War Two commenced, France had about 50,000 troops in the colony including 12,000 French. It was an ill-equipped force with little air or armour support. When France surrendered to the Japanese.
Thailand, formerly Siam, was one of the very few Asian countries that never became a colony. With French Indochina on the east and British Burma on the west, the European powers left Siam as a buffer state between the two. Under an absolute monarchy, Siam was left to develop in its own way. A military coup in 1932 eventually put General Phibun Songkhhram in control. While Phibun was not a leader of the coup, he gained some fame as an artillery colonel in the Princes' counter-revolution that followed, like Napoleon had done a century earlier. His taking power was the start of many changes. The monarchy ended, polygamy was banned, the language changed ("Swadeeka" became the greeting by Thai women, "Swadeekrap" for men as in Thai speakers identify their own gender when speaking), laws required husbands to wear hats and kiss their wives at the door when leaving for work, women had to cease wearing the traditional pantaloons of the south in favour of the long skirts of the north, and the Chinese minority was vilified. Chinese had to report to the local police station for new Thai names that were frequently very rude. Dreams of "Greater Thailand" provided motivation.
Thailand and Indochina had disputed their common boundary for years. With France now divided between Vichy France and German occupied France, Philbun thought the time was right to settle the issue. A reasonably well equipped Thai army advanced across the border and the war started. A few land battles and one naval engagement were inconclusive. To end the war, Japan sponsored a peace conference and gave Thailand most, but not all, of the territory she wanted but made her pay the French for it.
Pearl Harbor was not the only attack Japan launched against the Allies in December 1941. Singapore was also a target. The British had armed the sea approaches and had stationed two battleships on waters near the city for further protection. The city relied upon the jungle to protect it from any Japanese attack from the north. Japan had tried to negotiate passage for its army from Thailand but Philbun was leery of making any public decision like that. Indeed, he had told the world that he would defend Thailand against any aggression, from Japan or the Allies. He was also trying to get Churchill to support him against Japanese aggression. But when Japanese troops landed at nine places on the Thai coast, Philbun was nowhere to be found. He was conveniently off on a car trip to the Cambodian border and radio contact had ceased to operate. That left the decision of what to do to those the newly self-promoted Field Marshall had left behind in Bangkok. After a few brief firefights, Thai resistance ceased when their ammunition ran out. Japan pledged to respect Thailand's independence when Phibun flew back to Thailand and granted them right of passage. While this all seemed that the Thais had held and only given way when confronted with a vastly superior force it was really just an act to save face. In fall of the prior year Phibun had sworn an oath before the Emerald Buddha, the sacred Buddha for Bangkok, which formed an alliance with Japan and gave right of passage to Japanese troops in exchange for a bit more territory from Indochina. The secret was finally exposed during war crimes trials at the end of World War Two.
So with a slight of hand, Thailand became Japan's one and only ally in the Pacific War, declaring war against the United States and United Kingdom in January 1942. (Neither country ever declared war on Thailand) The following year, the reward of two Shan and four Malay states were transferred to Thailand. Japan stationed troops in Thailand and started construction of the infamous railroad project and "Bridge on the River Kwai".
The United States and United Kingdom were on opposite poles as to how to treat Thailand at the War's close. The US was determined to treat Thailand as an occupied country and held that the declaration of war was contrary to the wishes of the Thai people, an argument due to the FreeThai based in Washington DC. Britain was out for blood, determined to extract vast quantities of rice to feed India and other colonies and many other concessions, especially after disclosure of the horrible conditions of Allied prisoners of war in Thailand. The relationship of two allies became acrimonious and downright nasty only to worsen as France joined in with different claims. Thai factions fought with each other, the new government vied with the army for control and within the government bitter battles took place. Phibun was charged with war crimes, a charge that fizzled out when the former Japanese commander said that far from helping the Japanese, Phibun had assisted the FreeThai movement during the Japanese occupation. The military coalesced around Phibun and with yet another coup, he returned to power in a veiled position in 1947.
A new constitution, another election, another civilian Prime Minister, another coup followed by yet another. The Thai Navy now joined in and arrested Phibun, holding him captive on a ship. Having watched the Army and Navy wrestle for power, the Thai Air Force attacked the ship in which Phibun was held forcing him to jump into the river only to be recaptured by the Navy. And who might have directed the Air Force to bomb the ship? For a start, the Thai Police were thought to have joined in. What a merry bundle of snakes!
By 1951, Phibun had recognized the growing anti-communist movement in the United States. Never one to ignore an opportunity, he and his government turned radically anti-communist to the joy of America and the anger of China. When the Korean War started, Phibun seized the moment sending 4,000 troops to fight alongside the Americans. As a result, the US agreed to provide massive amounts of armaments to the Thai Army and a bit less to the Police, who were now starting to fight over which would control the drug trade. Trucks would carry heroin to Bangkok from Chang Mai, pick up arms and other equipment from the CIA, and take that back to the north. Armed battles were fought between the Army and Police drug convoys.
Phibun would remain in office until 1957 when another shift led to another military coup, this one strongly supported by the United States. Phibun retired in Japan where he was to die. He had amassed a fortune from bribes and skimming of the state lottery, it is said. For the years following his death, court battles between his wife and his many mistresses, each of whom had been given a car and lavish apartment, continued to provide entertainment for the Thais. It was corruption on a grand scale but he continues to be very popular with the Thai population.
"The Land of Smiles" has many secrets. Thailand ranks as 96th on the annual corruption scale (Canada is 8th) and 46th on the Happiness Scale (Canada is in the top ten). A military junta took control in 2014 and is still in power, one of many military coupes the country has experienced. Free speech is limited, media is controlled. Even foreigners can be arrested for "lese-majeste" or negative comments and actions regarding the royal family. Drug charges have resulted in death sentences for foreigners and Thai courts often rule in favour of the rich or politically powerful. Nonetheless, Thai tourist advertising continues to lure foreigners to Thai vacation spots. Tourism brings in almost 20% of Thailand's GNP.
