Southeast Asia: “We've seen how my modern countries achieved independence from the European powers that had dominated them for centuries. This transition to self-rule occurred after World War II and was certainly due in part to this international conflagration. Although attempting to establish their country as the new colonial power, the Japanese exposed the weakness of the Western powers and gave my emerging nation-states a taste of self-rule. Plus when they retreated, the Japanese left many of their weapons behind, which leveled the military playing field.
What about Thailand, the only one of my nations that was never colonized? Further they were the first Southeast Asian country to establish a democracy, even though the military took over a few years later. What happened to Thailand after World War II?”
Recall that Thailand had expanded her boundaries at the expense of her neighbors during World War II. Unfortunately, this expansion came at a heavy price – subservience to Japan. With the defeat of the Japanese and the ascendancy of the West, all territories were restored to the appropriate parties. Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, and Myanmar were the beneficiaries of this agreement. For Thailand, this meant a return to her contracted borders. But at least, the Thai people were free of the Japanese army, but not their own army. Due to political turbulence in post-war Thailand, the army under the resilient Phibun seized control of the government in 1948, an event that was already a semi-regular occurrence in Thailand’s modern history.
Remember, Phibun helped found the original Thai independence movement in 1927. It was his army that overthrew the monarchy in 1932 and then the initial Thai democracy 1938. Because Phibun’s military force aligned themselves with the Japanese, he was forced to resign in 1944 due a declining economy. After the war, he was on the verge of being charged with war crimes due to being on the wrong side of the conflict.
But the Cartel recognized Phibun’s military talents and instead recruited him to their side. In 1948 with their support, he led his 3rd bloodless coup in less than 20 years. Evidently, the Thai bow peaceably to an obviously superior military force, just as they had bowed to their absolute monarch for centuries.
With Russia seizing control of Eastern Europe immediately after World War II and China’s successful communist revolution in 1949, the Cold War began in earnest. The Cold War was between the International Cartel led by the United States and International Communism led by the Soviet Union and ‘Red’ China. Instead of fighting each other, they fought for control of the nations of the world. Communism was one of the early winners in this ‘war’, when North Korea ‘went’ communist due to Chinese assistance in the early 1950s.
With tensions rising due to these relatively instant transformations, the American-led West was looking for stable allies. These allies tended to be countries with a dominant army that the West could bribe to ‘cooperate’ with them. The bribes came in the form of substantial amounts of financial assistance to both their economy and their military. Thailand was that country. The Thai army had cooperated with Japan to subjugate the Southeast Asian mainland. As such, they were an easy choice as the ally to suppress communist insurrections.
In the 1950s and 60s, the Cartel assisted Thailand to remain a military dictatorship as a bastion against the rising tide of communism in Southeast Asia. To fulfill its end of the bargain, the Thai sent armies to fight against communism in first Korea in the 1950s and then Vietnam in the 1960s. Further, the military dictatorship took actions against Thailand’s Chinese community officially to inhibit the spread of communism, unofficially to seize their wealth. The Thai army also imprisoned any opposition leaders that threatened their rule.
On the positive side, Thailand received massive amounts of both economic and military aid from the U.S. in the 1950s. These funds, of course, strengthened the dictatorship and inhibited social reform. Besides reinforcing the Thai army and police force, the financial assistance was also employed to build the nation's infrastructure. This infusion of funds laid the basis for a continuing economic boom in Thailand.
In the first decade after the war, Thailand pursued a policy of economic nationalism. The government owned the small number of the country’s manufacturing firms, and placed a tight control on imports and exports. The military leaders became heavily involved in business and served on numerous corporate boards. However this insular approach to the economy resulted in very slow growth.
This situation proved dissatisfactory to the ambitious members of the military as well as the emergent middle class, especially businessmen of Chinese descent. In 1957 as a result of these dissatisfactions, Phibun was replaced as the head of the army and thereby the government by Sarit.
Sarit established patterns that were to define modern Thailand. Economically, he opened Thailand up to the global community. To this end, he encouraged private investment, both domestic and foreign. This led to a great influx of funds from the international community, especially the United States. As well as strengthening the military, this money fueled the Thai economy. It was employed in the construction of highways, irrigation projects, electrification of the country, and schools.
Perhaps more importantly, he withdrew the military from direct and somewhat autocratic control of the nation’s destiny. He allowed Thailand to develop somewhat naturally, rather than decide what he or the military thought was best for country. He employed a bottom-up rather than a top-down economic and political model.
While Phibun had distanced his government from the royal family, Sarit embraced the monarchy. He encouraged Thailand’s king, Bhumibol Adulyadej, to become more involved. To this end, the king and queen toured the countryside and also sponsored community activities. These projects included traditional Thai theatre, dance, arts and crafts, as well as the building and refurbishing of Buddhist stupas. By 1960, the royal family had become widely popular, and remain so to this day.
After the assassination of his brother, Bhumibol Adulyadej was coronated as king, i.e. Rama IX, on May 5, 1950. He remains the king as of this writing on July 28, 2014, almost 65 years later. It is easy to argue that this Thai King epitomizes the classic devaraja, god-king or Bodhisattva king, that has characterized Southeast Asian politics for nearly 2 millennium. At his coronation he pledged, “We shall reign with righteousness for the benefits and happiness of the Siamese people.” He definitely fulfilled this oath.
During his entire reign, he has consistently acted in the best interests of the Thai people. In the classic sense, he has created an environment that maximizes the potential for achieving merit. Achieving merit furthers the karma of the individual and thereby the greater society. By promoting traditional Thai culture, he encouraged serving the greater community rather than private ends. When asked why he didn’t travel outside his realm, his queen stated, “His majesty does not go abroad because … he would like to stay close to his subjects to help the poor.”
King Bhumibol is an amazing individual in many other ways as well. Besides encouraging Thai culture, he sponsored thousands of national projects that furthered the Thai agricultural economy, including irrigation and flood alleviation. He promoted highland agriculture through crop substitution and water resource restoration. He also developed economic theories, New Theory on Agriculture and Sufficiency Economy Philosophy, that have been widely adopted as models on how to achieve balanced and sustainable growth.
He is also an inventor, holding at least 20 patents and 19 trademarks, all of which are available to the public free of charge. His inventions include the process of how to turn palm oil and other crops into bio-gas and bio-fuel. Due to his considerable achievements he was awarded the Asian equivalent of the Nobel Prize in 1988.
On the occasion of his 86th birthday, a Thai reporter wrote, “Throughout his noble reign, His Majesty King Bhumibol has selflessly and indefatigably elevated the interests of the Thai nation above personal interests. For more than six decades, His Majesty has stood as a pillar of national stability and unity and dedicated himself to fulfilling the oath he made, to the benefit and happiness of the Thai people. For all Thais, His Majesty is truly ‘the King’ and our ‘Father of the Land”.
Although the royal family’s influence had been on the decline since the 1932 coup, King Bhumibol Adulyadej became a significant player in Thai politics. He didn’t achieve this important role by wielding his power, but through his incredible prestige. The prestige derived from his impeccable behavior, not just from his exalted position. Instead of acting from personal agenda, he seemed to respond to the context of the situation.
For instance, in 1973 student demands for a democracy led to social turbulence. The army asked King Bhumibol for assistance. He appointed some new leaders that encouraged the growth of democratic institutions and political freedom. Bowing to popular demand, the military rulers stepped down. In 1975 just a few years later, the king encouraged the military to step in to reestablish social order after too much turbulence. This alternation of democracy and military control has continued to the current day.
Perhaps due to the king’s influence and patterns established in the early 1960s, the Thai military has tended to act primarily as a peacekeepin3ffaff017f40fd800de0ffff9fe0ffff9f7f1fc0ff1fe0fdff011fe0fdff 0300ffff00fbff0300ffff00fbff0000f9ff087f80ffff808fffe01ffaff01e03fc0ffab7ffbff0000f8ff0000fdff0000feff01e01ffcff05e01fffffc03ffd ff01c03ffcff01807ffdff027f0080feff013fc0feff013fc0fcff041fe0ff1fe0faff010000fbff0380807f7ffeff0000fbff0300ffff00faff0de01ffff08f ffffef7f701fffc03ff8ff08c0807f7fbfffff7f80fcff043fc0ff3fc0faff011fe0fdff031fe0ff00fcff0000feff0000fbff0000feff017f80fdff010000fc ff0000fcff04e01fffe01ffdff01c03ffeff02c0003ffaff017f40fd800de0ffff9fe0ffff9f7f1fc0ff1fe0fdff011fe0fdff0300ffff00fbff0300ffff00fb ff0000f9ff087f80ffff808fffe01ffaff01e03fc0ffab7ffbff0000f8ff0000fdff0000feff01e01ffcff05e01fffffc03ffdff01c03ffcff01807ffdff027f 0080feff013fc0feff013fc0fcff041fe0ff1fe0faff010000fbff0380807f7ffeff0000fbff0300ffff00faff0de01ffff08fffffef7f701fffc03ff8ff08c0 807f7fbfffff7f80fcff043fc0ff3fc0faff011fe0fdff031fe0ff00fcff0000feff0000fbff0000feff017f80fdff010000fcff0000fcff04e01fffe01ffdff 01c03ffeff02c0003ffaff017f40fd800de0ffff9fe0ffff9f7f1fc0ff1fe0fdff011fe0fdff0300ffff00fbff0300ffff00fbff0000f9ff087f80ffff808fff e01ffaff01e03fc0ffab7ffbff00009a000000ff875000000000000101d40000000400000000004800000048000000100020000300080000000004e55f5404e5 5f5800000000000101d400420000004301d4000002d00000f8ff05807fffff7f80feff01e01ffcff05e01fffffc03ffdff01c01ffc7f01407ffdff027f0080fe ff013fc0feff013fc0fcff041fe0ff1fe0faff010000f9ff0580807fffff00fbff0300ffff00faff0de01fffffef7f7f8080701fffc03ff6ff06c0807fbfff7f 40fc7f041fc0ff3fc0faff011fe0fdff031fe0ff00fcff0000feff0000fbff04807fffff00fcff010000fcff0000fcff04e01fffe01ffdff01c03ffeff02c000 3ffaff017f80f9ff009ffe7f058020c0ff1fe0fdff011fe0fdff0300ffff00fb7f0300ffff00fbff0000f9ff0000fdff031fffe01ffaff01e03fc2ff017f7fab 80017f7ffdff0000f8ff05807fffff7f80feff01e01ffcff05e01fffffc03ffdff01c01ffc7f01407ffdff027f0080feff013fc0feff013fc0fcff041fe0ff1f e0faff010000f9ff0580807fffff00fbff0300ffff00faff0de01fffffef7f7f8080701fffc03ff6ff06c0807fbfff7f40fc7f041fc0ff3fc0faff011fe0fdff 031fe0ff00fcff0000feff0000fbff04807fffff00fcff010000fcff0000fcff04e01fffe01ffdff01c03ffeff02c0003ffaff017f80f9ff009ffe7f058020c0 ff1fe0fdff011fe0fdff0300ffff00fb7f0300ffff00fbff0000f9ff0000fdff031fffe01ffaff01e03fc2ff017f7fab80017f7ffdff0000f8ff05807fffff7f 80feff01e01ffcff05e01fffffc03ffdff01c01ffc7f01407ffdff027f0080feff013fc0feff013fc0fcff041fe0ff1fe0faff010000f9ff0580807fffff00fb ff0300ffff00faff0de01fffffef7f7f8080701fffc03ff6ff06c0807fbfff7f40fc7f041fc0ff3fc0faff011fe0fdff031fe0ff00fcff0000feff0000fbff04 807fffff00fcff010000fcff0000fcff04e01fffe01ffdff01c03ffeff02c0003ffaff017f80f9ff009ffe7f058020c0ff1fe0fdff011fe0fdff0300ffff00fb 7f0300ffff00fbff0000f9ff0000fdff031fffe01ffaff01e03fc2ff017f7fab80017f7ffdff009a000000ff875000000000000101d400000004000000000048 00000048000000100020000300080000000004e55f5404e55f5800000000000101d400430000004401d4000002bb0000f7ff0300ffff00fdff01e01ffcff05e0 1fffffc03ffdff01c020fb8000bffdff027f0080feff013fc0feff013fc0fcff041fe0ff1fe0faff010000f7ff0300ffff00fbff0300ffff00faff03e01fffef fe80068fffe01fffc03ff4ff048080ff7f40fb8003e0ff3fc0faff011fe0fdff031fe0ff00fcff0000feff0000faff0300ffff00fcff010000fcff0000fcff04 e01fffe01ffdff01c03ffeff02c0003ffaff017f80faff0a9f7f8080e0ff3fc0ff1fe0fdff011fe0fdff0300ffff00fa8002ffff00fbff0000f9ff0000fdff03 7f7f701ffaff01e03fc3ff027f8080abff0280807ffeff0000f7ff0300ffff00fdff01e01ffcff05e01fffffc03ffdff01c020fb8000bffdff027f0080feff01 3fc0feff013fc0fcff041fe0ff1fe0faff010000f7ff0300ffff00fbff0300ff