ISSN: 2222-6990
Open access
This article examines Thailand's perception of "national interest," which has guided its flexible foreign policy post-2006 coup d'état. It explores why the U.S. pushback from Thailand's post-coup d'état in 2006 brings Thailand back to a deep-rooted Thai-China relationship. This article focuses on achieving three objectives; 1) examines the nature of the diplomatic relations that change Thailand's policy toward a superpower; 2) examine domestic factors, including the current political crisis shaping Thailand in Southeast Asia; 3) analyse the relevance of Thailand's traditional foreign policy in protecting her national interest in Southeast Asia. The puzzle that drives this research is to explore why the U.S. government's pushback from Thailand's post-coup d’état in 2006 brings Thailand back to pursue a deep-rooted Thai-China relationship. Neoclassical realists believe states use their power for self-interest rather than security. Many academics believe this behaviour is fundamental to Thai foreign policy. Due to increased geographical competition, the U.S. and China must maintain ties with Thailand. Both nations recognise Thailand's strategic importance in a geopolitical power struggle. Thailand was aware of its position between the U.S. and China during the conflict. To protect its interests and guarantee its safety, it has used a pragmatic and adaptive policy approach, called "bending with the wind." This helps Thailand maintain good relationships with superpowers without losing trust or advantages. The paper is divided into seven sections which are structured as follows; (i) introduction, (ii) foreign policy under leadership, (iii) Thai bilateral relations behaviour (iv) the competition between new and old government administrations to legitimise their foreign policies (v) the political disorder and its spill over effects on foreign policy, (vi) analysis and finding, (vii) the conclusion.
Arne, K. (2002). Bending with the Wind: The Continuity and Flexibility of Thai Foreign Policy 57(4): 537–561.
Ba, A. D. (2006). Who’s socializing whom? Complex engagement in Sino-ASEAN relations. Pacific Review 19(2): 157–179.
Brown, A. (2021). Routledge Handbook of Contemporary Thailand. Journal of Contemporary Asia Vol. 51. Routledge.
Busbarat, P. (2016). “Bamboo swirling in the wind”: Thailand’s foreign policy imbalance between China and the United States. Contemporary Southeast Asia 38(2): 233–257.
Campbell, C. (2015). The Thai Junta Has Replaced Martial Law with an Equally Draconian Security Order. Time
Chachavalpongpun, P. (2012). Embedding Embittered History: Unending Conflicts in Thai-Cambodian Relations. Asian Affairs 43(1): 81–102.
Chachavalpongpun, P. (2015). “ Good Coup ” Gone Bad?: Thailand’s Political Developments since Thaksin’s Downfall
Chanlett-avery, E., & Dolven, B. (2014). Thailand?: Background and U . S . Relations. Congressional Research Service
Chongkittavorn, K. (2019). The Thailand-U . S . Defense Alliance. Asia Pacific Issues
Edmund Malesky, K. S. (2011). Understanding Thailand’s Ongoing Political Crisis Wider Implications for Southeast Asia and the West. Democratic Asia and The West Paper Series
Grebe, J., & Mutschler, M. (2020). Global Militarisation Index 2019. Bonn International Center for Conversion (BICC) http://www.isn.ethz.ch/Digital-Library/Articles/Detail/?id=195134.
Huda, M. I. M. (2018). Communication Project under the Yen Loan Commitment.
Malaysian, Journal of Communication, 34(2), 67-88 https://doi.org/10.17576/JKMJC-2018-3402-05
Huda, M. I. M., Rufu, S., & Muchatuta, E. T. (2022). Trajectory of Us and China Rivalry in Developing Zimbabwe. International Journal of Academic Research in Economics and Management and Sciences, 11(3), 603–618 DOI:10.6007/IJAREMS/v11-i3/15308
Huda, M. I. M., & Xinlei, Z. (2022). The Development of Malaysian Economic Policy towards China, 1974-2018. International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, 12(9), 967 – 980 DOI:10.6007/IJARBSS/v12-i9/14583
Hongfang, S. (2013). The Economic Relations between China and Thailand under the Context of CAFTA: An Assessment. Chinese Studies 02(01): 52–60.
Jittipat Poonkham. (2022). A Genealogy of Bamboo Diplomacy the politics of Thai Detente with Russia and China. Edisi ke-2022. ANU Press The Australian National University.
Kislenko, A. (2002). Bamboo in the wind United States Foreign Policy and Thailand during the Kennedy and Johnson Administration 1961-1969. International Journal, 57(4)
Kittivorapoom, S. (2019). U.S.-Thailand Security Relations After the 2014 Thailand Military Coup D’etat
Kongkirati, P., & Kanchoochat, V. (2018). The Prayuth Regime: Embedded Military and Hierarchical Capitalism in Thailand. TRaNS: Trans-Regional and -National Studies of Southeast Asia 6(2): 279–305.
Larres, K. (2021). Dictators and Autocrats Securing Power across Global Politics. Vol. 4. Taylor & Francis.
MFA THAILAND. (2019). Annual Report 2019 MFA (December): 2–2. https://www.rtda.gov.rw/fileadmin/templates/publications/RWANDA_Annual_Report_2018-2019_SHARING.pdf,.
Morgan, M. C. (2010). A Temporary Alterat ion in the Thai El ite: The Rise and Fall of Thaks in Shinawat ra
Office, P. (2019). Policy Statement of the Council of Ministers
Office, T. (2017). Joint Statement by President Trump and Prime Minister Prayut Chan-ocha of Thailand
Philip McMichael, M. S. (2011). Food Security Politics and the Millennium Development Goals. UNRISD Occasional Papers on Green Economy and Sustainable Development
Pongsudhirak, T. (2016). An Unaligned Alliance: Thailand-U.S. Relations in the Early 21st Century. Asian Politics and Policy 8(1): 63–74.
Raymond, G. (2020). The Dragon Pearl: Thailand Collective Memory and Realtions with China. Diplomacy
Regilme, S. S. F. (2018). Does US Foreign Aid Undermine Human Rights? The “Thaksinification” of the War on Terror Discourses and the Human Rights Crisis in Thailand, 2001 to 2006. SSRN Electronic Journal 73–95.
U.S. Embassy and Consulate in Thailand. (2020). Joint Vision Statement 2020 for the U.S.–Thai Defense Alliance https://th.usembassy.gov/joint-vision-statement-2020-for-the-thai-u-s-defense-alliance/.
Wayne, M. M. (2000). Thailand- US. Economic Relations: An Overview. CRS Report for Congress 1–6.
Winichakul, T. (2016). Thailand’s Hyper-Royalism: Its Past Success and present predicament. Trends in Southeast Asia (7): 21–22.
In-Text Citation: (Tahir & Huda, 2023)
To Cite this Article: Tahir, R. S. A. R., & Huda, M. I. M. (2023). Thailand’s “Bamboo Bending with The Wind” Policy, Shifting Ground Between The U.S and A Rising China. International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, 13(2), 1611 – 1629.
Copyright: © 2023 The Author(s)
Published by Human Resource Management Academic Research Society (www.hrmars.com)
This article is published under the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY 4.0) license. Anyone may reproduce, distribute, translate and create derivative works of this article (for both commercial and non0-commercial purposes), subject to full attribution to the original publication and authors. The full terms of this license may be seen at: http://creativecommons.org/licences/by/4.0/legalcode