OP ED | EDITORIAL | Thailand’s dangerous and manipulative dancing between US and China
Thailand is being observed as taking dangerous moves between the US and China, and to that end, Cambodia is treated as a disposable or playable pawn for Thai politicians and establishment to deceive their own constituents as well as the US and China.
Firstly, let’s scrutiniSe Thailand’s actions towards the US.
Thailand has shown distrust towards the US who is pressuring Thailand for a peace deal with Cambodia and a rare earth deal in exchange for a tariff-related trade deal.
In this case, the US is rightly perceived by Thailand as opportunist.
From the perspective of the US, Thailand is walking a dangerous path in poking the eagle with multiple “disobediences”.
On October 28, Thailand confirmed that the US-Thailand rare earth MOU is non-binding.
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On November 12, Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, due to the landmine blast on November 10, said Thailand no longer honours the peace deal brokered by US President Donald Trump, and will suspend the release of the illegally captured 18 Cambodian soldiers. He even said that Thailand does not care about the tariff threats anymore.
This announcement was made the day before the king of Thailand’s state visit to China.
American think tanks, including the New York-based Council for Foreign Relations (CFR), have long perceived a growing estrangement between Bangkok and Washington due to the 2014 coup, numerous anti-democratic behaviours, and Thailand’s increased rapprochement with Beijing, including the submarine deal.
CFR published a shocking article entitled “Thailand: Slip Sliding Away From the United States” on October 28.
Recent data suggest that Thailand’s procurement of weapons from China has exceeded that from the US in the years since the 2014 military coup.
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Now, let’s scrutinise Thailand’s actions towards China.
Beyond the sweetened arm deals with China, in September. the China-Thailand “Falcon Strike-2025” joint air force training was held in Thailand, almost two months after the five-day war between Cambodia and Thailand.
The Cambodian people still remember how Thailand boasted of its asymmetric air superiority over Cambodia.
While Cambodia and China are ironclad friends, China’s air force drill with Thailand put pain in the hearts of Cambodian people who are suffering from Thailand’s illegal invasion.
It has been observed that when the situation at the border is calm, Thai soldiers often walk over landmines in conflict zones. However, instead of fighting in those areas, the Thai army chooses to injure Cambodian civilians in other border villages, often located more than 100 kilometres from where Thai soldiers are sacrificing themselves.
This act is described in Khmer as “yutasas sach kam,” which means a strategy of self-bleeding or self-mutilation.
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On November 12, the day Thailand promised to return captured Cambodian soldiers and one day before the Thai king’s visit to China, Thai army renewed fatal attack against Cambodian civilians, killing one civilian and injuring three others.
No one can decipher Thailand’s intention behind the sudden unprovoked shootings at Cambodian civilians.
But again, Cambodian people are starting to realise that Cambodia being an ironclad friend of China is in fact less important for China vis-a-vis Thailand who China treats with “family-strength ties”.
These are dangerous manoeuvres by Thailand in the geopolitical contest between the US and China, and unfortunately Cambodia was caught up in the game.
Thailand’s behaviour has raised more questions than it has answered.
The question is whether the recent unruly behaviours of Thailand are just an act by power-hungry Thai prime minister of a seemingly caretaker government that breathes on oxygen provided by the military and Thai royal palace, or whether there is a social movement to please ultra-nationalists holding Cambodia hostage to contain deep internal divisions within Thai politics, which consider attacking Cambodia more important than saving their own people who are suffering from deadly floods.
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It is equally important to ask whether, when Thailand attempts to influence the Sino-American geopolitical game, the US will allow itself to be manipulated.
The world is waiting for Washington’s discreet response towards its long-term ally, and Thailand is testing America’s patience.
Thailand is trying to deceive the world in regards to the Cambodia-Thailand border conflict through its charming and smiling magic, most of the time based on lies and a flip-flop attitude, but how long that lasts,the history will keep a record. And Thailand’s next generations will read the history that is being written now, probably not with pride.
All thinkers, including Thai thinkers even if they chose to remain silent through self-censorship in a stifling climate of ultranationalism, would carefully weigh their judgments, regardless of the affection they might have for Thailand, which exerts great influence in terms of media power and soft power.
There is a Khmer saying that goes, “phout chreun chanh atmar”, meaning that if you lie too much, those lies will bury you into self-defeat.
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THE EDITOR
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