The making of Thailand's foreign policy towards Vietnam : the era of reconciliation and regionalism (1988-1995)

Abstract

This inquiry is concerned with the development of the bilateral relationship between Thailand and Vietnam since the late 1980s. There is particular interest in this task, not simply because of the rapidity and scale of change over this period, but also given the hostile history of relations between these nations. Historically, Thailand and Vietnam have contested the neighbouring territories of Laos and Cambodia. In the twentieth century, tensions arose mainly from Thailand's stance on foreign involvement in Vietnam. The nations' susceptibility to outside influence has contrasied greatly. Thailand was lucky to be able to avoid Western colonialism while Vietnam had had a tortured colonial past with French occupation since the mid-19th century followed by the prolonged Cold War conflict between North and South in the 1960s and 1970s. Since the late 1980s, however, the lure of mutual economic rewards through trade has greatly improved the relationship as a result of the end of the Cold War and the resolution of the Cambodian conflict. This study considers this improvement mainly from the perspective of Thai foreign policy. It hypothesises that internal political and economic factors in Thailand have been the driving force behind the support of the Thai business community and reciprocity on the part of Vietnamese political and business elites. Without the vision and leadership of the then Thai Prime Minister Chatichai Choonhavan, it is unlikely that the relationship with Vietnam would have taken the liberalising, constructive course that it has. As is often the case in international relations, leaders matter crucially to the path taken and the results achieved. The arguments presented here testify to the importance of their involvement. Show more