Why Was Thailand the ONLY Country in Asia to Align with the Axis? - Allies of the Axis #1

In this video, we delve into Thailand's contribution to the Second World War, which was likely more complicated than you know.

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🎬Video Credits:
Narrator - Pat
Editors - Shantanu koli
Writer - Nick Petrou
Researcher - Daniel

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Chapters

0:00 A lesser-known Axis ally
0:47 Thailand before World War II
4:06 War with the French and Japanese
7:09 Axis-aligned Thailand
11:13 Conclusion

[letsgowinnietheflu]

YES! someone who uses a historically accurate map of the time. I find WW1 and WW2 docs with the wrong maps irritating

[to_cya_]

Fun fact
Thais always called Phibun (pi-boon) as "Chompol Plaek" which literally means "Marshal Strange"
While currently the Doctor Strange film is in the cinema, you can easily found meme of Phibun dressed as Doctor Strange in Thai social media

[unteejo]

Thailand basically…
- invaded by Japanese
- made deal with Japanese
- became an ally of Japanese
- got lost lands back with Japanese help
- treated Thai resistance (Seri-Thai) as rebels
- heard that Japan lost
- said being forced to become ally
- also said that Thai heroes (Seri-Thai the used-to-be rebels) secretly resisted the Axis
- paid fine
- joined the victory parade as a victor
- lost the lands that Japan helped get back and treated it as if this was never happened.
- as a fellow victor with France and England, we should break all those unfair, obsolete agreements we signed a hundred years ago :D


In short, Thailand fought against and with both sides. Diplomacy at its finest.

[avcomth]

This partnership, although superficial, had a profound effect on Thailand's future post war. Japan went back to rebuild it's economy and returned to Thailand in the 60's to employ the country as its manufacturing base for everything from automobiles to household appliances. This has helped Thailand transformed its broken post WWII economy from agricultural-based to manufacturing-based model and bring prosperity to the nation. Japan sees Thailand as a trusworthy partner and the two countries' economies remained intertwined to this day.

[RangKlos]

My 86 year old aunt told us how she as an elementary school kid in Northeastern Thai would stop by the Mekong river on her way home from school to watch Japanese troops took their afternoon bath. Compares to what happened throughout the region at that time, Piboon did one thing right. He was able to keep the general Thais from tragic.

[jittawutkittipoonsuk]

as a Thai, I didn't know that Plaek was like this, they didn't teach the bad things he did, in Thai schools that I learn, they only teach us about how he embraced and recommends Thai people to use and make more Thai products to have recognition all over the world!! Thanks for the actual info!!

[ohmmy]

2:00 Thailand can also be the land of Thai and Thai in this case is Tai ethnic group, so the idea of changing the name from Siam to Thailand is to create some kind of unity in the nation. And as a Thai I can say that it kinda work.

[rsilkw]

Again very appreciative of the video! I can’t recall many channels or people talking about Thailand and it’s role in the Axis.

[brokenbridge]

Well I heard that Thailand had actively aided the Japanese in WWII. But wasn't sure just how much. Now that I know that the countries role in this war was exceedingly complicated. And I say in the end Thailand got off lucky as compared to other Axis aligned countries.

[imguy]

There is another fact that Thailand has long been an ally with the Japanese Empire. That is because Thailand and Japan have two kings who have had good relations with each other since before the war. We know that the Japanese during the war worshiped their king very much. which isn’t different from Thailand There was an incident during the Japanese invasion of Thailand to reach some parts of the capital. But he had to turn back when they realized that this was a palace because they understood the feelings of Thai people who respect the king as much as their country. But that was just a small incident in the war that no one talked about. I think this is the reason why Thailand and Japan are still allies until now.

[chaichanasangchai]

Thai-Japan We are best friends forever, love Japan from Thailand.🇹🇭❤🇯🇵

[heakhaek]

As a Thai person I'm really excited to have people of my nationality be recognised, even if it is part of some of the darkest parts of history. I actually vaguely remember asking my grandfather about WW2 and he told me of the Japanese Railways built through Indochina to supply Japanese troops in Burma.

[azymondiasdragon]

I am basically learning all these in my faculty this semester ( I am studying in Thammasat University). There is a lot of myth during this period. One of my favorite is the myth that Seni Pramoj, who is the ambassador in DC at the time, didn't send the war declaration to the US government. Thus, US never declare war back on Thailand.

[napoleonibonaparte]

He was also the origin of the now famous Pad Thai.

[Jedsa]

Some interesting facts about Field Marshal Plaek Phibunsongkhram. Although he had Chinese ancestry, Field Marshal Plaek was very anti-Chinese (one of the reasons he got along well with Japan). He had imposed several Sino-phobic policies. His propaganda even compared the Chinese in Siam to the Jews in Germany. During his second premiership, he was quick to align Thailand with the anti-communist camp and even send troops to Korea for fighting communists in Korean War.

[numnumRS]

เรื่องราวนี้ ขอบคุณสำหรับเรื่องราวดีๆ และยังมีอีกหลายเรื่อง ที่คนไทยเองไม่ทราบ 😊😊😊

[xefvxck]

I am from Thailand, and I can say that the lesson about WWII in Thai schools is so brief compared to this VDO.

[jeffsilkwood]

I was born and raised in Chiang Mai Thailand. When I was a kid (about 35 years ago) I lived in a house that was an old Japanese WW 2 headquarters. I don’t know any of the stories about what happened there during the war but it was a neat old house none the less. Now it has been moved and is protected as a historical sight.

[opupkk]

6:58-7:08
Translation:
"Destroy the UK, the oppressor of Asia.



Help the Japanese army attack the British who have long been oppressing us. Japan always wanted to bring us prosperity."

[Yadahl]

Before world war 2, the ka-na-rad-sa-don (คณะราษฎร) revolted against Thai King at that time (King rama VII). Long story short, the king was so disappointed in Ka-na-rad-sa-don, so he abdicated and go abroad and died by heart attack. During world war 2 the queen of the King rama VII was also joining Seri-Thai movement with Thai people who lived in England. She is also one of the key person in Seri-Thai movement.