U.S.–Thailand Alliance

Alliance formed as part of the Southeast Asia Treaty Organization (SEATO) in which the United States helped Thailand suppress its communist rebels in exchange for support during the Vietnam War.

At the Geneva Convention in April 1954, the French government agreed to withdraw its forces from Indochina in an effort to quiet the rebellions that had erupted across the region at the conclusion of World War II. Although France's concession was widely welcomed, it still troubled the United States. Communist parties were highly active in most of the Southeast Asian nations. With the Cold War unfolding, the United States feared that Southeast Asia would become a fertile ground for communist uprisings. Therefore, the United States quickly assembled the Southeast Asia Treaty Organization (SEATO). Consisting of the nations of Australia, New Zealand, the Philippines, and Thailand, the organization pledged to halt the spread of communism.

Because of Thailand's crucial central location in the region, the United States heavily supported the smaller nation. The two nations signed bilateral security pacts, the United States established military bases throughout Thailand, and enormous levels of financial aid were used to bolster the Thai economy. From 1954 to 1958, the United States sent nearly $30 million per year in aid to Thailand. As other area nations, such as Cambodia, Laos, and especially South Vietnam, became increasingly unstable, the United States relied upon Thailand to promote U.S. interests in the region.

Neither the United States nor Thailand, however, was completely pleased with the alliance. When SEATO was formed, Phibun Songgram was Thailand's premier. A former general, Phibun had seized power during a military coup in 1947. Although Phibun was, in effect, a dictator, he was a generous leader and commonly upheld the Thai constitution. However, in 1957, Phibun's government was overthrown during another military coup. The new Thai leader, Sarit Thanarat, suspended the constitution, declared martial law, and outlawed all political parties. The United States strongly objected to these policies, and many government officials felt uneasy aligning the United States with such an overtly undemocratic regime. However, the situation in South Vietnam was rapidly worsening, and the United States desperately needed to maintain a firm presence in Southeast Asia. Therefore, the alliance continued.

The Thai government had at first enthusiastically welcomed the alliance. In 1951, a communist group named Free Thai launched an insurgency in northern Thailand with the assistance of China. United States military aid helped to suppress the rebellious party. However, by the 1960s, the alliance had an adverse effect on Thailand's stability. Because of its close relationship with the United States, Thailand was increasingly drawn into the Vietnam War. As the South Vietnamese government collapsed and communists gained control of the Laotian government, Thailand faced new communist uprisings both in the north and along its southern border with Malaysia.

Consequently, Thailand was relieved in 1969 when the United States began to withdraw from Vietnam. Although the loss of aid from the United States temporarily depressed the economy, Thailand was able to revise its relations with its neighbors. Increased trade with China soon replaced the lost assistance from the [Page 790]United States. In 1972, a new constitution was adopted, and in 1976 the first free elections in nearly three decades were held.

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