08The Thais regained territories in Laos and Cambodia

Demonstration of the Thai people

to support  their government

Thai determination to prosecute this irredentist policy provoked a crisis over the Indo-China-Thailand border and a short-lived war in which the Thais regained territories in Laos and Cambodia, which had been lost to France in 1904 and 1907.

It marked the first time since the colonial era that leaders had employed both diplomacy and force as means to achieve foreign policy objectives.

Initially, the Thai Government entered into direct negotiations with France. Then having failed to persuade the French to subscribe to its demands, the Thai Government adopted an offensive diplomacy.

Its objective was to draw the attention of other Powers to Thailand’s territorial demands. These Powers were Great Britain, the United States, Japan, Germany and Italy.

The Thais obtained a sympathetic response from Japan, Germany and Italy, which counter-balanced a hostile attitude from the United States and Great Britain. The interest of the latter two powers lay in the maintenance of the status quo in Indo-China in spite of the fact that Great Britain adopted a flexible attitude towards it.