The impacts of the 2014 Coup on Thailand's relations with the People's Republic of China and the United States of America

Abstract

Thailand's foreign policy in the international stage has often been compared to bamboo that bends with the wind. The contrasting reactions from China and the United States to Thailand's 2014 military coup have shaped the new orientation of Thailand's international relations. China has traditionally pursued a foreign policy of non-interference in the internal affairs of other countries, gaining favor with the military government led by General Prayuth. The U.S. government, led by President Obama, issued strong outright condemnation and military sanctions against the 2014 coup. In response to the U.S. criticism of the coup and China's non-interference policy, Thailand under the NCPO regime gradually distanced from the U.S. while moving closer to China. By examining Thailand's positions and roles in the selected agendas, such as the Belt and Road Initiative, the South China Sea dispute, and the joining of multilateral economic organizations, this study found that as a result of the 2014 coup, Thailand's international relations are characterized by gradual estrangement from the United States and closer alliance to China in regard to both military and economic relations. Moreover, this study proposes that the foreign policy of the military government during the NCPO regime cannot be described as "bending with the wind" diplomacy.