Franco-Siam War
(1893)-France, colonial ruler of most of Indochina,
seized control of Laos from Siam in a sharp, bloody
war.
Palace Revolt of
1912-- This coup plot was the first time in Thai
history that the military tried to overthrow the
legitimate government of Siam. Discontentment from the
Army during the reign of King Vajiravudh (also known as
King Rama VI) led to an unsuccessful coup. The man chosen
to assassinate the king instead revealed the plot,
leading to the arrest of the coup plotters.
Thai Military Coup
(1932)--This coup ended Siam's absolute monarchy and
placed limits on the powers of the king. Specifically,
the coup removed conservative, pro-royalist government
ministers from power.
Thai Military Coup
(1933) --Army officers opposing the civilian prime
minister's closing of the National Assembly (closed in
order to stop a radical economic plan opposed by
conservatives) staged a coup in June 1933 that forced
Prime Minister Manopakorn, restored the National
Assembly, and set up a new government that respected
democratic procedures.
Thai Royalist Revolt
(1933)--In October, 1933, a serious royalist revolt
broke out led by the king's cousin, Prince Boworadet, who
had been defense minister during the previous
pro-royalist regime which was overthrown in 1932. Also
known as the Boworadet Rebellion. The fighting
lasted from October 11 to October 23, and resulted in the
loyalist government forces defeating the
rebels.
Rebellion of the
Sergeants (1935) --
Songsuradet Rebellion
(1939) --
World War
II--During the Second World War, while France was
defeated and partially occupied by Germany in 1940, both
Japan and her ally Thailand initiated border conflicts
with the French colonial forces in Vietnam and
Indochina.
Franco-Thai Border
War (Jan. 9, 1941-Jan. 28, 1941)--Thailand, then
an unofficial ally of Japan, initiated an invasion of
French Indochina after early border skirmishes from
November 1940. After early successes, the Thai forces
were forced back by French reinforcements. At sea, the
French navy, in the form of one cruiser, wiped out
nearly one third of the Thai navy off the island of
Kho Chang on Jan. 17. Japan arranged a cease-fire on
Jan. 28. Per a written agreement signed on March 11,
France gave portions of Laos and Cambodia to Thailand.
(External
link on this war.)
Japanese Invasion
of Thailand (1941)--Japan, while hoping that
secret negotiations with the Thai government would
result in the right to free movement of Japanese
forces in Thailand, invaded Thailand on December 8,
1941. Japan's goal was access to invasion routes to
British-ruled Burma and Malaya. Thai forces put up
stiff resistance for several hours, but the fighting
ended when the Thai dicator, Plaek Pibulsonggram,
signed an armistice with Japan.
Thailand as a
Member of the Axis Powers- (1941-1945)-Thailand
and Japan formed an alliance December 21, 1941. On
January 25, 1942, the Thai government declared war on
the United States and the United Kingdom, thus
becoming a member of the Axis Powers. The Thai
ambassador to the United States refused to deliver the
declaration of war and became a leader in Thailand's
anti-Japanese resistance. Because of this, the United
States did not declare war on Thailand. By the end of
the war, Thai resistance forces numbered around 50,000
and were in opposition to the Japanese
occupation.
Thai Military Coup
(1947)
Thai Naval Revolt
(1949)
Korean War (1950-1953)--Thailand joined other
members of the United Nations in fighting against North
Korea and Communist China.
Thai Naval Rebellion
(1951)--Also known as the Manhattan Rebellion of June
1951, this was the Royal Thai Navy's long-expected
attempt to overthrow the government of Field Marshal
Plaek Phibunsongkhram. The rebels' defeat resulted in the
near-complete dismantling of the navy, as well as the
rise to power of Phibun's two chief rivals, Phao Siyanon
and Sarit Thanarat. The rebellion caused nearly 1200
deaths and 3,000 wounded, mostly civilians.
Cambodia-Thai Border
Clash (1958)
The so-called "Vietnam
War" was really a regional and international conflict
involving not just North and South Vietnam and the U.S.
but also embroiling Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, South
Korea, Australia and New Zealand. Below are some of the
"smaller" conflicts that in part made up the Second
Indochina War.
The
American-Vietnamese War-(1956-1975)--The Communist
North Vietnamese and the southern Viet Cong engaged in
a long war to overthrow the pro-American government of
South Vietnam. The U.S. and other allied nations sent
troops to aid the Saigon regime. The last U.S. combat
troops left in 1973 and Saigon fell to the North
Vietnamese on April 30, 1975. Known in the U.S. and
much of the world as "The Vietnam War." Known in
Vietnam as "The American War." Thailand contributed
troops to the war in South Vietnam, and served as a
base for American bombing raids on Laos, Cambodia, and
Vietnam.
Thai Communist
Guerrilla War (1965-1982)--Low-intensity guerrilla
war waged by the Thai Communist Party against the Thai
government began in August, 1965. By 1977, approximately
half the provinces in Thailand had a Communist guerrilla
presence. A combination of government military offensives
and an amnesty program caused the guerrilla movement to
fail by 1982.
Khmer Rouge (Cambodia)
Border Raids into Thailand (1975-1979)
Thai-Laotian
Border War (1987-1988)
Thailand-Myanmar
Border Conflict
(2001)
Thai Muslim Rebellion
(2003 – Present) Thailand vs. Muslim Separatists
--Thailand's Muslim population, located in the south near
the border with Malaysia, rebelled in 2003. A similar
campaign of violence hit the south in the 1970s and
1980s.
Thai Military Coup
(2006)--The elected government of Prime Minister
Thaksin Shinawatra was overthrown by the Thai military.
This began an ongoing period of political unrest in Thai
politics.
Cambodia-Thai
Border Clash (2008-2011)--Thai
and Cambodian troops exchanged fire with each other on
the disputed territory near the Preah Vihear
Temple.
Red Shirt Protests and
Political Violence (2010)
