Thailand 'sick man of Asia'?

[Aepsilons]

No doubt. the Thai played smart and remained the only country in SE Asia that was not colonized.
back then Vietnam made the major mistake by following Chinese model of closed door policy.

They were realistic. Had they resisted, most likely Thailand would have been invaded by the Imperial Japanese Army, as what had happened to French Indochina when Japan sweeped south to take out Singapore. They had the option to be neutral and not suffer military, and civilian losses; or they could have resisted ?

It was to the national interest of Thailand, at the time, to cooperate.

As for Vietnam's closed door policy, i can empathize with that. Vietnam, like China, Korea, and Japan are considered East Asian in culture, meaning there is a prevalent Confucian culture there. Like Vietnam and China, Japan had implemented a Closed Door Policy during the beginning of the Tokugawa Shogunate. Japan's doors were forced open during the Treaty of Kanagawa, where it was seen that in order to evade colonization was to modernize. During this time, the 17th - 19th centuries, was the time of European imperialism: british india, dutch malaccas, spanish philippines, and eventually french indochina. We cannot change the past @Viet , but we can learn from it. We have the benefit of hindsight.

 

[Viet]

They were realistic. Had they resisted, most likely Thailand would have been invaded by the Imperial Japanese Army, as what had happened to French Indochina when Japan sweeped south to take out Singapore. They had the option to be neutral and not suffer military, and civilian losses; or they could have resisted ?

It was to the national interest of Thailand, at the time, to cooperate.

As for Vietnam's closed door policy, i can empathize with that. Vietnam, like China, Korea, and Japan are considered East Asian in culture, meaning there is a prevalent Confucian culture there. Like Vietnam and China, Japan had implemented a Closed Door Policy during the beginning of the Tokugawa Shogunate. Japan's doors were forced open during the Treaty of Kanagawa, where it was seen that in order to evade colonization was to modernize.

During this time, the 17th - 19th centuries, was the time of European imperialism: british india, dutch malaccas, spanish philippines, and eventually french indochina. We cannot change the past @Viet , but we can learn from it. We have the benefit of hindsight.

you are right, we can´t change the past. actually unlike China, Thailand is much weaker than Vietnam in terms of military and several other aspects. In many encounters, the Thai rather ran away than risked a fight with Viet soldiers.

by the way, has your nick name any meaning: Nihonjin?

 

[StarCraft_ZT]

you are right, we can´t change the past. actually unlike China, Thailand is much weaker than Vietnam in terms of military and several other aspects. In many encounters, the Thai rather ran away than risked a fight with Viet soldiers.

by the way, has your nick name any meaning: Nihonjin?

Nihon means Japan

Vietnam too always ally with the stronger... except Viets are too stupid and always make the bad choice...even now Viets are allying with the US and hating on China while Thais are trying to have good relations with China...one is smart enough to chose good allies and the other one is stupid...

Vietnam changes very quickly, that;s why Chinese foreign minster said they have low credibility in the world. No one will trust them, they are not reliable.

 

[Jlaw]

Nihon means Japan



.

I thought it was Nippon.

 

[StarCraft_ZT]

I thought it was Nippon.

Yeah, I guess they have the same meaning.

The Japanese names for Japan are Nippon (にっぽん listen (help. info)) and Nihon (にほん listen (help. info)). They are both written in Japanese using the kanji 日本.

 

[Reashot Xigwin]

you are right, we can´t change the past. actually unlike China, Thailand is much weaker than Vietnam in terms of military and several other aspects. In many encounters, the Thai rather ran away than risked a fight with Viet soldiers.

by the way, has your nick name any meaning: Nihonjin?

Japanese Dude.

 

[Sanchez]

I thought it was Nippon.

The name was given by Tang emperor, meaning the country located in the direction of sun rise.

 

[ChineseTiger1986]

Those so-called yellow-shirt Thais of Chinese descent have no allegiance to PRC at all, and i hope those red-shirt Thais will soon kick their a$$.

 

[Sanchez]

As for Vietnam's closed door policy, i can empathize with that. Vietnam, like China, Korea, and Japan are considered East Asian in culture, meaning there is a prevalent Confucian culture there. Like Vietnam and China, Japan had implemented a Closed Door Policy during the beginning of the Tokugawa Shogunate. Japan's doors were forced open during the Treaty of Kanagawa, where it was seen that in order to evade colonization was to modernize. During this time, the 17th - 19th centuries, was the time of European imperialism: british india, dutch malaccas, spanish philippines, and eventually french indochina. We cannot change the past @Viet , but we can learn from it. We have the benefit of hindsight.

Japanese aggression and the ambition for continental expansion had nothing to do with close-door policy, as Japan invaded Korea many times in the history. The "door-opened" Japan became stronger and finally capable to realize your long term dream to grab a piece of solid continental land. It'd be absurd to disguise, as many Japanese do, that Japan's purpose of aggression was different from that of European imperialism.

 

[mike2000]

They were realistic. Had they resisted, most likely Thailand would have been invaded by the Imperial Japanese Army, as what had happened to French Indochina when Japan sweeped south to take out Singapore. They had the option to be neutral and not suffer military, and civilian losses; or they could have resisted ?

It was to the national interest of Thailand, at the time, to cooperate.

As for Vietnam's closed door policy, i can empathize with that. Vietnam, like China, Korea, and Japan are considered East Asian in culture, meaning there is a prevalent Confucian culture there. Like Vietnam and China, Japan had implemented a Closed Door Policy during the beginning of the Tokugawa Shogunate. Japan's doors were forced open during the Treaty of Kanagawa, where it was seen that in order to evade colonization was to modernize. During this time, the 17th - 19th centuries, was the time of European imperialism: british india, dutch malaccas, spanish philippines, and eventually french indochina. We cannot change the past @Viet , but we can learn from it. We have the benefit of hindsight.

I like your comment and agree with it. However, i disagree with the point that Japan was somehow forced to modernize in other to avoid european colonization, if so why did it invade all asia and even China(though not all China since it mainly controled the southern partsas there was still heavy fighting going on), and what explains the barbarity Japan inclicted on its 'Asian brothers'? it was even more brutal than the Nazis in some cases. Just because Japan is our ally and helped us against the U.S.S.R/communism and didnt really killed europeans civilians in europe during the world, thats why our media dont over emphasize too much against Japans Crimes like we did with Germany. So Japan shouldn't take this as meaning our governments agree it was somehow a victim during the war like some japanese i know/have met when in Japan seem to think. Funny enough Japan made even the west imperialism in Asia look more benevolent, since the Japanese were even more brutal in their conquest in Asia.
so i dont agree that Japan just opened up and invaded/massacred it neighbours just because it feared the evil west colonizing it.

 

[Aepsilons]

you are right, we can´t change the past. actually unlike China, Thailand is much weaker than Vietnam in terms of military and several other aspects. In many encounters, the Thai rather ran away than risked a fight with Viet soldiers.

by the way, has your nick name any meaning: Nihonjin?

Nihonjin means 'person from Japan' or 'Japanese person'.

 

[Rechoice]

Vietnam changes very quickly, that;s why Chinese foreign minster said they have low credibility in the world. No one will trust them, they are not reliable.

What is wrong with dr. Ah Q ?

 

[EastSea]

Nihon means Japan



Vietnam changes very quickly, that;s why Chinese foreign minster said they have low credibility in the world. No one will trust them, they are not reliable.

I can say same on Chinese.

 

[Sonyuke_Songpaisan]

s

hey...you know well about the history of the region.

exactly, the past military expeditions the Siamese made into Laos and Cambodia were contradictory to the national interests of Dai Viet. We ourselves had plan for the region.

back then in the 18 century, the Kingdom of Siam posed a serious threat for Vietnam. The Thai had defeated the armies of Burma, Laos, Malays and Cambodia and made them to vassals. the rise of Siam as economic and military power was largely contributed by chinese migrants.

From the strategic perspective, Dai Viet was surrounded by two mighty neighbors: China on the north front, and Siam on the west. Vietnam´s military campaign again Siam became unavoidable.

Early territory of Rattanakosin Kingdom

Siam should retake what she lost

 

[Viet]

s

Siam should retake what she lost

Thailand has no military power to do that.