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Situated in the heart of Southeast Asia, Thailand occupies a crucial geopolitical space in the region and is a major gateway to ASEAN markets. For years, it has maintained a balancing act between the U.S., its formal treaty ally, and China, its largest trading partner. But Thailand’s most recent coup—the 19th since 1932—has chilled the U.S.-Thai relationship, leaving Bangkok closer to Beijing. In his new book, Thailand: Shifting Ground Between the US and a Rising China, author Benjamin Zawacki argues that the United States needs to reexamine this critical alliance before it is usurped by a rising China. Listen to this week’s Asia Unbound podcast to hear why and how the United States should reinvigorate this important relationship.
C. V. Starr Senior Fellow and Director for Asia Studies