Thailand–Japan Railway Cooperation: Interests and Power Competition

Abstract

Railway development is Thailand’s important strategy, not only reducing logistical costs, but also developing the country’s competitiveness and quality of life. Thailand’s railway development strategy is in line with Japan’s Partnership for Quality Infrastructure, initiated by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. This Abe’s initiative shows that Japan has emphasized its engagement with foreign countries, particularly Asian countries, in infrastructure development. Apart from Japan, China has also paid much effort to engage with foreign countries in this issue-area through both bilateral and multilateral cooperation such as Thailand-China railway cooperation and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB). This research therefore examines the trajectory of Thailand-Japan railway cooperation and Japan’s interests on this cooperation. This research, which is methodologically qualitative in nature, applies Joseph Nye’s “smart power” to analyze the cases. I found that Japan would gain economic benefits from exporting Japanese products and services from its strong industries, and Japanese investors would benefit from Thailand-Japan railway projects. This research also suggests that railway cooperation is not merely a business matter, but also the power competition between Japan and China that competes each other to exert their influence on Thailand and the region.