Anglo – Thai Relations, 1855-1909 : A Study in Changing of Foreign Policies.

Abstract

After the singing up of the Bowring Treaty in 1855, an official relationship between Thailand and Great Britain was begun. From then onwards, their mutual relationships became extensively and expanded to several aspects, political, economical and social. However, only the political and economical factors are regarded ad the major impacts on the formulation of the British and the Thais foreign policies and their strategic nature of their foreign relations. During 1855-1909 their foreign policies manifested that both countries had searched for their national interests whereas maintaining their peaceful co-existence. To achieve this goal, they had employed many political strategies, namely, arranging their negotiations, making agreements, and signing treaties. Among several agreements and treaties they had made, the Secret Convention of 1897 and the Anglo-Siamese Treaty of 1909 were regarded as the primary importance. Above all, the major issues in those agreements reversed from the Bowring Treaty of 1855, particularly about the notions of the British and the Thai’s political status in the Malay Peninsula. Their establishments of such new foreign policies during this period have been a critical factor in the development of Anglo-Thai relationships and have turned to be an area deserving vast investigations. In examining the trends of foreign policies between both parties, extensive studies of their political, economical and cultural behaviors would be suggested.