Thailand in the Cold War

Thailand's position during the Cold War was ambiguous: Thailand's political leadership was keen to maintain the country's independence, yet was also keen to establish the country as staunchly anti-communist. This book argues that though Thailand was never formally a client state of the United States, it was closely embedded in the Western camp through the development of a modern, consumerist lifestyle in Thailand's cosmopolitan urban communities. The book shows how a consumerist ideology and integration into a "free world" culture took hold, and how this popular culture was fundamental in determining Thailand's international political alignment.