During the Cold War period, the Thai monarchy, under the reign of King Bhumibol Adulyadej (1946–2016), was recognised for its role in stabilising Thailand, which in turn was crucial to stem the tide of communism in Southeast Asia. Bhumibol’s active diplomacy was a part of the political alliance between the Thai monarchy and the United States. Together, they closely cooperated to confront a variety of threats against the monarchy, from political opponents at home to communists across the borders. For the United States, allying with the Thai monarchy fulfilled its security mission in Southeast Asia. But the end of the Cold War diminished this political alliance. The arrival of King Vajiralongkorn in 2016 and his seeming disengagement in diplomacy suggest that international support for the throne has become redundant. Vajiralongkorn, set free from Cold War obligations, has been increasingly detached from foreign affairs because the main focus of the throne has been solely on internal security. Vajiralongkorn’s position reaffirms that political alliance is today irrelevant because it no longer serves the palace’s domestic purposes.
This research was published online in the Royal Studies Journal on December 15, 2025.

A word from the Author

Writing this article, “No Longer Under the American Wing? The Thai Monarchy in Global Affairs,” was driven by my desire to critically examine how the Thai monarchy’s international standing has undergone a seismic shift from the Cold War era to the present day. My inspiration stemmed from observing the stark contrast between King Bhumibol Adulyadej’s era—defined by an intimate, strategic alliance with the United States to contain communism—และรัชสมัยปัจจุบันของกษัตริย์วชิราลงกรณ์. Through this work, I sought to demonstrate how international recognition, which was once an indispensable lifeline for the stability of the throne, has increasingly become redundant in a multipolar world where the palace’s focus has retreated toward internal security. I wanted to challenge the outdated “Cold War mindset” that often dominates Southeast Asian diplomatic analysis by arguing that the traditional monarchy-U.S. alliance has lost its domestic utility for the current king, who appears neither ready nor willing to cast China as an enemy to justify an exclusive bond with Washington. Ultimately, my purpose was to provide a conceptual framework that explains why the Thai monarchy has moved from being a central pillar of regional pro-American policy to becoming a more reclusive and detached actor on the global stage.

Researcher

Pavin Chachavalpongpun　Activity Database on Education and Research, Kyoto University

Publication Information

Related Literature

Pavin Chachavalpongpun (ed). Rama X: The Thai Monarchy under King Vajiralongkorn, New Haven: Yale Southeast Asia Studies, 2023.

About Thumbnail Photo

His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej addresses a joint session of the U.S. Congress on June 29, 1960 (Source: Wikimedia Commons: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:ATrelations0018a-1.jpg)

Contact

<About the author>
Pavin Chachavalpongpun, Professor, Center for Southeast Asian Studies, Kyoto University
E-mail:  pavin [at] cseas.kyoto-u.ac.jp (Please replace [at] with @.)

<About the publicity>
Public Relations Committee, Center for Southeast Asian Studies, Kyoto University
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