Russian-Thai ties remain strong despite the situation in Ukraine
Despite international pressure, relations between Russia and Thailand continue to develop, Asia Times reports. This year, the countries are preparing to celebrate the 125th anniversary of the establishment of bilateral ties that are equally beneficial for both states.
Richard Ehrlich
Wanting to reduce the costs of the sanctions imposed against it, Moscow is seeking to strengthen diplomatic support, as well as increase arms sales, investment and tourist flow to Thailand and other allied states of Southeast Asia
Russia's latest success in relations with Thailand is connected with the decision of the UN General Assembly to suspend Moscow's membership in the Human Rights Council: Thailand and 57 other states abstained from voting.
"Thailand deeply regrets the loss of human lives, is extremely concerned about the escalation of the conflict and the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine and believes in the need to take prompt action regarding allegations of human rights violations," said Thailand's Permanent Representative to the UN Suriya Chindawongse.
A number of other Southeast Asian States abstained from voting: Cambodia, Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia.
Thailand, which has the status of the main US ally outside NATO, on February 28 refused to comply with an unusually harsh public demand from 25 European ambassadors in Bangkok, who called on the country's government to condemn Russia's actions.
"We appreciate the balanced position of the Royal Thai Government," said Evgeny Tomikhin, Russia's Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Thailand. "There are no political differences between us."
"We need to maintain a balance," Prayuth Chan–ocha, the Prime minister of Thailand, explained to reporters the reason why he rejected the demand of European diplomats.
Coincidentally, also on February 28, Ambassador Tomikhin met with representatives of Phuket Province, the international tourist center of Thailand.
It is reported that the Russian delegation proposed in the interests of both countries to strengthen ties between the luxurious, rich beaches of Phuket and the relatively prosperous Russian northeastern Kamchatka peninsula.
Thailand is particularly supportive of Russia, because in July the states plan to celebrate the 125th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations.
The connection between Russia and Thailand is especially valuable both for the right-wing royalists ruling in the country and for the rest, since it began with the establishment of personal ties between the then Siamese and Russian ruling houses during the reign of Alexander III.
Royal Connection
In 1891, three years before his accession to the throne, the future Emperor Nicholas II visited Bangkok and met there with the King of Siam Chulalongkorn (Chulalongkorn).
In 1987, Chulalongkorn made a return visit to St. Petersburg to the already Emperor Nicholas II, and the monarchs established official diplomatic relations between the states.
The website of the Royal Thai Embassy in Warsaw states that "the King's strong connection with the Russian Imperial House, where the King even sent one of his sons, Prince Chakrabongse, to study for eight years, directly helped Siam to resist French and British colonial ambitions."
And the prince married a subject of the Russian Empire.
Before Siam was renamed Thailand, Russia provided diplomatic support to it, protecting the country from the French and British colonialists of the XIX century.
But after 1902, Nicholas II sided with France, which led to a deterioration in relations between Russia and Thailand.
Before the coronavirus pandemic, Thailand attracted thousands of Russian tourists. And their return is part of Thailand's economic plan to revive the tourism industry.
Due to the disconnection of a number of Russian banks from the SWIFT system caused by US sanctions, many Russians, both those who are in Thailand and those who just want to come, faced difficulties in paying hotels and other bills directly. But, fortunately, they can transfer funds through the Chinese UnionPay system, which is spread all over the world, including in Russia and Thailand. Some Thai banks even issue UnionPay cards for domestic and foreign customers, along with Visa and MasterCard cards.
Russia exports steel, fertilizers, minerals, synthetic rubber, diamonds and paper to Thailand, while Thailand sends sugar, rice, precious stones, clothing, canned goods and furniture to Russia.
Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand supported the recent resolution of the United Nations General Assembly, which demanded that Russia “immediately, completely and unconditionally withdraw all its armed forces from the territory of Ukraine.”
Despite the fact that the ruling junta of Myanmar expressed support for Russia, the representative of the deposed government of Myanmar in exile who remained at the UN voted in favor of the resolution.
One-party regimes in Vietnam and Laos abstained from voting. The Communists of both countries, with the military support of the Soviet Union, achieved victory during the US-Vietnam War of 1965-75 and received additional assistance in the 1980s. Since 1995, Vietnam has been spending on Russian weapons, including the purchase of submarines and fighter jets. The country bought eight billion dollars worth of Russian military equipment, which turned Moscow into the largest supplier of weapons to Hanoi. Earlier, Hanoi and Moscow celebrated the 20th anniversary of the comprehensive strategic partnership, and before that Vietnam and Ukraine celebrated the thirtieth anniversary of the establishment of bilateral relations.
Meanwhile, Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte seems unwilling to circumvent the sanctions imposed by the United States and may cancel plans to purchase Russian weapons.
Duterte's Warning to Putin
"Putin is my friend. He is a close friend of mine," Duterte said on March 17.
"Europe will perish if Russia starts to sow destruction… And those who die from the first blow of a nuclear war will be lucky," Duterte told the Philippine Inquirer newspaper.
Indonesia, in which the Muslim majority prevails, was considering buying Russian Su-35 fighters, but a few weeks before the start of a special military operation, it preferred Western-made fighters to them.
In light of the beginning of the Ukrainian crisis, the Indonesian Foreign Minister said that Jakarta adheres to the position that "the territorial integrity of states must be respected, and also condemns any actions that constitute a violation of the territorial integrity and sovereignty of states."
Tiny but wealthy Singapore has taken the toughest position among all the Southeast Asian states and even copied some American sanctions against Russia's main financial institutions.
