In this Book
- In Buddha's Company: Thai Soldiers in the Vietnam War
- Book
- 2010
- Published by: University of Hawai'i Press
- Series: Southeast Asia: Politics, Meaning, and Memory
Drawing on numerous interviews with Thai veterans and archival material from Thailand and the United States, Ruth focuses on the cultural exchanges that occurred between Thai troops and their allies and enemies, presenting a Southeast Asian view of a conflict that has traditionally been studied as a Cold War event dominated by an American political agenda. The resulting study considers such diverse topics as comparative Buddhisms, alternative modernities, consumerism, celebrity, official memories vs. personal recollections, and the value of local knowledge in foreign wars. The war’s effects within Thailand itself are closely considered, demonstrating that the war against communism in Vietnam, as articulated by Thai leaders, was a popular cause among nearly all segments of the population. Furthermore, Ruth challenges previous assertions that Thailand’s forces were merely "America’s mercenaries" by presenting the multiple, overlapping motivations for volunteering offered by the soldiers themselves.
In Buddha’s Company makes clear that many Thais sought direct involvement in the Vietnam War and that their participation had profound and lasting effects on the country’s political and military institutions, royal affairs, popular culture, and international relations. As one of only a handful of academic histories of Thailand in the 1960s, it provides a crucial link between the keystone studies of the Phibun-Sarit years (1946–1963) and those examining the turbulent 1970s.
47 illus., 2 mapsTable of Contents
- Introduction
- pp. 1-20
- 1 Sawadi, Vietnam
- pp. 21-52
- 2 Firing Up the Thai Public Sphere
- pp. 53-80
- 3 Muang PX
- pp. 81-116
- 4 Trading Magic for Modernity
- pp. 117-136
- 5 Thai People Have No Enemies
- pp. 137-179
- Conclusion
- pp. 213-226
- Bibliography
- pp. 263-268