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Thailand-United Kingdom relations

British–Thai relations

Thailand	United Kingdom
Diplomatic mission
Embassy of Thailand, London	Embassy of the United Kingdom, Bangkok
Envoy
Ambassador Thani Thongphakdi	Ambassador Mark Gooding

Bilateral relations between Thailand and the United Kingdom date to the 17th century. Thailand has an embassy in London and the UK has an embassy in Bangkok.

History

Colonial period

British rivalry with the French over Siam

See also: 1893 Franco-Siamese crisis

In the late 1880s and 1890s, the French government sought agreements with the British on how to demarcate their sphere's of influence in Southeast Asia. They feared the British would seek territory in in the Upper Mekong region. Prime Minister Salisbury didn't accept the French proposal and sided with the government of British India and the India Office who wished to transfer Upper Mekong territory to either China or Siam. This conflicted with French aspirations to control the entire Mekong. In the lead up to the 1893 Franco-Siamese crisis, Prime Minister Roseberry made it clear that Britain wouldn't interfere with any settlement the French wanted with Siam. Britain however didn't wish to Siam fall to the French as it would destroy British economic interests in the country. Following the crisis and the succession of land on the east bank of the Mekong to France, there were proposals to change British policy towards Siam by either partitioning it with the French or having Siam become a British protectorate. Any aspirations of Siam becoming a protectorate were dismissed by Foreign Secretary John Wodehouse, 1st Earl of Kimberley.

On 4 July 1894, British Charge d'Affaires in Bangkok J.G Scott sent a telegram to London reporting that Prince Svasti Sobhana was treating for Siam to become a French protectorate. This was supported by Robert Morant, tutor to Crown Prince Vajiravudh. As a result, Kimberley began working towards a joint guarantee of Siamese independence with the French. On 21 March 1895, Gurkha troops moved to occupy Muang Sing, capital of the Shan state Keng Cheng in the Upper Mekong, to serve as a bargaining chip over the French to sign a joint guarantee. The efforts of Prince Svasti and Gustave Rolin-Jaequemyns during negotiations helped achieved an outcome not too unfavourable to Siam. In end, the guarantee of Siamese independence was limited to the Menam, leaving room for British expansion in northern Malaya. The agreement was concluded on 15 January 1896.

The Declaration between the United Kingdom and France concerning Siam, Madagascar, and the New Hebrides signed on 8 April 1904 reaffirmed the 1896 treaty and each country recognised each other's sphere of influence in the region.

Map of territorial losses of Siam to Britain and France

Territorial loss to Britain

See also: Territorial losses of Thailand

At the same time, Siamese suzerainty over northern Malaya was weakened. Between 1882 and 1897, Siam maintained good relations with the British Foreign Office although the states of Kelantan and Terengganu were a major source of contention between the two. The Burney Treaty had left the status of the two states ambiguous, with both Siam and Britain presenting interpretations that supported their claims to the states. Under Chulalongkorn, Siam began to centralise and this threatened British interests in the northern Malay states.

After the 1896 Anglo-French declaration, Britain was afraid to weaken Siamese integrity as it might've encouraged French expansion. To secure British interests on the peninsular, Britain and Siam signed the Anglo-Siamese Secret Convention in April 1897 where Siam was unable grant a concession or cede any territory on the peninsular without British approval, and Britain would protect Siamese rights in the region. The convention failed to mention Siamese suzerainty over the northern Malay states.

In 1902, the Siamese-Kelantan Treaty was signed on 5 December between Britain, Siam, Kelantan and Terengganu. The treaty ended Siam's traditional relationship with the two Malay states and forced Siam to appoint a Resident Commissioner and Advisor as an advisor to Sultan Muhammad IV of Kelantan. However, the appointed officer had to be British with Walter Armstrong Graham as the first.

The Anglo-Siamese Treaty of 1909 saw Siam relinquish any claims to the northern Malay states of Kedah, Kelantan, Perlis and Terengganu.

Economy and trade

A Thai Airways Boeing 747 at Heathrow Airport in 1987

Tourism and transportation

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2019, 946,774 tourists from the UK visited Thailand, making them the 12th largest nationality to visit and the largest European cohort behind Russia. Also in 2019, British tourists had the second longest average duration of stay at 17.83 days. In 2022, tourists from the UK were the largest group of Europeans and 5th largest, representing 19.8% of all European tourists arriving in Thailand. In terms of spending, British tourists spent on average $US138 per day.

In 2023, 120,000 Thai tourists visited the UK, spending on average £1,327 per visit.

State and official visits

Chulalongkorn being received by Prince George, Duke of Cambridge in London, August 1897

The first official visit by a Thai monarch was made by Chulalongkorn on his tour of Europe, while Queen Elizabeth became the first British monarch to visit Thailand.

State and official visits to Britain by the Siamese/Thai monarch

Dates	People	Locations	Itinerary
30 July - 21 August 1897	King Chulalongkorn	London, and the Isle of Wright	Stayed in Buckingham Palace before travelling to the Isle of Wright to visit Queen Victoria. He left on a train to Dover to board a ship to Germany.
17 September - 2 October 1897	King Chulalongkorn	Southampton, London	Arrived in Southampton from Le Havre on SS Stella, and boarded a train for London. Returned to Southampton on 1 October and boarded the royal yacht Maha Chakri with the mayor of Southampton, Edward Gayton. He then went back to London and left Dover for Calais.
19-23 July 1960	King Bhumbol Adulyadej and Queen Sirikit	London	First stop on their 1960 tour of Western Europe, the couple were greeted by Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh.
4-6 May 2023	King Vajiralongkorn, and Queen Suthida	London	Attended the coronation ceremony of King Charles III and Queen Camilla.

State and official visits to Thailand by the British monarch

Dates	People	Locations	Itinerary
10-15 February 1972	Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, and Princess Anne	Bangkok, Ayutthaya, and Chiang Mai province	First official visit to Thailand by a reigning British monarch. Arrived at U-Tapao and entered Bangkok on the HMY Brittannia. They visited Chulalongkorn University and met Prime Minister Thanom Kittikachorn. They then toured Bang Pa-In Palace in Ayutthaya. In Chiang Mai province, they visited Miao hilltribes.
28 October - 1 November 1996	Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip	Bangkok, and Ayutthaya	Viewed a royal barge procession celebrating King Bhumbol Adulyadej's Golden Jubilee in Bangkok, before visiting Ayutthaya accompanied by King Bhumibol Adulyadej, Queen Sirikit and members of the Thai royal family. In Ayutthaya, they viewed a Loy Krathong ceremony before visiting Wat Chaiwatthanaram. In

Culture

Education and language

Saint Andrews International School in Bangkok