Political Conflict around the “Turning the Battle Field into Economic Area” Policy of General Chatichai Choonhawan’s Government (1988-1991)

Abstract

This research is set to study the policy termed “Turning the battle field into economic area” by General Chatichai Choonhawan. This research should study the role of several sides participating in the process of implementing the policy, as well as the cooperation and conflict between them. The scope of this study will cover the period when General Chatchai Choonhawan served as Prime Minister of Thailand, i.e. the years from 1988 to 1991. This study will be based on historical methodology which aims to gather an in‐depth understanding of primary and second sources.

The policy “Turning the battle field into economic area”, also connected to the restyling of Thai foreign policy concerning Indochina from confrontation to strengthen the relationship in the field of economic, was pushed forward by the board of advisors to the Prime Minister, while the Foreign Ministry was against it. The disagreement concerning this point finally led to the conflict between the Prime Minister and the board of advisors to the Prime Minister on the one side, and the Foreign Ministry on the other side. Apart from the Foreign Ministry, the security agency was also against the said policy.