ABSTRACT
This chapter examines Thailand’s pan-Asianism as a distinct site of memory. Thailand’s interest in regionalism has had many forms, the most conspicuous of which has been its involvement in ASEAN. It reviews another site of memory that imagines Thailand’s region and its place in it: what authors term Thailand’s Suvarnabhumi site of memory, which a superior Thailand, progressive in emphasising Thailand’s neighbours as assets rather than threats. The chapter explores how more recent trends in the strategic environment, such as more hegemonic China and erratic America, are recasting Thailand’s understanding of its own history into one that emphasises the common struggle that Southeast Asian nations have in managing relations with Great Powers. In the post–Cold War Suvarnabhumi version of the Golden Land, Thailand becomes a central logistical and industrial node linking maritime and mainland Southeast Asia, as well as China and Southeast Asia.
