| Common Name: | Siamese occupation of Germany |
| Subdivision: | Military occupation zone |
| Nation: | Siam |
| Flag Border: | no |
| Era: | First World War |
| Year Start: | 1918 |
| Year End: | 1919 |
| Capital: | Neustadt an der Weinstraße, Rhine Province, German Empire |
The Siamese occupation of Germany was a part of the German Rhineland Occupation zone in 1918-1919.[1] It was the only troops of a Southeast Asian country to participate in the occupation of Germany and the First World War in Europe.
In April 1917, when President Woodrow Wilson declared war on Germany, it was clear that US entry into the World War I would probably turn the tide against the Central Nations (Austria-Hungary, Germany, Bulgaria, and the Ottoman Empire). Waiting on the sidelines and Watching, King Vajiravudh (Rama VI) pondered his options. Thailand (Siam) had maintained neutrality since the outbreak of World War I in 1914, and the country had maintained friendly relations with Germany, but the monarch understood the political value of casting his lot with the Entente forces.
The king was convinced that for Thailand participation in the war would be an opportunity to achieve equality with other countries. The country lost control of Cambodia and Laos and ceding a few southern provinces in 1889-1909, suffering from the imperial designs of the British and especially French. Thailand was also forced to accept the imposition of extraterritorial rights for citizens of such countries as UK, France, and the US. Thus, King Vajiravudh hoped that the participation in the World War would permit a revision of these unequal treaties.
In July 1917, despite the fears of some members of the royal government, King Rama VI declared war on Austria-Hungary and Germany. Therefore, the Thai forces interned and then confiscated at least 12 ocean-going ships of the North German Line as war reparations.[2]
Thailand (Siam) sent an expeditionary force of 1,284 volunteers under Phraya Thephatsadin to serve with French and British forces on the Western Front. They included a contingent of the Army Air Corps.
In 1918, the forces arrived, and aviation personnel began training at the French Army Flying Schools at Avord and Istres. More than 95 qualified as pilots, some were sent to Gunnery School at Biscarosse, the Bomber School at Le Crotoy, and Reconnaissance School at La Chapelle-la-Reine. The Thai pilots flew their first sorties in the last weeks of the war, although other sources claim that they finished their training too late to take part.
On July 19, 1919 the Thai contingent marched in the victory parade in Paris and returned to the homeland in September. The country also participated in the Versailles Peace Conference. In January 1920, Thailand became a founding member of the League of Nations.
In September 1920, the king's decision to enter the war was vindicated when the US ceded their extraterritorial rights. France relinquished its rights in 1925 after years of negotiations, and the UK signed a corresponding treaty in July of the same year.
When Germany was defeated and signed an armistice, the Entente countries occupied the left bank of the Rhine. The contingent of the Siamese motor corps remained in the Rhenish Palatinate from December 1918 to July 1919. It mainly operated in the Neustadt area.
The Siamese Expeditionary Forces (SEF) set up their headquarters at the Hotel zum Löwen by the train station. The troops were distributed between Mußbach, Geinsheim, and Hochspeyer. The Corps was responsible for maintaining public order, demanding respect from the German population, but behaved with restraint. Communication with the locals was very limited due to lack of language knowledge, and usually the French were the intermediaries.[3]
There were about 20,000 people in the territory under Thai rule.[4] Despite the language barrier, some soldiers met with German women. No significant conflicts between the local population and the occupiers are noted. Only minor incidents are mentioned.
A total of 19 members of the SEF died. Half of them were victims of the Spanish flu pandemic, the rest died as a result of accidents. None of the Siamese soldiers died from combat-related injuries or enemy fire.
A war memorial, described as a Srivijaya Buddhist stupa, was erected in honor of the Thai soldiers and is located at the northwestern corner of Sanam Luang park in central Bangkok. It bears the names of 19 of them who died fighting on the Western Front. The monument is called the Volunteer Soldiers’ Monument (Thai: อนุสาวรีย์ทหารอาสา) and commemorates the 19 soldiers of the Siamese Expeditionary Force who died during the First World War.
There are sufficient historical documents on the topic, but there is little focused research on it.[5]