Thailand and Japan share the distinction of never having lost sovereignty to the European powers during the colonial period, and both countries were Axis partners during the later part of World War II.
From Siam, Japan was interested in purchasing Chinese silks, as well as deerskins and ray or shark skins (used to make a sort of shagreen for Japanese sword handles and scabbards).
[1] Letters from King Songtham praise the relationship between the two countries: "The existence of a sea separating Thailand and Japan has made contact between our two nations difficult.
Contacts with other communities were not always smooth: in 1614, men of the English East India Company killed eight Japanese in a fight in the city of Ayutthaya.
Tokubei would stay for some time in Siam and again visit the country on board one of the ships of the Dutch adventurer Jan Joosten van Lodensteijn[8][9] and returned with great wealth and numerous stories to tell.
From 1634, the shōgun, informed of these troubles and what he perceived as attacks on his authority, refused to issue further Red Seal ship permits for Siam.
[7] The famous Maria Guyomar de Pinha, wife of the Greek adventurer Constantine Phaulkon, who became one of the most influential men in Siam in the end of the 17th century, was half-Japanese.
[14] Siam was allied with Japan during World War II, following numerous pre-war diplomatic exchanges and the beginning of a Japanese invasion of Thailand.
[15] A Treaty of alliance was signed between Thailand and Japan on December 21, 1941, and on January 25, 1942 Thailand declared war on the United States and Great Britain[16][17] But Pridi Phanomyong acting as Regent for the absent King Ananda Mahidol refused to sign the declaration and the Thai ambassador to Washington, Seni Pramoj, refused to deliver it.
Though the United States had not officially declared war, on 26 December 1942, US Tenth Air Force bombers based in India launched the first major bombing raid[19] that damaged Bangkok and other targets and caused several thousand casualties.
Public opinion and, even more important, the sympathies of the civilian political elite, moved perceptibly against Phibun's alliance with Japan.
Toyota, Nissan, Isuzu) has helped to dramatically improve the trade balance, with over 1 million cars produced last year.
[citation needed] In 2007, a Japan-Thailand Economic Partnership Agreement was signed, aiming at free trade between the two countries after a transition period of 10 years.