บทบาทของถนัด คอมันตร์กับการต่างประเทศของไทย ระหว่างปี ค.ศ. 1958-1971 / ระพีภรณ์ เลิศวงศ์วีรชัย = The role of Thanat Khoman in Thai foreign affairs during 1958-1971 / Rapeeporn Lertwongweerachai
The main theme of this thesis is to study the role of Thanat Khoman, Thailand's Minister of Foreign Affairs, during 1958-1971 in the context of power structure of an international system in which the United States is positioned as a superpower. This structure, labelled as Pax Americana, promotes the capitalist economic system and politically antagonises the Communists in the conflict called the Cold War. The study finds that international power structure under the US supremacy of Pax Americana greatly influenced Thailand's foreign policy through Thanat Khoman, the key actor between 1958 and 1971. Thanat implemented foreign security policy according to Pax Americana's structure as illustrated by his opposition to the Communist regime in Laos and his faithful support of the American policy regarding the Vietnam War. This also included the policy of regional co-operation, which later developed into the establishment of ASEAN. After the change in the structure of Pax Americana since 1968, Thanat Khoman had also adjusted Thailand's foreign policy in accordance with this transformation. This was carried out by turing ASEAN into an alternative for Thailand's security policy. and nomalising diplomatic relationship with the People Replublic of China (PRC). The re-establishment of diplomatic relationship with the PRC under Thanat Khoman's decision eventually led to the conflict between him and millitary leaders, hence the ending of his position as the Minister of Foreign Affairs in 1971.
