China-Thailand Relations

The Cambodia-Thailand truce: What Malaysia, China and the US got right

Together, the three actors of Malaysia/ASEAN, China and the US formed an unusual trilateral alignment that led to the Cambodia-Thailand truce. Their cooperation may now serve as a practical model for managing emerging crises in the global south, says academic Ma Haiyun.

Ma Haiyun

31 Jul 2025

China’s possible role in Cambodia-Thailand border dispute

As relations between Cambodia and Thailand remain tense following a border incident along their disputed border, Cambodian researcher Sokvy Rim weighs up the key factors and considers China as a possible mediator if the situation worsens.

Sokvy Rim

18 Jun 2025

[Big read] Overcapacity: Surplus of Chinese goods an issue to some, welcomed by others

From steel and batteries to electric vehicles, the surplus Chinese products that cannot be absorbed by its domestic market are being boycotted by many countries, especially Europe and the US. Is China guilty of dumping? Who has the final say on what qualifies as “overcapacity”? Can China’s trade-in of consumer goods action plan help deal with its overcapacity? 

Chen Jing

08 May 2024

Thailand's marooned submarine deal: Some questions need answers

Thailand's long-drawn saga to acquire Chinese-built submarines is dead in the water. The kingdom's newly-appointed defence minister Sutin Klungsang should be asking the Royal Thai Navy some serious questions.

Termsak Chalermpalanupap

31 Oct 2023

Tackling the illicit use of Thai business nominees by Chinese networks

Illicit nominations of Thais as shareholders in businesses run by Chinese operators are threatening local concerns. This highlights a dense network of transnational criminal activity that the Thai authorities are up against.

Sivarin Lertpusit

20 Jul 2023

Chinese investment into Thai private universities: The need to keep standards up

Along with the rise in Chinese students in Thailand, there have been discussions regarding the takeover of private universities by Chinese investors since 2019. The authorities need to put measures in place to ensure that standards are maintained.

Sivarin Lertpusit

16 Mar 2023

An imagined China and feeling Chinese in Thailand

Thai academic Sittithep Eaksittipong explains how the Thai rulers of the past used emotion as a political tool to assimilate the Chinese overseas in Thailand. Fast forward to today and the Thai Chinese are more confident of their identity, and feeling Chinese has less to do with developments in China. If anything, the latter is used as a means to chastise the Thai government.

Sittithep Eaksittipong

22 Nov 2022

From pro-Taipei to pro-Beijing: Are KMT Chinese in Thailand switching their allegiance?

Because of China's soft power, some Yunnanese Chinese in Northern Thailand - known as KMT Chinese and who are descendants of KMT supporters who left Yunnan and eventually settled in Northern Thailand - have gradually shifted from being pro-Taipei to being pro-Beijing. Out of the 110 private tutoring Yunnanese schools in Northern Thailand for instance, more than 40 have begun to accept Beijing's support and modelled their school structure in accordance with PRC's guidance. How many more converts can China's soft power yield?

Aranya Siriphon

06 Sep 2022

New Chinese migrants forming parallel communities in Chiang Mai

While descendants of older Chinese migrants in Thailand consider themselves Thai, hold Thai citizenship, and speak the language, new Chinese migrants tend to struggle when interacting with the locals due to the language barrier and negative stereotypes about foreign Chinese held by the locals. Their inability to integrate has led to the growth of parallel communities, where new Chinese migrants seek each other out for their social needs, instead of mingling with Thais. How can new Chinese migrants integrate better with the locals?

Aranya Siriphon, Fanzura Banu

25 Mar 2022

Will America greenlight the sale of F-35s to Thailand?

The chief of Thailand's air force wants to buy eight American-built F-35 fighter jets. While the sale would be a shot in the arm for the US-Thailand alliance, Washington may be reluctant to approve the sale because of Thailand's growing military ties with China. ISEAS academic Ian Storey examines the factors at play.

Ian Storey

17 Feb 2022

Rising Chinese student enrolment in Thailand: Cash cows at a cost

Thailand is reaping the benefits of a steady stream of Chinese students choosing Thailand as its destination of choice for university studies, particularly at its private universities. The trend, however, is not cost-free. There are a host of problems it has to grapple with, including possibly compromised academic standards as well as suspicions of Chinese students flouting their visa conditions by engaging in full-time business activities.

Aranya Siriphon, Fanzura Banu

17 Feb 2022

The nature of recent Chinese migration to Thailand

New migrants from China refer to the wave of skilled and urban migrants from China who ventured to Asia and elsewhere after the reform era began in the 1980s. Since the 2000s, many have been moving into Southeast Asia. In Thailand, their number has doubled in the last two decades. These migrants are there for business, study and leisure or a combination of these pursuits. In the process, new communities such as Huai Khwang, the "new Chinatown" in Bangkok, have emerged.

Aranya Siriphon, Fanzura Banu

06 Jan 2022