Thailand-China relations (1782-1809): The effects of organized hypocrisy strategy of Thailand

Scholarly attention has primarily focused on the origins and political dynamics of Sino-Thai relations, often overlooking the impact of Thailand's diplomatic strategies. This research aims to address this gap by applying and refining the organized hypocrisy theory to analyze Thailand’s influence on the Sino-Thai relationship from 1782 to 1809. Using this framework, this study examines Thailand’s use of organized hypocrisy, exploring its background, performance, and effects on Sino-Thai symbiotic relations. The historical analysis focuses on four cases involving the royal correspondence between Rama I and Emperor Qianlong, highlighting their significance. It is revealed that Thailand strategically employs organized hypocrisy to navigate conflicting appropriateness logics in its dealings with China. The key decoupling mechanism involves the Thai monarch engaging in diplomatic interactions to maintain status, while Chinese individuals in Thailand act as intermediaries in political exchanges, using diplomatic interactions to undermine the Thai monarch's prestige. This strategy contributes positively to establishing political conditions favorable to a resource-exchange type of Sino-Thai symbiotic relationship. Thailand's use of organized hypocrisy reflects the political maneuvering of a smaller nation dealing with a larger one. These favorable conditions arose from Qing Dynasty's practice of the 'no rule' doctrine and abstention from sending envoys to confer titles, which allowed for the effective application of the organized hypocrisy strategy. These findings not only shed light on the theoretical understanding of Sino-Thai friendly official relations by introducing the previously overlooked perspective of organized hypocrisy strategy but also provide insights into the conditions under which small countries effectively employ organized hypocrisy in responding to larger nations.