You shouldn't, the border police have always had responsibility for monitoring the borders, ports (these days airports) etc. So, when it's an "all hands to the pumps" exercise they are the first to get involved.Fingolfin_Noldor wrote:With regards to the police, I find it odd.
It's a bit more complicated than that. Up to 1903, a large lump of what is now Western Cambodia was Thai territory and had been for hundreds of years. The French stole all that territory in 1903, threatening to bombard the civilian areas of Bangkok from warships if their demands weren't met (doesn't that sound familiar). Naturally, the Thais wanted their land back and 1941 offered them the opportunity. Nobody was more surprised than the Thais when their army gave a sound thrashing to the French Indochina Army (if the Japanese hadn't stepped in when they did, the entire French army would have been encircled outside Battambang and the Thais would have been on their way to the Mekong. So, the Thai Army wasn't gung ho about invading everybody, just the people who had their territory - ie the French.Weren't the Military quite gunho about invading the surrounding areas? They were the main power in Thailand back then, with the King even shoved aside?
By the way, in 1903, the French also demanded the entire gold and foreign currency reserves of Siam with the intent of leaving the country bankrupt and subject to French annexation. The British put a stop to that by giving the Siamese an interest-free loan to keep them going and bluntly warning the French that enough was enough and that no more encroachments on Siam would be tolerated. On the British side, that's one incident that led to the Second Entente Cordiale of 1904. On the Thai side, its why Britain and the British are still regarded with affection by most Thais. The French are not. An example, friend of mine from a very wealthy family took up with a girl. When I met her it was obvious she wasn't full-blooded Thai, her hair was curly and it was a lighter shade of black (that sounds weird but it was notable) His family saw it too and made some inquiries. Turned out she was 3/4 Thai, 1/4 foreigner. That wasn't a problem but they checked into what sort of foreigner? British? Excellent, great connection. American, German, Australian, Spanish, Chinese, Greek? No problem with any of those. Only it turned out her Grandfather was French. Bang! Girl was ejected, my friend was told never to see her again.
The position of the King in those years is an example of what I mean when I say King Bhumibol has earned the love and respect he enjoys. They didn't come with the Kingship, the Kings in the 1930s were not well-regarded by the population and there was a reasonably even chance the country could have become a Republic in the early 1930s. King Bhumibol built the respect and love his people have for him by his sheer hard work and devoted service to them. He inherited the Kingship but he earned the position in which he is held.
