The Roles of Propaganda Organizations in Thailand (01)

The Roles of Propaganda Organizations in Thailand (01)

After June 1940, the Thais took advantage of French weakness and used the presence of Japanese troops in the north of Indo-China as an opportunity to review their irredentist policy. This initiative led to an Indo-China-Thailand border crisis and a short-lived war through which the Thais regained territories in Laos and Cambodia, which had been lost to France in 1904 and 1907.

This article will take into account the roles of propaganda organizations and assesses on how the Thai ruling group mobilized public support for the Government’s aspirations.

During the course of its negotiations the French Government, the Thai Government set up propaganda organizations to promote a nationalist campaign. The Department of Fine Arts and the Department of Publicity took an active role in this campaign.

 Phraraj Dharmanides

Character Nai Khong Rakthai

Thanat Khomand

Phairot Jayanam

Sunthon Hongladarom

Vilas Osathanond and Phairot Jayanam were Director and Assistant Director respectively of the Department of Publicity. Other prominent figures in the Thai propaganda team included Prasong Honsanand, the Secretary-General of the Publicity Department, Sunthon Hongladarom, the head of Foreign News Division, and Thanat Khoman, an official in the Minister of Foreign Affairs.

Sang Phatthanothai and Phraraj Dharmanides, two high officials in the Department of Publicity, were charged with producing one of the most important program on Radio Thailand. This took the form of a series of conversations between two characters, Nai Man Chuchart and Nai Khong Rakthai.