Thai Empire (Sino-Japanese Alliance)



The Thai Empire (Thai:เอ็มไพร์ไทย, Xĕm Phịr̒ Thịy), also known as Thailand or Siam, is a sovereign state in East Asia bordering China to the north, Burma to the west, and Cambodia, Tongkin and Assam to the east. It also shares a border with Indonesia through the province of Singapore.

Thailand is an ancient civilization which historically escaped European colonization by ceding small areas and being in between two competing powers-Britain and France. During World War II, in response to an impending Japanese Invasion, Thailand became a collaborationist fascist regime, becoming known as the Italy of Asia. Through these conquests, Thailand gained areas of Burma, British Malaya, and French Indochina. After the war, Thailand maintained its own small sphere of influence which largely fell under the power of the Japanese Sphere. Thailand was also one of the founding members of the GACPA. Thailand's fascist regime lasted until the death of its leader, Phibun, who named the King (now called the Emperor) the absolute monarch after his death. The Emperor slowly made Thailand a more constitutional monarchy, but the elected Prime Minister still maintains inordinate amounts of power.

Siam is a fairly homogenous state due to years of almost closed borders. Traditional Thai religious beliefs, although almost wiped out during the Phibun Regime, have begun to come back. Thailand's culture is very similar to OTL South Korea, boasting complex social structures and a liberal autocratic government.

Etymology
Thailand, officially the Thai Empire, is said to have come from the word Thai which means free man in the Thai Language. This was supposedly used to differentiate the Thai from the natives encompassed in Thai society as serfs. A famous Thai scholar argued that Thai simply means people or human being.

History
Main Articles: History of Thailand and Timeline

World War II
During World War II, Thailand, then known as Siam, was run by Prime Minister Phibun, a dictatorial ruler of the country that promoted pride of the Thai people and industrialized and "civilized" Thailand. He originally wanted to be neutral in the war, but changed his mind when the Sino-Japanese Alliance achieved victories in Indochina and Indonesia. The Phibun regime launched an invasion of British Malaya and Burma with the Japanese as the British Empire began to collapse. After the nuclear bombings of Chennai and Perth which ended the Asian theatre of the war, Thailand was given control over Laos, mainland Malaya (excluding Singapore), and central Burma.

Phibun Era Post War
Phibun quickly became more dictatorial after the war, instituting several policies which punished those who opposed him and morphed Thai culture to fit his needs. He eventually adopted the religion of State Atheism (รัฐต่ำช้า or Rath Tacha in Thai) which had the Thai people worshipping the State much like OTL North Korea and Eritrea. Phibun also cracked down on Buddhism and Buddhists as they had been his main opposition and he believed them to be too "individualist" and "spiritual". Phibun also maintained neutrality through the Sino-Japanese Split. He died in 1968 and, much like Franco, declared an absolute monarchy under the king, now called the Emperor.

The Thai Empire and Democratization
The Thai Emperor, Rama IX, issued several forms of liberalization which included opening up the country to foreigners, democratically electing leaders, and embracing Thai culture more. Despite this, the country remains fairly repressive as the Prime Minister, although democratically elected, wields inordinate amounts of power and personal freedoms are severely limited. Phibun is still seen as the "Father of Thailand" and is a venerated figure today.

Government and Politics
The Thai Empire is a constitutional monarchy headed by an Emperor, currently Rama X. The actual ruler is a democratically elected Prime Minister who holds near absolute power within the government. Thailand is known for having an extremely well trained police force and an extremely idiosyncratic social structure as a leftover from the Phibun Era.

Administrative Divisions
Thailand is divided into 5 autonomous states, mostly made from the Pre-War borders. These are the states of Burma (split in two), Khmer (Cambodia), Laos, and Malaya.      <p style="font-weight:normal;"> <p style="font-weight:normal;">

Ethnography
<p style="font-weight:normal;">Thailand is composed of mainly Thai people, with a significant Burmese and Lao minority. There is also a smaller Khmer and Malay minority. Other than that, the Thai Empire is a pretty homogenous place due to its heavily guarded borders during the Phibun Era.

Religion
<p style="font-weight:normal;">Most Thai people are irreligious or follow a form of State Atheism created during the Phibun era, with a significant and growing population of Buddhists in the country.

Language
<p style="font-weight:normal;">Most people in the Empire speak Thai, although Japanese is commonly used as a trade language due to the empire's close historical relations to Japan.