Sport and Politics: The South East Asia Peninsular Games as an Instrument of Thailand’s Foreign Policy
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Abstract
This research studied the South East Asia Peninsular (SEAP) Games, of which Thailand was a key initiator. The article’s conceptual framework is realism in sport and politics. Results were that the SEAP Games was a viable instrument for Thailand’s foreign policy in three ways: 1) as an anti-communist venture against mainland Southeast Asian communist movements, according to Field Marshal Sarit Thanarat's perspective on communist expansion; 2) enhancing neighboring ties, as the first regional mechanism to improve relations between Thailand and its neighbors, especially the Kingdoms of Laos and Cambodia; 3) in terms of regional hegemony, serving as a platform for Thailand to demonstrate its status as an elder brother or regional hub. These underlined the importance of sport in Thai politics during the Cold War, when conventional approaches were insufficient for achieving national objectives.
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