I live in Northern Thailand and am aware there was a large Japanese occupation force here during WW2.
Because of the strategic nature of the “Golden Triangle” troops and planes were in close striking range of Burma, Southern China and French Indochina. (Now the Lao PDR).
All history of this army seems to have been stricken from the record however, the older locals won’t discuss it and the younger people don’t know anything about it.
I was wondering if any members had any information on this little known area of conflict? The location of Army and Air force bases for instance; or possibly a link.
This link might help http://www.geocities.com/thailandwwii/ftw.html
My very limited understanding of the Thai position pre-war is that it suited Thailand to see Japan exploit the defeat of France by Germany to extract concessions from France over Indochina, with the aim of regaining control of neighbouring areas in Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam which once were under Siamese control. Japan then put in various things to support Thailand with a view to obtaining its favour (notably erecting bridges over militarily important river crossings for dealing with Malaya - can’t think of a reference, sorry).
Thailand tried to exist between Japan and Britain to advance its own interests but had no real chance of doing so, particularly as its pre-war leader was essentially pro-Japanese.
Phibun’s nationalist regime also revived irredentist claims, stirring up anti-French sentiment and supporting restoration of former Thai territories in Cambodia and Laos. Seeking support against France, Phibun cultivated closer relations with Japan. The Thai nationalists looked to Japan as the model of an Asian country that had used Western methods and technology to achieve rapid modernization. As Thailand confronted the French in Indochina, the Thai looked to Japan as the only Asian country to challenge the European powers successfully. Although the Thai were united in their demand for the return of the lost provinces, Phibun’s enthusiasm for the Japanese was markedly greater than that of Pridi, and many old conservatives as well viewed the course of the prime minister’s foreign policy with misgivings.
http://countrystudies.us/thailand/20.htm
However, not all Thais or even government members supported Phibun. http://countrystudies.us/thailand/21.htm
http://www.cambridge.org/uk/catalogue/catalogue.asp?isbn=0521836018&ss=fro
General Percival was convinced that Thailand had allowed the Japanese to prepare airfields and store supplies at Patani and or Singora (I’m relying on memory but the detail is in his book The War in Malaya) in southern Thailand to support the Japanese invasion across the border at Khota Baru on the opening day of the war.
Thailand was in the awkward position of being a country trying to free itself of the French colonial yoke when faced with the prospect of replacing it with the Japanese yoke while trying to gain independence, and caught in the middle of a war that had nothing to do with Thailand but which made Thailand critical to Japan in the initial attack on the British in Malaya and later in pushing westwards towards the British in Burma and India and in trying to cut off supplies through Burma to China.
It’s not surprising that Thais might not be too clear on exactly where their country stood or what it did in WWII.
Thailand was in the awkward position of being a country trying to free itself of the French colonial yoke
Thailand was never actually colonised by any of the major powers. It had some extremely good rulers in the 19th century and successfully played off the British against the French. However they had considerable territorial losses to Burma, Malaya and Laos.
The Phibun Government declared war against the Allies and at the end of the war the British wanted to give them some serious lumps for their trouble, including reparations, but the Americans had become obsessed with the rise of Communism in the Far East and any country that looked like being anti Communist rapidly became forgiven for any previous transgressions.
notably erecting bridges over militarily important river crossings for dealing with Malaya - can’t think of a reference, sorry
I think this was the link between Buma and Thailand. they had to build it because the Japs tried to route supplies from these two countries around malaysia. but US subs sent them to the bottom. they based a movie on it.
The Bridge on the River Kwai
The bridge building I was referring to preceded the outbreak of war and was intended to allow Japanese vehicles to move through Thailand from Vietnam. The existing bridges weren’t adequate for military traffic. The Japanese built the bridges as a supposed gift to the Thais, but really for their own purposes in preparing for war.
You are perfectly correct, as you already know. 
For some unknown reason I had it in my mind when I posted that Thailand was part of French Indochina and was involved in the Vichy French concessions to Japan.
If I had thought it through, I would have remembered that Thailand was independent and that both the British and Japanese had to deal with that fact in their planning as war approached.
If you ever venture to the fascinating city of Vientiane in the Lao PDR make sure you visit the Lao National History Museum. They have a great collection of photos from the French colonization period, through WW2 and up to the end of the the Vietnam War.
Needless to say the discerning scholar must filter out the obvious Communist propaganda shots. (Here’s Private Choummaly Sayasone of the Pathet Lao with his trusty bolt action MAS-36 rifle which he shot down an F111 in 1969). 