From the early Cold War, U.S. aid poured into Thailand. This flow of money, people, and expertise had a profound impact on the country’s social, political, and economic development. Payments and support to the Thai military proved instrumental in securing the power of Thailand’s authoritarian military leaders, while the proliferation of U.S.-funded road and infrastructure programs helped expand the control of the Thai state from the capital into rural areas.1¹ More broadly, U.S. support laid the foundations for a development trajectory that, while furnishing the country with impressive economic growth, hugely benefitted Thailand’s capitalist and royalist elite.2² Despite the implications of such payments, this article argues that during the 1960s, U.S. aid was subtlety recast into gifts of tribute that increased the legitimacy of the young King Bhumibol in the eyes of the Thai public.

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重新订购冷战宇宙：普密蓬国王1960年的美国巡演

从早期的冷战开始，美国的援助涌入泰国。资金，人员和专业知识的流向对该国的社会，政治和经济发展产生了深远的影响。付款和支持泰国军方证实在确保泰国的独裁军事领导人的权力工具，而美国资助的道路和基础设施项目的扩散有助于从资金到农村areas.1扩大泰国状态的控制¹更广泛地说，美国的支持奠定了一个发展轨迹，而令人印象深刻的经济增长家具的国家，巨大的获益泰国的资本主义和保皇党elite.2 ² 尽管有这种支付的含义，但本文认为，在1960年代，美国的援助被微妙地改成贡品，这在泰国公众眼中提高了年轻的普密蓬国王的合法性。