The Tragedy of Wanit: A Japanese Account of Wartime Thai Politics

Benjamin A. Batson and Shimizu Hajime

A memoir of Thai politics at the outbreak of the Pacific War, written in the 1950s by Asada Shunsuke, a senior Japanese diplomat servnig ni Bongkok during the critical pre-war period. The central figure is Want Pananon, a confidant of Thai Prime Minister Phibun and, until his arrest and death in mysterious circumstances in early 1944, a key figure in Thai-Japanese relations. Asada's memoir is published in both Japanese and an edited English translation, together with an introduction by Benjamin Batson and Shimizu Hajime which explains the historical context and discusses some of the implications of Asada's work.

Benjamin A. BATSON was an American academic who specialized in 20th century Thai history.
Shimizu HAJIME was attached to the Department of Pacific and Asian Studies, Australian National University.

publication year: 1991
148 pages
ISBN: 978-9971-69-246-6  Paperback  US$15.00  S$20.00

Distributed for the Journal of Southeast Asian Studies.