China and Thailand military ties grow
When the Thai military took power in Bangkok in May 2014, China took full advantage of downgraded Western ties by cosying up with Thailand’s former command-in-chief, now self-appointed prime minister, army general Prayuth Chan-ocha.
Thailand's history of weak civil-governance institutions is a bonus for China, easing its pursuit of economic, political and then military power in Thai society, said Richard Fisher, senior fellow on Asian Military Affairs at the International Assessment and Strategy Center.
Since 2015, Beijing has marched in step with Bangkok’s arms and training requests.
This includes deals for VT4 main battle tanks, VN1 8x8 infantry fighting vehicles
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