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The Straits Times (12 November 2025)

When King Maha Vajiralongkorn arrives in Beijing on Nov 13, he will become the first reigning Thai monarch to make a state visit to China, in what analysts say is a sign of the Asian giant’s increasing influence on his kingdom.

A constitutional monarchy since 1932, Thailand has used royal visits as foreign policy tools, including two US trips by King Vajiralongkorn’s father, King Bhumibol Adulyadej, during the height of the Cold War in the 1960s.

Beijing and Bangkok established diplomatic relations in 1975 and their bilateral ties have evolved from the post-Cold War years, with a significant expansion in two-way trade and investment.

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