Artifact Details
Thailand worked with OSS to recruit young agents who would support the Allies in what was known as the “Free Thai” Movement.
In 1942, Thailand’s Ambassador to the US defied orders from his government to declare war on the US and instead launched a bold plan for the liberation of Thailand from Japanese domination. With the cooperation of the Office of Strategic Services (OSS), the plan gave birth to the Free Thai Movement, essentially a patriotic conspiracy led by a cadre of anti-Japanese Thai officials in key government positions. The best and brightest Thai students from prestigious US colleges volunteered to serve. Their heroic efforts eventually led to the Japanese surrender and independence of Thailand.
OSS provided critical support to the Free Thai Movement. By early 1945, OSS had even managed to set up a covert base in Japanese-occupied Bangkok. The bonds and contacts formed between these Americans and the Free Thai would reap significant benefits for the United States during the Vietnam war more than two decades later.
Artifact Specs
7.2 cm x 7.4 cm
(L x W)
Learn More
War of a Different Kind: OSS and Free Thai Operations in World War II