Sanya Maitree Yeepun-Thai Samai Songkram (Alliance Between Japan and Thailand During World War II)

Published on December 17, 2007

History is traditionally written by the winning side, which is what makes this book different. Penned by a Japanese historian five decades after the end of the Second World War, this title is probably the first book to offer a different view of Japanese-Thai relations at the time.

 The book, which is divided into four chapters, focuses on the period between 1941 and 1944 when lines of communication were set up by the Japanese military to pass information in the country.

 The first chapter talks about the connection between the government under Prime Minister Field Marshal Plaek Pibulsongkram and the Japanese authorities while the second reveals how the Japanese military worked in Thailand under the alliance. Chapter 3 covers the Japanese military and its purchasing power in Thailand, and the last looks at the coordination between Japan and Thailand during wartime.

 Whether you've read about the war in romantic novels or academic texts, this book will give you an entirely new perspective on the relationship between Japan and Thailand during their military alliance, and offers a better understanding of both the good and bad points of their attachments.

 Toshiharu is a professor at Osaka University of Foreign Studies, a guest lecturer at Kansai University and regularly visits Thailand to give special lectures. His previous books on Japanese-Thai relationships have also been translated into Thai.

Patiroop Tamruad

(The Revolution in the

Royal Police Department)

By Dr Kittikorn Kitayarak

Published by Matichon Publishing House

Available in all leading bookshops, Bt130

 The Royal Thai Police, with its multitude of departments covering a variety of services and spread over all the regions, has always been something of a twilight zone as far as the public are concerned. This book aims to shed light on the department and the glitches in the system, then propose solutions. The author also hopes to bridge the gap between the police and the public they serve with these new perspectives.

 Kittikorn suggests a series of innovative measures including one that would allow civilians to oversee results rather than the police board. He points out that the real indicator of the department's success doesn't lie with the big boss but with public satisfaction. The next step, he reasons, is to decentralise power away from the headquarters.

 While his suggestions may be radical, the book gives the public the chance to learn more about the department and the police to reflect on their work.

 Kittikorn Kitayarak is deputy permanent-secretary at the Ministry of Justice and has been responsible for overhauling working practices there. He's also a member of the committee responsible for the current restructuring of the Royal Police Department.