ARTICLES

Why was Thailand’s Prime Minister Absent in the Belt and Road Initiative Summit?

Pongphisoot Busbarat

Thailand's perceived marginalisation from China's high-profile Belt and Road Initiative Summit has been attributed to problems in the Sino-Thai high-speed railway project and the Thai Prime Minister's acceptance of the US President's invitation to visit the White House. The diplomatic snub suggests that Southeast Asian states need a more careful hedging strategy to deal with China.