Kids not taught about horrific history

[PeteC]

Point of order here. I can't find anything about Thai deaths but I can find that Thais worked there and simply walked away when they didn't want to anymore. Being a Japanese ally they weren't chased and forced.

See link for death totals.

See if you can find anything refuting what I say above. Maybe I'm wrong and missed it? Pete

http://www.mansell.com/pow_resources/ca ... nts_1.html

[Nereus]

As far as I know the only Thais that may have been killed by the Japanese were those caught trying to assist the Allies.
For lot of Thai's it was a business opportunity supplying rice and other "services".

[Big Boy]

When you are there, the numbers of Thai deaths are clearly identified in several places. I'm not due there until April, but I will photograph the various plaques and post here if nobody clarifies sooner.

[Nereus]

Without getting into books written by those that have researched the subject, the following is what Wiki has on it:

Thailand suffered about 5,569 military dead during the war, almost entirely due to disease.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thailand_in_World_War_II

[Nereus]

The following does not specifically list Thai deaths, but is never the less and interesting account:

The Forgotten Legacy of World War Two in Northern Thailand

https://www.chiangmaicitylife.com/cityl ... -thailand/

[Big Boy]

And therein lies the problem. Many Thais do not know their own history. It's there, but nobody talks about it - it will be forgotten within a few generations, and won't have happened.

[hhinner]

I shouldn't think the Thai military is very keen on history. Nearly (?) all Thai military victories in this and the last century were against its own civilians.

[HHTel]

Between 180,000 and 250,000 Southeast Asian civilian labourers (rōmusha) and about 61,000 Allied prisoners of war were subjected to forced labour during its construction. About 90,000 civilian labourers and more than 12,000 Allied prisoners died.

According to Wiki.

[Nereus]

Between 180,000 and 250,000 Southeast Asian civilian labourers (rōmusha) and about 61,000 Allied prisoners of war were subjected to forced labour during its construction. About 90,000 civilian labourers and more than 12,000 Allied prisoners died.

According to Wiki.

Not sure what your point is there? The figures given in the link Pete posted do not show any Thais, and I thought that was the subject being discussed.

It has to be remembered that Malaysia, Singapore, Burma were all British colonies, and Indonesia was Dutch. As far as I know the only Thais killed in actual combat were in the South, where the Thais made a magnificent stand that lasted all of 5 hours! Not sure if that includes the stand at Prachuap Kiri Khan.

https://thailandworldwar2.weebly.com/ja ... -wwii.html

[HHTel]

Ok, I take your point. The majority of civilian labourers that were hired (and paid!) were from Malaysia and Burma. That also means that the Thai government has little incentive to honour those dead as only a few Thais worked on the railway.
I stand corrected.