This article aims to identify changes in the locations of Japanese military facilities in Bangkok and analyze Thailand’s reactions. In the initial stage of the war, many Japanese soldiers went through Bangkok on their way to the front lines. Although most of them left Bangkok within a few months, Bangkok became the headquarters of the Japanese army in Thailand when the Thailand Garrison Command was installed in 1943. Thereafter, Bangkok’s function as the main base for the Japanese Army gradually increased before reaching its peak at the end of war.
The Japanese barracks and other facilities in Bangkok were concentrated in Pathumwan, Bang Rak, and Yannawa districts in the inner area and Phra Khanong and Dusit districts in outlying part of the city. Many public facilities such as schools were used by the Japanese army in Pathumwan, which resulted in the largest number of garrisons and soldiers being located there. Bang Rak had fewer soldiers and garrisons, but functioned as the Japanese Army Headquarters in Thailand. Many Western firms’ wharfs in Yannawa were occupied by Japan as enemy property. The Bangkok port and Bang O garrison in Phra Khanong and Sanam Pao and Chat Songkhro School in Dusit also played important roles.
With limited success, Thailand requested return of several sites that Japan used without permission. However, Japan tried to evacuate its bases to suburban areas to prevent air raids from 1944, causing problems, as Thailand wished to concentrate them in specific areas. Therefore, Thailand tried to minimize damage but not to refuse all requests by Japan. As a result, the number of Army facilities in Bangkok did not increase substantially in comparison to the skyrocketing number of soldiers in the last stage of war.
