The Use of Buildings by the Japanese Army in Thailand during the Second World War

Abstract

This article aims to clarify the overall image of the use of buildings by the Japanese army in Thailand during the Second World War before analyzing the role and the limit of the Thai Department of Alliance, the Thai liaison office. The use of buildings by the Japanese army was most active during the initial and the final stages of war when the number of Japanese soldiers stationing/transiting through Thailand reached the highest level, among which houses were most frequently used in Bangkok and schools or temples were often used in the region. While many buildings were continuously used from the beginning to the end of war in Bangkok, most buildings in the region were temporary used at the specific period.

The use of buildings by the Japanese army can be divided into three types: occupation, free lending and leasing. The Japanese army often occupied buildings of Thai governmental organization and the enemy’s properties, among which the latter contained the buildings of Thais where the enemy lived; some buildings were leased to the Japanese army later by the request of owners. Free lending was common for the use of public facilities such as schools or semi-public facilities such as temples. On the other hand, leasing was mostly adopted to privately-owned houses, and the Department of Alliance often mediated the lease contract between the Japanese army and the owner.

The negotiation with Japanese regarding the use of buildings was carried out by the staffs in charge of building whose main duty was the reaction toward the occupies buildings, advance payment or hike of rent, and the request for reparation. They negotiated the return of the occupied buildings or transfer to leasing. The advance payment of rent facilitated the consent of owners when negotiating lease contract, but the hike of rent requested by owners needed the negotiation with Japanese who desired the lower rent. The negotiation of reparation was also carried out by owner’s request, but most cases have ended with Japan’s approval of future payment by adding to the outstanding debt list since the negotiation started after the end of war when buildings were returned to owners; the payment of reparation was hardly materialized.