Oil dependence and Thai foreign-policy behavior during the Arab-Israeli war of October 1973

Thesis/Dissertation · Tue Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1985

OSTI ID:5705560

Keophumihae, S

The purpose of this study is to explain Thai foreign-policy behavior toward the Arab-Israeli conflict during the Arab oil embargo of 1973-1974 in the wake of the October 1973 War. The major hypothesis is that Thai foreign policy behavior shifted from a neutral to a pro-Arab position after the Arab oil embargo. This shift was motivated by Thai oil-import dependence on OAPEC (Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries). Oil has assumed an economic as well as a political dimension. Therefore, its political influence over the oil-dependent states cannot be dismissed. Thai foreign-policy behavior in the Arab-Israeli conflict is analyzed through the use of the dependence approach, which contends that external reliance is a potent factor for explaining behavior of actors. Thailand's foreign-policy stand is first delineated through the use of documents containing policy statements by Thai delegates to the United Nations. It was found that although Thai public policy statements were never bluntly anti-Israel, they moved from between neutrality before the oil crisis to a pro-Arab position after the oil crisis of 1973-1974. This shift of Thailand's foreign policy behavior position was then measured against its UN voting records. Results of the voting analysis indicated that the shifting of Thai foreign policy behavior during the October war was motivated by Thailand's oil-import dependence.

• Research Organization: Northern Illinois Univ., Dekalb (USA)
• OSTI ID: 5705560
• Resource Relation: Other Information: Thesis (Ph. D.)
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

29 ENERGY PLANNING
POLICY AND ECONOMY
02 PETROLEUM
PETROLEUM
EMERGENCY PLANS
POLITICAL ASPECTS
THAILAND
FOREIGN POLICY
BEHAVIOR
ASIA
DEVELOPING COUNTRIES
ENERGY SOURCES
FOSSIL FUELS
FUELS
GOVERNMENT POLICIES
INSTITUTIONAL FACTORS
290200* - Energy Planning & Policy- Economics & Sociology
020700 - Petroleum- Economics
Industrial
& Business Aspects
294002 - Energy Planning & Policy- Petroleum