The EU-Thailand Relations: Tracing the Patterns of New Bilateralism

Since the mid-1990s a new foreign policy development known as new bilateralism has been observable despite the widely acknowledged political and economic advantages of multilateralism. This highly theoretical, in-depth study opens discussion of the implications of new bilateralism for international relations. The case study study of the EU-Thailand relations shows that—in times when multilateralism is in crisis—shifts towards a foreign policy pragmatism occur and that the prospects of bilateral engagement, identity formation, and rhetorical action facilitate such behavioral change.