Thailand's self-appointed Prime Minister Gen. Prayuth Chan-ocha will pay an official visit to Japan on Sunday through Tuesday to strengthen bilateral economic ties and, more importantly, to seek Japan's endorsement of his government's legitimacy.
On May 22 last year, Prayuth and the army staged a coup that overthrew the elected government of Yingluck Shinawatra. After months of relentless protests against the Yingluck government, which successfully created a situation of ungovernability, the military adopted an old trick: employing a coup to eliminate political rivals.
More than eight months later and under pressure from the West, the Prayuth government has pursued an aggressive foreign policy to forge foreign allies and alienate foreign critics. Japan represents a source of legitimacy for the Thai military regime. Prayuth's trip to Japan has been widely publicized in Thailand as a success in getting recognition from one of the most powerful economies in the world.