European imperialism was a powerful force and
Thailand could not escape its pressure. For example, the
Bowring Treaty was negotiated and signed in the
presence of the British navy (Dixon 1999, 30). Under
the Bowring Treaty, Thailand agreed in its economic
policy to embark on some free trade. However, unlike
similar treaties Western powers signed around that time
with China and Japan, the treaty with Thailand was
apparently signed without much overt coercion from the
British (Warr and Bhanupong 1996, 8). Nonetheless, in
1867 the Kingdom ceded its claim on Cambodia to
France and later recognized French control over Laos.