In·do·chi·na /ˌɪndəʊˈtʃaɪnə◂/ a former name given to part of southeast Asia by Europeans. During the 19th century, Indochina included Vietnam, Cambodia, Myanmar, Thailand, parts of Malaysia, and Laos, but in the 20th century Indochina came to mean the countries ruled by France: Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos. These three countries were also called French Indochina.