Thailand - Siam

Introduction History    Pre 1238    Ayutthaya Dynasty    The Rama Dynasty    Relations with Europe    The Twentieth Century

Thailand Today    The King    People and Customs    Language and Education    Bangkok    The Bridge on the River Kwai    White Elephants    Betel and Opium

INTRODUCTION
Thai means 'free' so Thailand, formerly Siam, is an appropriate name for the only country on the Indochinese peninsula which had always maintained its independence from European colonization. Today it is a constitutional monarchy, and the population of almost seventy million is composed of indigenous southeast Asians, Chinese and Indian peoples. They live in a country a little smaller than California, the unit of currency is the baht, worth about 2.4 cents and the main exports are maize (corn), rice, rubber, sugar, tapioca and textiles. Recently, tourism has become a major industry.

HISTORY
Pre 1238
About 10,000 years ago, different ethnic groups began to emerge in what is now Thailand. The early Thai lived in houses on piles in groups of villages under a leader called a chao or lord. It is claimed they were the first to cultivate rice; pottery shards bearing the imprint of rice grains and husks date from at least 6000 years ago. The Thai word "kow" means both rice and food. They also claim to have taught the Chinese how to make bronze. More and more Chinese gradually moved into the country and many Thais, including the members of the royal family, have some Chinese among their ancestors.

The Khmer (Cambodian) Empire dominated centered in Angkor region the area south and east of the Chao Phraya River (the one which flows through Bangkok) for several hundred years. By the tenth century the Mons, from what is today Burma, had established themselves in Central Thailand. The Mon influence remains dominate in the north, in the Chiang Mai/Golden Triangle area. However, until the thirteenth century we have no written history, only lists of kings. During the thirteenth century, Thais living in China left to escape Kublai Khan and adopted some Khmer influences. The Khmers called them Syamas or Siamese.

Ayutthaya Dynasty (1350-1767)
Thai children today are taught that their history started with the Sukhothai in the thirteenth century. During this time the Thais embraced Buddhism. They were supplanted in turn by Ayutthaya in mid fourteenth century. Buddhism was the established religion but Hindu deities were incorporated into the pantheon and Brahman priests became court astrologers. At it's zenith, this city state was among the largest and most cosmopolitan cities in the world. Overtures were made toward the French, and French Jesuit missionaries arrived. There were also relations with the English East India Company.

This dynasty ended in 1767 when the capital was sacked by the Burmese. Most of the one million inhabitants were killed or enslaved and most written Thai history, which had been inscribed on palm leaves (printing was unknown) was destroyed. The Thai leaders with the remaining population of about 10,000 moved south to Thon Buri on the west side of the Chao Phraya River near the present Bangkok. The ruins of Ayutthaya remain as a major tourist attraction.

Rama Dynasty
The Rama dynasty of which Mongkut of The King and I was the fourth king still rules today. (The word is Rama never used in Thai. It is an English translation of the actual Thai term.)

After a period of confusion following the Burmese conquest, General Chakri drove them out of the territory in 1782 and was declared the king as Rama I (1782-1809). He founded a new capital on the west bank of Chao Phraya River opposite what became Bangkok He built a government and, under him, Siam reached its greatest area, controlling most of the Indochinese peninsula.

Note: This was the time of the creation of The United States, the French Revolution and Napoleon.

Rama I was followed by Rama II (1809-1824). Among his sons were Chetsadabodin, the oldest by the son of a concubine, and Mongkut, much younger but the son of a princess. Chetsadabodin became King as Rama III (1824-1851) and Mongkut was sent to a Buddhist monastery, lucky to stay alive. During this time there was a commercial treaty with the British and a British colony soon grew in Bangkok. When Rama III died, Mongkut (1851 - 1868) left the monastery and became Rama IV. (He was the King during the American Civil War.) His son, Chulalongkorn the Great (1868 - 1910), was Rama V. The present King, Bhumibol Adulyadej or Rama IX (1946 - ) is Chulalongkorn's grandson.

Note: There is no hereditary aristocracy, kings are chosen, not automatic heirs to the throne. Because of the very numerous progeny of the early kings resulting from their many wives, a system was instituted by which the degree of royalty decreased with each generation of descendants of a given king. By the fifth or sixth generation they become commoners.

Relations with Europe
The first Europeans to reach Thailand were the Portuguese in 1511. They were followed by Dutch, English, Spanish, and French traders. From 1600 - 1941 the Thai Kings were subjected to constantly increasing and shifting demands from the European colonial empires. The Thai kings of the Ayutthayan period offered small trade concessions and grants to avoid all-out colonial hostilities and later Thai kings also used strategy to loose small battles but manage to win the larger wars. In this way they gradually lost some territory but maintained their independence.* People from all of the countries which, over the years, unsuccessfully coveted a foothold in Thailand have now mounted a new invasion, as tourists.

The Twentieth Century
In 1932 the military came to power, and a bloodless coup d'état ended the absolute monarchy. In 1939 the name was changed from Siam to Thailand to emphasize that ethnic Siamese were only a part of the population. (It was briefly changed back to Siam in 1945.) During World War II, Thailand was allied with Japan, and Bangkok was a regular target of Allied bombers. On December 16, 1946, Thailand became the fifty-fifth member of the United Nations. The military rule ended in 1973 and, amid sporadic troubles, Thailand gradually became a full democracy of all classes, not just the ruling class. (This was difficult because the other classes had never had any experience with participating in government.) During the Vietnam War, Thailand was a major ally of the Americans.

THAILAND TODAY
Thailand today is very different from the almost medieval country it was in Anna's time. It now has one of the highest per capita incomes and one of the highest literacy rates in Asia. Because it was never under foreign domination, it has been able to evolve into a modern state at its own pace and with minimal disruption and, at the same time, retain its cultural heritage.

The King
While Thailand is now a constitutional monarchy, the King still possesses great influence. The present King Bhumibol was born in Cambridge, Massachusetts while his father, who was later called the 'father of Thai medicine' was studying at Harvard. At the age of six the boy was sent to school in Switzerland where he studied French, literature, Latin, Greek and science. After the sudden and mysterious death of his brother, Rama VIII, Bhumibol stayed in Europe to finish his studies while his uncle acted as regent. He was finally crowned King of Thailand in 1950. He married a distant cousin, the daughter of the Thai ambassador to France, and they have four children. (One of his grandchildren was killed in the recent tsunami.) They live in the modern Chitralada Palace in north Bangkok, rather than the ornate Grand Palace in the old city of Mongkut and Chulalongkorn.

As was customary, Bhumibol then spent several weeks as a Buddhist monk while his wife acted as regent. Although he has no real power, he is very popular and exerts a great deal of influence. He is a jazz musician and composer and is an honorary member of the Vienna Institute of Music. He is also a painter and a photographer and a best-selling author. Following in the scientific steps of his father and grandfather, he has an agricultural research station on his palace grounds. As well as his ceremonial appearances he is very much in contact with the people. For example, he personally hands out the diplomas to all the graduates of Bangkok's universities, a procedure which takes four days.

The People and the Customs
While the population Thailand is now thoroughly modern and old customs are breaking down, there are still some vestiges of the old Siam with its strict class structure. The panung,** the traditional costume for both men and women is no longer worn except for special occasions. While people seldom kowtow today, the traditional method of greeting, the wai consists of placing the hands palm to palm and, with equals, the tips of the fingers almost touching the nose. However, the hands are held higher or lower depending on the relative status of the other person. One never initiates the wai to an inferior but must respond when one is given. There is a different vocabulary for different social classes. For example, there are about five words for "you" and their use depends on the social status of the person being addressed. It is still considered impolite to stand over another's head and, if one must contradict someone, it should be done with diffidence. When visiting a temple one must sit with legs tucked under the body and not allow toes to point at anyone. The head must be lower than the Buddha image and than any monks present. While foreigners may shake hands with the King, Thais bow; they are allowed no physical contact. When speaking to the King, the phrase used for the word "I" is "Kha Phra Buddha Chao" (I, the slave of the Lord Buddha). Women have always had a great deal of financial independence. (Men thought commerce was beneath their dignity and left money matters to women.) Women still comprise a very high percentage of the financial professionals.

Language and Education
Until the twentieth century, education was primarily for men. In Mongkut's time, education, except for the upper classes, was very rudimentary. The only schools were in the monasteries where boys learned reading, the basics of arithmetic and little else. Most girls never learned to read. Today education is mandatory and Thailand's literacy rate approaches 95%. The language is based on Sanskrit but is very different from those of Europe. It is multi-tonal, and the same word can have many different meanings depending on its pitch and inflection. The script and the alphabet are very different from those with which we are familiar. According to tradition, the symbols were created in 1283 by King Ramkhamhaeng the Great. For those who would like to learn more there are many sites on the Internet. One which has links to other such sites is: http://www.omniglot.com/writing/thai.htm

Bangkok
Now a city of about nine million, Bangkok was the name of the small village before Rama I built his new capital there. Bangkok means "village of the wild plum" and this name was not considered to be suitable for a royal capital so it was renamed Krung Thep for short***. Only foreigners use the term Bangkok. Before Mongkut built the first road suitable for wheeled vehicles, there were only khlongs (canals) and elephant paths. More roads were built by Chulalongkorn. The ancient city, of about one square mile, has been reconstructed to show all the eras of the past, but the Grand Palace depicted in The King and I is used only for ceremonial occasions. Some of the ministries are still located in it. (The inner palace housed the harem to which the only males admitted were the king, princes under the age of puberty and mendicant monks.)

The Bridge on the River Kwai
The bridge, made famous by the film starring Alex Guinness, is one of the major tourist attractions of Thailand, but the bridge sightseers see is not the one the film depicts. In fact, most of the story and central characters are fiction. The bridge across the River Khwae Yai was part of the 250 mile long Death Railway built by the Japanese to link with Burma using over 60,000 Allied and 300,000 Asian slave laborers. They worked ten house a day, seven days a week with no machinery and little to eat. Almost 100,000 died, about one for every wooden tie supporting the tracks. The original wooden bridge was only temporary, built to carry supplies for the construction. The sections of the steel bridge were imported, partly assembled, from Java. There is no trace of the old wooden bridge. The central part of the steel bridge was destroyed by Allied bombers on November 18, 1944. POWs were marched onto it in an attempt to forestall the bombing, but to no avail. The site now contains two cemeteries and is a place of pilgrimage. The character played by Guinness was loosely based on Lt. Col. Philip Toosey. Both men allowed their soldiers to work against the Geneva Convention, but Toosey, while appearing to cooperate, encouraged sabotage on the side.

White (or Albino) Elephants
According to a 2,500 year-old myth, Queen Maya, once barren, became pregnant with the future Buddha after dreaming of a white elephant entering her womb. Through the years, the reigning king's importance was judged by the number of white elephants he owned. All white elephants belonged to the King and could not be used for any work. Their expensive upkeep has led to the term "white elephant" for something which can be more trouble than it is worth. In The King and I, Mongkut is very excited when news is brought of the discovery of another white elephant. White elephants are still the property of the King; they are given official titles and a retinue of attendants and are kept by the King at the Palace, but not with the pomp of earlier days when they were decked out in gold. It was a dispute over white elephants which led to the conflicts with Burma which led to the downfall of Ayutthaya.

Betel Nuts and Opium
Prominently mentioned in the books about Anna, although not in the musical, the practice of chewing betel nuts and leaves was pervasive in Thai society during her time. Jeweled betel boxes were among the most precious of possessions, especially among the ladies of the harem. The black teeth which resulted were not considered a blemish, especially as the practice was reputed to cut cavities. However, it does cause cancer. Rare in the cities today, the practice still remains among the hill tribes.

Until recently, the cultivation of the opium poppy was a major source of income for the Hmong hill tribes. A government program to encourage farmers to switch to other crops has caused production to drop eighty percent in Thailand. There is now an opium museum near the northern city of Chiang Mai which is a major tourist attraction. However, while no longer grown in large quantities by the Thai, much Burmese opium passes through Thailand; it is still a problem.

* At the time of Rama I, Siam controlled all of Indochina except for what is today Vietnam, Burma, and the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula. In 1809 it lost Laos and part of what is now Cambodia to Britain. The result was the kingdom ruled by Mongkut which still included the area around Angkor Wat. In 1867 a large part of Cambodia was made a French protectorate but the northwestern part was still under Chulalongkorn. However, by 1907 all of what is now Cambodia was under France. Thailand took the form it has today in 1909.

** The panung consists of a piece of cloth about one yard wide and three yards long. The middle is wrapped about the body and the two ends meet in the front and are then twisted together and passed back between the knees and tucked into the waist in the back

*** The name is actually much longer. Krung Thep means "City of Deities [or Angels]" and the rest of the name can be translated as " the Great City; the Residence of the Emerald Buddha; the Impregnable City of the God Indra; the Grand Capital of the World Endowed with Nine Precious Gems; the Happy City, Abounding in Enormous Palaces that Resemble the Heavenly Abode where Reigns the Reincarnated God; a City Given by Indra and Built by Vishnukarm". Rama I insisted the full name be used during the transaction of official business.