Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
ation techniques and increasing peasant populations. Schools were established along
European lines. Universal conscription and poll taxes made all men the king's men.
In 'civilising' his country, Chulalongkorn relied greatly on foreign advisers, mostly
British. Within the royal court, much of the centuries-old protocol was abandoned and re-
placed by Western forms. The architecture and visual art of state, like the new throne
halls, were designed by Italian artists.
Like his father, Chulalongkorn was regarded as a skilful diplomat and is credited with
successfully playing European powers off one another to avoid colonisation. In exchange
for independence, Thailand ceded territory to French Indochina (Laos in 1893, Cambodia
in 1907) and British Burma (three Malayan states in 1909). In 1902, the former Pattani
kingdom was ceded to the British, who were then in control of Malaysia, but control re-
verted to Thailand five years later. (The Deep South continues to consider itself an occu-
pied land by the Thai central government.)
Siam was becoming a geographically defined country in a modern sense. By 1902, the
country no longer called itself Siam but Prathet Thai (the country of the Thai) or Ratcha-
anachak Thai (the kingdom of the Thai). By 1913, all those living within its borders were
defined as 'Thai'.
Democracy vs Military
In 1932 a group of young military officers and bureaucrats calling themselves Khana
Ratsadon (People's Party) mounted a successful, bloodless coup that marked the end of
absolute monarchy and introduced a constitutional monarchy. The leaders of the group
were inspired by the democratic ideology they had encountered during their studies in
Europe.
In the years after the coup, rival factions (royalists, military, civilians) struggled for the
upper hand in the new power regime. Even the People's Party was not unified in its vis-
ion of a democratic Thailand, and before general elections were held the military wing of
the party seized control of the government. The leader of the civilian wing of the
People's Party, Pridi Phanomyong, a French-educated lawyer, was forced into exile in
1933 after introducing a socialist-leaning economic plan that angered the military gener-
als. King Prajadhipok (Rama VII) abdicated in 1935 and retired to Britain. Thailand's
first general election was held in 1937 for half of the seats in the People's Assembly, the
newly instated legislative body. General Phibul Songkhram, one of the leaders of the mil-
