IS BN 978-974-480-059-6
WL Order Code 22 472
US$21.00
Bangkok 2005, 251 pp., 3 pp. illus., 150 x
210 mm, pbk.
Anonymous, The Siam Directory 1912
The Siam Directory 1912 is a source book for the study of many aspects of
Thailand of that period, There are over 80 entries from Administration of the
Law, Army, Bangkok Revenue Department, Calendar and Memoranda, Clubs,
Queen Mother Household, Extradition Treaty, Finance Department, Foreign
Trade, Foreign Missions, Forest Department, Hackney Carriage Regulations,
Hotels, Ladies’ List, Legations and Consulates, Measures, Mint, Naturalization
Law, Official Directory, Opium and Spirit Department, Privy Purse, Population
of Siam, Provincial Gendarmerie, Rice, Royal Family, Siamese Titles, Siamese
Currency to Weights and Measures.
IS BN 978-974-8496-84-9
WL Order Code 21 954
US$23.00
Bangkok 1997, repr. from 1904; 214 pp., 46
pp. illus., 150 x 210 mm, pbk.
Antonio, J.; The 1904 Traveller’s Guide to Bangkok and Siam
First published by J. Antonio, one of the prominent photographers of King
Chulalongkorn’s Reign, as a reliable guidebook.
It contains a wealth of information
not available in other guidebooks of the time.
The modern reader gains
valuable insights into the everyday living conditions of the time.
J. Antonio’s
keen interest in ordinary people is reflected both in the text and in the photographs,
he also discusses a number of provinces that are within easy reach of
Bangkok.
IS BN 978-974-8434-58-2
WL Order Code 22 053
US$23.00
Bangkok 1999, first English trans. from
1901; 282 pp., illus. & drawings, 5 maps,
150 x 210 mm, pbk.
Aymonier, Étienne; Khmer Heritage in Thailand,
With Special Emphasis
on Temples, Inscriptions and Etymology
Khmer Heritage in Thailand is a reference book on all Khmer edifices in present-
day Thailand and the Laotian provinces that were formerly under Siamese
control.
They are located in the Menam Valley and on the Korat plateau, Bassac
and the region between the Moon River and the Dangrek Mountains, as well
as the old Isan provinces.
The inventory emphasizes the Khmer inheritance
in the fields of archaeology, inscriptions and etymology of present-day place
names. Numerous descriptions and floor plans of temples and temple ruins as
well as translations of important inscriptions are included.
The author, who
was a French authority on Khmer inscriptions, treats extensively the significance
and lineage of various texts on these edifices, e.g. the inscriptions on
the Ramkamhaeng stone.
This book is a detailed record of Khmer edifices and
inscriptions, many of which are in much poorer state today or have disappeared
altogether. Hence, it serves as a valuable reminder of our duty to protect a rich
and unique inheritance.
IS BN 978-974-8434-57-5
WL Order Code 22 054
US$23.00
Bangkok 1999, first English trans. from
1901; 318 pp., illus., 5 maps, 150 x 210 mm,
pbk.
Aymonier, Étienne ; Khmer Heritage in the Old Siamese Provinces of Cambodia,
With Special Emphasis on Temples, Inscriptions and Etymology
This book contains information on all the Khmer edifices in the presentday
Cambodian provinces that were formerly under Siamese control.
They
comprise Melou Prey, Sisophon, Battambang and Siem Reap. The record
emphasizes the Khmer inheritance in the fields of archeology, inscriptions
and etymology of place names. Numerous descriptions and floor plans of
temples and temple ruins are included.
The author deals extensively with
the significance and provenance of various texts found on these edifices. If
not a tourist guide in the traditional sense, this book, as an exhaustive and
detailed record of Khmer edifices, many of which are in much a poorer, or
even plundered state today, is intrinsically a call for urgent action to save
what still remains.
We carry a selection of old prints from Thailand, 17th
to 19th century, from books like Tachard, de Laloubere
and others. Some of them are also reprinted in
some of White Lotus reprints, which had no original
illustrations
Please look at our historical reprints
IS BN 978-974-7534-44-3
WL Order Code 22 185
US$30.00
Bangkok 2000, first English trans. of
1895/1897; 348 pp., 55 pp. of maps, 210 x
290 mm, pbk.
Aymonier, Étienne ;
Isan Travels: Northeast Thailand’s Economy in 1883–
1884
A book with more detailed reports on Northeast Thailand than have ever been
collected by a nineteenth-century explorer.
Étienne Aymonier was a specialist
in Cambodian studies and traveled together with trained Cambodian assistants
through Isan from south to north and from east to west, visiting many of the
region’s districts.
He reports on the political situation, dependency relationships
among districts and provinces and their relations with the Court in Bangkok,
agricultural and forestry commodities, usage and value of various local and
national currencies, ethnic and language groups living in all villages he passed
through, superstitions and religion, betel and opium use and other vices, population
data and numbers of registered taxable men, taxes paid to Bangkok, and“corruption money” paid to various authorities including the Siamese Court
and ministry officials. Most of all, Aymonier accurately describes the accessibility
overland and by water of many extremely remote areas of the interior and
their trading relations.
There are also detailed descriptions of important crafts
such as salt production, basket weaving, iron forging and casting, and various
non-agricultural occupations and sidelines of farmers.
Naturalists will find that
the varieties of vegetation the author and his assistants encounter are accurately
described, with special attention to various tree species, including those that
produce timber and dyes, and to the availability of water, that life-bringing
commodity still so scarce in today’s Isan.
IS BN 978-974-480-046-6
WL Order Code 22 361
US$28.00
Bangkok 2004, 332 pp., 48 pp. illus. in col.,
12 maps, 150 x 210 mm, pbk.
Ball, Desmond;The Boys in Black:
The Thahan Phran (Rangers), Thailand’s
Para-Military Border Guards
This is a study of the Rangers, a volunteer organization founded by the Royal
Thai Army in 1978 to combat communist insurgency.
They have since become
responsible for tile first-line defense of Thailand’s border: fighting intruding
armed forces, such as the ethnic insurgent armies and the drug trafficking
groups in the Thai-Burma borderlands; guarding refugee camps; maintaining
peace and security in troubled areas.
They are widely known for their involvement
in extraneous politically motivated and violent activities. This book is
about life and security in Thailand’s borderlands from a Ranger perspective.
It
is both a critique of an important element of Thailand’s border defense regime
and an introduction to the complex political geography and human security
issues in the borderlands. General Teerawat Putamanonda (ret.) has provided
the foreword.
IS BN 978-974-480-117-3
WL Order Code 22 561
US$36.00
Bangkok 2007, 578 pp., 96 pp. B&W illus,
148 x 297 mm, pbk.
Ball, Desmond; Militia Redux:
Or Sor and The Revival of Paramilitarism
in Thailand
This is a critique of the current resurgence of paramilitarism in Thailand. The
central organisation is the Volunteer Defence Corps, or Or Sor.
An agency of the
Ministry of Interior since the 1950s, Or Sor has a multiplicity of tasks, including
maintaining road checkpoints, guarding provincial and district buildings, supervising
refugee camps, development assistance, and involvement in the war on
drugs.
It has also been instrumental in training and supervising rapidly increasing
numbers of Village Self-Defence Volunteers (Chor Ror Bor). Since 2002 their
numbers have increased in the Thailand-Burma borderlands and in the South,
where Or Sor and Chor Ror Bor have become a primary target of the insurgency.
Despite a generally improving reputation, many paramilitary personnel are also
notorious as thugs for local strongmen, and for corruption and inefficiency.
This
book is the first in-depth study of this uniquely Thai experience of paramilitarism.
Professor Suchit Bunbongkarn has provided a foreword.
IS BN 978-974-8496-77-1
WL Order Code 21 871
US$18.00
Bangkok 1996, repr. from 1894; 202 pp.,
150 x 210 mm, pbk.
Bangkok Times :The 1894 Directory for Bangkok and Siam
This directory was published by the semi-official Bangkok Times newspaper.
According to its own glowing title page it was “a handy and reliable book of
reference for all classes, with a calendar and every information about weights
and measures, Siamese festivals, postage and telegraph tariffs, notes on the
ancient and modern history of Siam, and including official and general directories.
The wide coverage of information that is elsewhere unavailable or
hard to find, not least that on businesses operating at the time, makes this
directory an effective research tool. The directory is also a treasure trove
for general readers interested in the daily life and in the official and foreign
personalities, important or otherwise, of this crucial period of King Chulalongkorn’s
Reign.
IS BN 978-974-480-060-2
WL Order Code 22 436
US$30.00
Bangkok 2005, 273 pp., 150 x 210 mm,
pbk.
Bastian, Adolf ;A Journey in Siam (1863)
Adolf Bastian’s Travels in Southeast Asia: Volume 2
A Journey in Siam (1863), volume 2 of Adolf Bastian’s Travels in Southeast Asia,
contains the travelogue written by Dr Adolf Bastian during his travels in Thailand.
Bastian was a renowned ethnographer, who founded both Berlin’s Museum
für Völkerkunde (Ethnological Museum) and the Berlin Anthropological Society,
and his work contains valuable observations and interpretations by one of the
pioneers of ethnography.
He observes, describes and records the later period of
King Mongkut’s reign, which ended in 1868 and is not well covered by published
sources—only Monsignor Jean‑Baptiste Pallegoix’s writings deal extensively
with the early years of that reign. While staying in Bangkok, this thorough and
tireless German scholar insisted on learning Siamese and, in addition, covered
almost every aspect of the spiritual life of the various groups of people he met
in the capital.
Bastian’s interests also extend to Siam’s administrative and legal
systems as well as to the particularities of the lives of the various types of slaves
in the country. Celebrations, games, gambling, diseases and medicine, taxes and
their implications for economic life all command his attention. Bastian furthermore
takes interest in the theater and literature of the time, in Siamese wit, and
in the songs that people use to express their feelings during various activities.
He provides details about the animals living alongside people either as pets, or
in the wild, or as working animals. Life is described here in its manifold expressions
and interactions with nature, analyzed by a profound mind that had studied
law at the University of Heidelberg and natural science as well as medicine in
Berlin, Jena, and Würzburg.
The book includes some rare descriptions not found
anywhere else, not even in Pallegoix’s largely complementary work, relating, for
example, to the spirit world as perceived by the Siamese.
IS BN 978-974-8496-64-1
WL Order Code 21 843
US$60.00
Bangkok 1996, numbered edition of 1, 000
copies on 157g art paper; 104 pp., fully
illus., 210 x 300 mm
Blenkinsop, Philip;The Cars That Ate Bangkok
Being the true and terrifying pictorial account of the Thai people’s struggle for
survival in the age of the automobile, this book takes you on a death-defying
foot-to-the-floor ride through the streets of Bangkok and spits you out, nerves
shattered and palms sweating amidst the fumes and dying breaths of those who
lost track of their lives along the way.
It is an unashamedly shocking and thought
provoking volume that bravely tackles the horror of automobile induced waste
in today’s society.
Not for the faint-hearted, The Cars that Ate Bangkok will
forever change the way you view the automobile. Pick it up and take to the
streets again if you dare.
IS BN 978-974-8496-23-8
WL Order Code 21 721
US$21.00
Bangkok 1994, first English trans. from
1901; 176 pp., fully illus., 145 x 210 mm,
pbk.
Buls, Charles; Siamese Sketches
This book is the very personal, sometimes controversial, account of the
journey the world traveler and former mayor of Brussels, Charles Buls,
made to Siam in 1900. Spanning the wide variety of Buls’ interests, from
the urban Chinese to early agricultural developments in the countryside, this
account always surprises by its insightful comments and sharp, often visionary,
observations.
Having been involved with the development of a world
city himself, he was better placed than any other contemporary observer to
speculate on Siam’s political, economic and social future.
He shuns neither
highly controversial viewpoints, nor topics, such as the comparative value of
religions for a country like Siam, that were bound to bring him into trouble.
This book, in which Buls’ original account is supplemented by material from
his hitherto unpublished diary notes, letters and numerous photographs from
Belgian archives, such as those of the inauguration of Dusit Park and the
Ayutthaya elephant round-up, is a must for lovers of Fifth Reign history, and
of Siam.
IS BN 978-0-19-588602-3
WL Order Code 8 123
US$14.00
Singapore 1992, repr. from 1889; 372 pp., 1
p. illus., 1 map, 130 x 195 mm, pbk.
Caddy, Florence; To Siam and Malaya in the Duke of Sutherland’s Yacht
Sans Peur
First published just over a hundred year ago, this delightful account of a voyage
in a luxurious Ducal private yacht, where half the crew apparently consisted
of cooks, covers a journey through the Red Sea to India, Singapore, and Siam
returning via Malaya, Ceylon, and Egypt.
The author was invited to join the
yacht as ‘geographer and naturalist’ but did, in fact, spend much time describing
Court life and entertainments in Bangkok, where she met King Chulalongkorn.
In Singapore and Johore, the party was-equally lavishly entertained by
the Sultan (at the final banquet the entire set of Ellenborough gold plate was
used!)
These descriptions can be considered as set-pieces of real historical
value but the book also includes much information more directly related to the
work for which Mrs. Caddy was engaged, To Siam and Malaya is well written
in an interesting and undemanding way, and today’s reader will find it as fresh
and entertaining as when it was first published.
IS BN 978-974-849-508-8
WL Order Code 21 712
US$17.50
Bangkok 1994, 229 pp., 150 x 210 mm
Chaiyan Rajchagool ,
The Rise and Fall of the Thai Absolute Monarchy:
Foundations of the Modern Thai State from Feudalism to Peripheral Capitalism.
Studies in Contemporary Thailand No. 2
This is no ordinary study of nation building.
It differs markedly in its theoretical
approach from existing studies of Thailand.
In the mid-nineteenth century,
Siam was no more than a loose grouping of petty states and principalities, lacking
well-defined borders and a centralized power structure.
Yet within a period
of forty years a unified state had emerged. How and why had this happened?
Those are the questions addressed by this penetrating study.
It is central to the
author’s argument that the form of the new state was the absolute monarchy.
He analyzes the socioeconomic conditions that existed at the time of Siam’s
early contact with Western economic and colonial forces and examines the
ways in which political and administrative control gradually came to be held
by the Bangkok-based monarchy.
The author also addresses the question of
why, within another forty years, the absolute monarchy had been replaced by a
constitutional monarchy.
IS BN 978-974-480-053-4
WL Order Code 22 411
US$45.00
Bangkok 2004, 268 pp., fully illustrated, 32
pp. in col., 210 x 290 mm, pbk.
Clutterbuck, Martin; Siamese Cats, Legends and Reality
This is the radically revised and expanded version of the successful 1998 book
The Legend of Siamese Cats.
While retaining the former volume’s core attraction
of translations of the famous Thai Cat Book Poems from medieval times,
this new book delves more deeply into the real Thai cats as they have progressed
from then until the present day.
Each major Thai breed—Siamese, Korat, Burmese
and more—is covered extensively, including detailed genetic studies, their
present status in Thailand and their history in the West.
Special chapters have
also been added on the cats’ relations with Thai royalty and the Buddhist priesthood,
and various myths about these venerable institutions are confirmed or disproved.
A new chapter on the wide application of Thai cat bloodlines to develop
western breeds well illustrates how Thailand is indeed a cat superpower.
Finally,
a new appendix reproduces the 1924 “Siamese Cat Register”.
IS BN 978-974-849-667-2
WL Order Code 21 857
US$24.00
Bangkok 2001, 2nd printing; 409 pp., 150 x
215 mm, pbk.
Cohen, Erik; Thai Tourism: Hill Tribes, Islands and Open-Ended Prostitution.
Studies in Contemporary Thailand No. 4
This book brings together almost two decades of Erik Cohen’s studies on
different aspects of tourism in Thailand.
A broad introductory review of the
principal recent trends and transformations in Thai tourism is followed by indepth
studies of three tourist domains: ethnic tourism in the hill tribe area of
northern Thailand, vacationing tourism on the islands of southern Thailand and
sex tourism in Bangkok.
These studies are based on extensive field work and
set within the theoretical framework of contemporary sociology of tourism, on
which the author is a leading expert
IS BN 978-974-7534-58-0
WL Order Code 22 183
US$23.00
Bangkok 2000, repr. from 1955–58; 424 pp.,
3 pp. illus., l50 x 2l0 mm, pbk.
Damrong Rajanubhab, Prince; Our Wars with the Burmese: Thai-Burmese
Conflict 1539–1767
This may well be Thailand’s most famous history book. Known familiarly
as Thai Rop Phama, it was first published in 1917 and quickly became very
popular.
The author gave the state he had just built a new national history by
recounting 24 wars between Siam and Burma from 1539 to 1767.
The book was
later translated into English by a Burmese who had worked for Siam’s forestry
department, and who had helped Prince Damrong with Burmese source materials.
The tales which Prince Damrong selected from the chronicles have since
entered school textbooks and popular culture.
It was this book which first made
famous the heroism of Queen Suriyothai, the elephant duel at Nong Sarai, King
Naresuan’s “declaration of independence, ” the guerilla resistance of Bang-
Rachan, and the drama of Ayutthaya’s fall.
IS BN 978-974-480-003-9
WL Order Code 22 291
US$28.00
Bangkok 2002, 458 pp., 20 pp. illus. in
color, 150 x 210 mm, pbk.
Dearden, Philip (ed.);
Environmental Protection and Rural Development in
Thailand:
Challenges and Opportunities.
Studies in Contemporary Thailand No. 11
This volume of edited conference proceedings targets many of the key problems
now facing Thailand.
For almost a decade Thailand enjoyed world-leading
economic growth rates. But this short-term growth also concealed long-term
costs to the social and environmental fabric of the country.
This book contains
a wide selection of papers that address issues relating to rural development and
both marine and terrestrial environmental protection.
It starts with an overview
of some of the current challenges facing Thailand and finishes with a plea for
the need to “Walk the Middle Path” towards future development.
In between
there are chapters ranging from the impacts of aquaculture through to cash crop
development in the highlands and the current state of the marine park system in
Thailand.
The book will be indispensable reading for anyone with an interest
in natural resource management, environment and sustainable development in
Thailand.
IS BN 978-974-7534-25-2
WL Order Code 22 173
US$21.00
Bangkok 2000, first English trans. of 1908;
354 pp., 24 pp. illus., l50 x 2l0 mm, pbk.
Dilok Nabarath, Prince;Siam’s Rural Economy under King Chulalongkorn
This dissertation by Prince Dilok Nabarath, Prince of Siam, son of HM King
Chulalongkorn and Chao Chom Manda Dibakesorn of Chiang Mai, was submitted
at the University of Tübingen, Germany.
The book covers virtually
every aspect of the agricultural base of Thailand’s economy at the turn of the
previous century.
The reforms in the legal status of various classes of slaves,
serfs, free people, nobles and others are sketched against the background of
a farmers’ class producing ever more agricultural produce for export.
These
exports are discussed in great detail too.
The various farming systems to
produce the entire gamut of exports from rice to livestock are explained.
The
efficiency and impediments to production increases are placed in the historical
context of the widening communications network of the country.
Special
attention is paid to supplementary sources of income, many of which are still
used today.
The geographical framework of farm products is also presented.
Prince Dilok concludes his dissertation with enlightened recommendations that
are still valid when it comes to misguided development projects, inappropriate
donor-enforced macro-economic policies, and the application of capital-intensive
technology.
IS BN 978-974-8496-62-7
WL Order Code 21 866
US$33.00
Bangkok 1996, repr. from 1923; 388 pp.,
fully illus. 150 x 210 mm, pbk.
Dodd, William Clifton;The Tai Race, Elder Brother of the Chinese
This book was of great importance for the intellectual and political history of
Thailand during the first part of the century.
Its traces can still be found in those
chapters of Thai schoolbooks that deal with the original homeland of the Thais.
The account of Dodd’s explorations in the southern part of China, Laos, and
the northern part of Vietnam is of special interest from an ethnographic point
of view.
The book contains details of the whereabouts, habits, and customs, as
well as a smattering of the linguistic heritage of a variety of ethnic minorities;
some of them are identified here for the first time in a printed account.
Knowledge
about these ethnic groups and their identity has always been scarce and
this book is of great value not only to the scholar, but to all who are interested
in the history of the various branches of the Tai-speaking peoples.
IS BN 978-974-8434-87-2
WL Order Code 22 071
US$28.00
Bangkok 1999, 206 pp., 142 pp. illus., 210 x
290 mm, pbk.
Döhring, Karl;The Country and People of Siam
The Country and People of Siam is the first English translation of Siam, Land
und Volk, accompanied by 142 pages of original photos.
The architect Karl
Döhring lived and worked in Siam during King Chulalongkorn’s Reign. He
was involved in many different projects for the king as well as for government
departments and institutions.
His professional training enabled him to observe
with a sharp eye. His introductory text of 36 pages is brief but profound.
He
deals with the following topics: the country, waterways, population, character
of the Thais, family life, agriculture, the legal system, cremations, court life and
festivities, music and theater.
IS BN 978-974-7534-39-9
WL Order Code 22 167
US$21.00
Bangkok 2000, first English trans. of 1912;
168 pp., fully illus., 150 x 210 mm, pbk.
Döhring, Karl ; Buddhist Stupa (Phra Chedi) Architecture of Thailand
Karl Döhring has carried out the most exhaustive study ever done by a Western
researcher on the Buddhist edifices known in Thailand as phra chedi.
The
author, who worked in Siam during the early decades of the twentieth century,
personally visited phra chedi or stupa edifices in various Bangkok temples.
He
traces the origins of this peculiar building, discusses its uses, and examines its
place in Thai Buddhist temple complexes.
A complete classification of all the
architectural forms these buildings take is presented, along with architectonic
details, and the decorative elements of the round and square stupa types are
analyzed.
This study is enhanced by a unique collection of photographs and the
author’s own sketches and drawings.
IS BN 978-974-7534-40-5
WL Order Code 22 168
US$43.00
Bangkok 2000, first English trans. of 1920;
370 pp., 266 pp. illus., 2l0 x 290 mm, pbk.
Döhring, Karl ; Buddhist Temples of Thailand: An Architectonic Introduction
This is the first English translation of Karl Döhring’s seminal three-volume
photographic study Buddhistische Tempelanlagen in Siam, published in German
in 1920.
This in-depth architectonic and socio-cultural analysis of temple
building complexes is accompanied by 180 pages of technically perfect photographs
and 116 floor plans and refined line drawings. Karl Döhring, an architect
who lived and worked in Siam during the reigns of King Chulalongkorn and
King Vajiravudh, presented part of this work toward his doctoral degree.
As
a practicing architect of larger constructions, many of which were realized in
Siam, Döhring was deeply interested in the technical aspects of Thai temples
and in the use of decorative elements worked out to perfection to create both
harmony and eye-catching contrasts.
The book presents an architectonic
analysis, discusses the historico-cultural and religious meanings of the various
edifices composing a Thai temple complex, and details the specific decorations
used to project the atmosphere of religious piety and rest so often impressively
present in these places of worship.
Sample floor plans, many of which have been
long lost and photographs of many Bangkok temples as well as some famous
upcountry complexes make this book a masterfully conceived guide for the
layman who has more than a superficial interest in this fascinating topic.
IS BN 978-974-7534-98-6
WL Order Code 22 235
US$18.00
Bangkok 2002, first English trans. of 1894;
232 pp., 20 pp. illus., 150 x 210 mm, pbk.
Ehlers, Otto E. ; On Horseback through Indochina. Vol. 3. Vietnam, Singapore,
and Central Thailand.
The third volume of this trilogy provides an account of the adventurous journey
German traveler Otto Ehlers undertook in 1892–1893.
This work reports on
the journey starting in Poofang on the border between the Sipsong Pana, now
Yunnan, and French Tonkin, where the Nam Ma is crossed with a small caravan
of three mules and the author’s Kashmir pony.
Ehlers travels an unusual
route between the Black and the Red River and through the tea districts on the
Vietnamese-Chinese border, passing through all major settlements of the time:
Phong Tho, Barat, Laichau, Lao Kai, Trai Hut, Hong Hoa, Sontay, Hanoi, and
Haiphong.
Considered a spy by the French officers in Tonkin, Ehlers was forced
to continue part of his journey by junk on the Red River down to Hanoi.
He then
sailed to Da Nang, Saigon, and Singapore, from where he visited the Sultanate
of Johore, and onwards to Siam as the guest of H.M. King Chulalongkorn at
Koh Si Chang. He also visited Bangkok, Bang Pa In, and Ayutthaya.
Ehlers
insightfully, mercilessly, and humorously dissects all that meets his inquiring
eyes: the deplorable situation of French personnel in Tonkin in respect to life
style, living quarters, and hygiene, the German mercenaries in the French Foreign
Legion, basically fighting France’s war against the rebels in Tonkin, the
true state of the Black Thai irregular troops guarding the country between the
Black River and the Red River against Black Flag pirates, the colorful costumes
and customs of various tribesmen, trade on the Red River and across the Yunnanese
borders, Polish Clara of the Café Oriental in Sontay, the felt need for
railway lines in the Shan States and Tonkin, the coal mines of Hongai, the
steamers and sailing ships of Rickmers in the Orient, excessive French taxation
in Cochin-china, foreign government advisers traveling to idleness in Siam,
the livelihood of the Bangkok Siamese, the comings and goings in Sampeng,
Bangkok’s Chinese district, Siamese theater, the cremation grounds for the poor
at Wat Saket, and many other colorful descriptions cast in Ehler’s own brand
of travelogue writing.
IS BN 978-974-7534-33-7
WL Order Code 22 197
US$21.00
Bangkok 2000, repr. of 1930; 352 pp., 12 pp.
illus., 4 pp. in color, 210 x 290 mm, pbk.
Far Eastern Association of Tropical Medicine,
Executive Committee of the
Eighth Congress Siam in 1930: General and Medical Features
This book was written as an introduction to Siam for delegates attending
the Eight Congress of the Far Eastern Association of Tropical Medicine,
held in Bangkok.
The publication was compiled by a committee comprising
several Thai and foreign experts in various fields of society and especially
in medicine.
The general information provided consisted of a wide variety
of subjects: a brief introduction to the history, government, administration,
arts and crafts of Siam; Siamese theatre and noteworthy buildings in Bangkok,
Bang Pa-In, Ayuthia and Lopburi—and the railway lines to travel to
them—are described, many with photographic material.
Developments in
the public health sector have, of course, received special attention.
Thus all
aspects of medical care, nursing, and health administration in Thailand are
described, with sections on medicine in the army, veterinary services, school
health, missionary work in the medical services, and the Siamese Red Cross
Society.
Thus we are able to obtain a rare glimpse of a field of development
that is often not readily accessible to visitors, or even not widely known
among professionals.
IS BN 978-974-7534-83-2
WL Order Code 22 272
US$15.00
Bangkok 2001, repr. from 1832, 1834, 1844;
182 pp., 150 x 210 mm, pbk.
Farrington, Anthony (ed.);
Early Missionaries in Bangkok: The Journals of
Tomlin, Gutzlaff and Abeel, 1828–1832
Early Missionaries in Bangkok brings together the journals of Tomlin, of
the London Missionary Society at that time; Gutzlaff, a German with some
medical training and connected with the Netherlands Missionary Society; and
Abeel, appointed by the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions.
Their experiences and observations are among the very few glimpses of
Bangkok and its Chinese community in the early nineteenth century during
the reign of King Rama III, as seen through “Western” eyes-as recorded in the
more enduring part of their journals.
The extensive passages devoted purely
to biblical quotations and Christian moralizing have been omitted. Anthony
Farrington’s introduction sets the journals in historical context.
IS BN 978-974-480-048-0
WL Order Code 22 406
US$26.00
Bangkok 2004, 292 pp., 150 x 210 mm,
pbk.
Farrington, Anthony; Dr. Richardson’s Missions to Siam 1829–1839
Dr. Richardson’s manuscripts survived in the East India Company’s archives
and in the contemporary Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal. Anthony
Farrington has now brought them together for the first time.
They contain a
wealth of information on Chiang Mai, Lamphun and Lampang, parts of the
country, which were completely unknown to Europeans, as well as fascinating
encounters in Bangkok at a crucial period in the history of early modern Siam.
David Richardson (1796–1846), a surgeon in the English East India Company’s
Madras Army, was posted to Moulmein when the Company seized the Tenasserim
Provinces at the end of the First Burmese War.
One of the first British
officers to become fluent in Burmese, his skills were diverted into various dip47
lomatic missions.
Between 1829 and 1839 he made four remarkable pioneering
journeys overland into Siam
IS BN 978-974-8434-42-1
WL Order Code 22 055
US$18.00
Bangkok 1999, first English trans. from
1894; 172 pp., 150 x 210 mm, pbk.
Fournereau, Lucien ;Bangkok in 1892
This overview covers a great number of aspects of Siamese life, of the common
people as well as of royalty and high officialdom.
Bangkok’s great celebration
and the sordid details of its pollution and body disposal problems as
well as politically tainted descriptions of the state of feudalism and slavery in
the kingdom are discussed by a French colonialist.
The great buildings and
the significance of the main state ceremonies held in them are discussed and
illustrated with colorful details.
The book’s descriptions are greatly enhanced
by more than fifty engravings, each a masterpiece of a craft that was about
to disappear though it rivaled photography in the richness of its details and
refinement.
IS BN 978-974-8496-59-7
WL Order Code 21 867
US$18.00
Bangkok 1996, 152 pp., 20 pp. color illus.,
150 x 210 mm, pbk.
Fouser, Beth; The Lord of the Golden Tower: King Prasat Thong and the
Building of Wat Chaiwatthanaram
This book is a study of symbols of power and legitimacy. King Prasat Thong,
a usurper, attempted to justify his claim to the throne of Ayutthaya by reviving
at Wat Chaiwatthanaram the Khmer-influenced prang in a form that had not
been used for two hundred years.
The author explores the cultural, historic,
political and religious context from which Wat Chaiwatthanaram emerged. She
describes its functions on religious and political levels and the interrelationships
between Buddhism and kingship and related conceptions of legitimacy.
Prasat
Thong followed King Ramathibodhi, the venerated founder of Ayutthaya, who
had used the prang in his architecture. At Wat Chaiwatthanaram the prang,
along with other unusual features, such as the eight conical men (meru), the
large crowned Buddha images, and the twelve stucco relief panels, together
created a unified visual statement designed to proclaim his ultimate right to
reign as King.
IS BN 978-974-7534-14-6
WL Order Code 22 121
US$28.00
Bangkok 1999, repr. from 1912; 440 pp.,
illus., 1 folded map, 150 x 210 mm, pbk.
Gerini, G. E.; Siam and Its Productions, Arts, and Manufactures (1911)
This is the descriptive catalog of the Siamese Section at the International Exhibition
of Industry and Labor held in Turin in 1911 . Under King Chulalongkorn
Siam promoted modernization and trade, and in 1904 had already participated
in the Louisiana Purchase Exposition in St. Louis.
The aim was to show the
world that Siam was a worthy modern trading partner. Compiled by different
experts, this book provides a wealth of information, not readily available to the
public. It covers trade products and manufactures as well as selected services
in the entertainment sector, such as theater, sports, and, horse-racing, and even
educational services in commerce.
There is also a section on Siamese-Italian
relations.
The English edition of 1912, reprinted here, is a revised and updated
version of the original Italian exhibition catalog. It also contains the results of
the exhibition: prizes awarded to the exhibitors in the Siamese Pavilion, for
example A. Berli & Co. for benzoin and gutta-percha, G. Pappayanopulos for
cigarettes, and the East Asiatic Co., Ltd. for timber wood, pepper, and guttapercha.
Various statistical tables, lists of awardees, Siamese plant names and,
especially, its elaborate index make this book a very valuable research tool.
IS BN 978-974-8496-61-0
WL Order Code 21 359
US$36.00
Bangkok 1997, English trans. from 1688;
240 pp., illus., 150 x 210 mm, pbk.
Gervaise, Nicolas; The Natural and Political History of the Kingdom of
Siam
This new edition, with a preface by John Villiers, of the most exhaustive seventeenth
century description of Thailand is illustrated with rare prints and maps.
It is the result of the establishment of diplomatic relations during the reign of King Narai
and is a much more detailed work than any of the score of French accounts of Siam
produced by the members of the embassies of the 1680s to that country. Gervaise’s
work has been used by Simon de La Loubère to prepare his own account.
IS BN 978-974-8495-76-7
WL Order Code 21 587
US$27.00
Bangkok 1992, 231 pp., illus., 150 x 210
mm
Glover, Ian, Pornchai Suchitta & John Villiers; Early Metallurgy, Trade and
Urban Centres in Thailand and Southeast Asia
This collection of thirteen archaeological essays is based on papers originally
presented to a research conference on early Southeast Asia held in Bangkok
and Nakorn Pathom in April 1985.
The papers have been revised and brought
up-to-date by the authors.
The 1985 Bangkok Conference was a continuation of
the 1973 London Colloquy which resulted in the volume Early Southeast Asia
(Smith & Watson, eds.).
IS BN 978-974-228-018-5
WL Order Code 22 317
US$13.00
Pattaya 2002, 162 pp., illus., 145 x 215 mm
Godsell, Sean & Patrick McGeown; More Thoughts from the Pattaya
Orphanage
This is the sequel to Thoughts from the Pattaya Orphanage with photos of children
rescued and cared for by the orphanage.
The brief introduction outlines the
work of the orphanage over the past 30 years. Proceeds from the book will be
used to help the orphanage.
IS BN 978-974-7534-54-2
WL Order Code 22 187
US$36.00
Bangkok 2000, 160 pp., fully illus., 32 pp.
color illus., 210 x 290 mm, pbk.
Goethe-Institut Bangkok, Thai Artists and ‘The Goethe’—Forty Years of
Cultural Interaction
This book celebrates the Goethe-Institut Bangkok’s 40th year of the well
established and fruitful Thai-German cultural relationship.
Contributions from
artists, both in visual and performing arts, and musicians highlight the role
played by the Goethe-Institut in furthering their careers and the various benefits
provided by the Institute to Thai artistic and cultural life.
The book provides
impressions of changing architecture, life, culture and society in Bangkok,
amply illustrated with numerous photographs, and artists’ works highlighting
today’s art scene.
Extracts from the archives of Thai-German relations provide
fascinating details of the mutual impact and benefit of this relationship.
IS BN 978-974-8434-69-8
WL Order Code 22 063
US$20.00
Bangkok 1999, 240 pp., 1 p. color illus., 150
x 210 mm, pbk.
Greene, Stephen L. W.;
Absolute Dreams: Thai Government Under Rama
VI, 1910–1925
This monograph examines the troubled reign of the nation’s first Westerneducated
monarch. King Vajiravudh had great expectations of power when he
ascended the throne because his father had reorganized the government along
more Western, functional lines.
The new King wanted to bring to Thailand
many of those institutions and practices he had observed in Britain. Accordingly,
he created associations, started social clubs and promoted Western forms
of literature while urging the Thais to rally around nation, king and religion.
It soon became evident that the King’s efforts were not creating the desired
unity.
Members of the royal family began quarreling with him soon after his
coronation and a coup d’état among junior military officers was uncovered two
years into his reign. The King also tried to wrestle with other chronic problems
in his government.
The Ministry of the Interior’s predominant position in the
bureaucracy was a constant source of conflict that led to numerous department
reshuffles.
No matter how creative these efforts, the essential problem always
was the bureaucrats, not the bureaucratic structures.
Thai government was,
more than anything else, an exercise in personal aggrandizement.
IS BN 978-974-7534-34-4
WL Order Code 22 158
US$48.00
Bangkok 2000, repr. of 1967; 454 pp. fully
illus., 280 x 220 mm
Holbrook, R. D. & Manob Suriya; The Blue Book of Coastal Vessels—Thailand
This reprint presents an exhaustive study of the wooden-hulled fishing boats
in the Gulf of Thailand and in the Andaman Sea. It was originally designed
as an identification aid for military personnel to locate suspicious boats during
the Vietnam War period (1967).
But this book is much wider in scope. it gives
researchers in marine studies a wealth of information: boat types, technical
data, fish species available in the gulf, etc. Many things may have changed
with the decline of fish stocks due to over-fishing, destruction of mangroves, or
pollution.
The first part of the book gives the history and religious influences
on boat operations, fishing areas and techniques.
The second part describes
the classes and types of wooden-hulled coastal vessels.
This book is an indispensable
tool for anyone who wants to make comparative studies of the coastal
fishing industry or boat building in the region.
IS BN 078-974-8496-50-3
WL Order Code 21 808
US$17.00
Bangkok 1995, 158 pp., 130 x 200 mm,
pbk.
Holmes, Henry & Suchada Tangtongtavy, with Roy Tomizawa; Working with
the Thais :
Of course we’re the same. We see. We hear. We enjoy. We hate. We fight.
We love. We want the best for our families. We may not all speak the same
language, but when it gets down to the crunch, we can all communicate and
cooperate.
You want to be happy? Fine, do so! You need my help to be happy?
Good, let’s see what we can do. People are the same wherever you go—from
Pretoria to Paris, from Mexico City to Bangkok.
Well, if we are so similar, why
do foreigners complain so often about working with the Thais? And why do
Thais frequently find foreigners so arrogant and exasperating? All people may
see and hear and fear and enjoy, but it’s very possible that we aren’t seeing and
hearing and fearing and enjoying in the same way as they are. I can bow, but
I refuse to demean myself.
I can restrain my anger, but I refuse to idly watch
injustice being done. I can physically consume that food, but it is not what civilized
people eat. In the end, our fundamental goals in life must be remarkably
similar.
But it is in the means we use to reach these goals that the differences
emerge.
And it is at this level, more importantly than at the superficial level of
social do’s and don’ts, where the opportunities lie for us to develop understanding,
respect, and the effective relationships we seek between ourselves and our
Thai colleagues.
IS BN 978-0-9759284-1-7
WL Order Code 22 424
US$20.00
Bangkok, 2004, 326 pp., 14 pp. illus. 145 x
210 mm
Hopkins, Jerry;
In the Name of the Boss Upstairs: The Father Ray Brennan
Story
The Pattaya Orphanage made Father Ray Brennan a famous man who was
praised by religious leaders and honored by Thailand’s royal family and governments
around the world.
Still, he never abandoned the gruff voice he claimed
came from the tough Chicago South Side, nor surrendered his childlike love of
practical jokes and ice cream.
This biography was authorized by the priest’s
family and the Father Ray Foundation, and all proceeds from its sale go to
pay the cost of higher education for the children in the schools and homes he
founded.
However, it was agreed that no punches would be pulled in telling
Father Ray’s story and an internationally recognized biographer was charged
with the writing. Allegations of pedophilia, which surfaced near the end of the
priest’s life, are fully examined.
Father Ray emerges as a human being with a
special mission from the Boss Upstairs.
IS BN 978-974-7534-56-6
WL Order Code 22 236
US$28.00
Bangkok 2001, first English trans. of 1912;
388 pp., 64 pp. illus., 1 map, 150 x 210 mm,
pbk.
Hosséus, Carl Curt;Through King Chulalongkorn’s Kingdom (1904–1906):
The First Botanical Exploration of Northern Thailand
This is the report of a German expedition conducted by Dr. Carl Curt Hosséus
to northern Siam in 1904–1906.
The author was a professional botanist and
aimed to explore the still virgin forest stands and jungles in such mountainous
regions as the Wang Chao area and the Khao Phra Dang mountains of
Tak province, the Mae Ping river valley, Doi Suthep, Doi Inthanon, and Doi
Chiang Dao in Chiang Mai province, Muang Fang, Chiang Sen and its ancient
temples, the road from Chiang Sen to Chiang Rai, and the Huay Sai-Chiang
Kong region on the Mekong.
There are numerous discoveries of new plant species,
as could be expected, and extensive commentary on local environments of
vegetation associations.
The author does not stop there but offers insights into
the local situation of various tribes such as the Shan and Mussoer and the formers
insurrections against central rule, the waning power of local rulers, the old
chaos, and the operations of large logging companies, such as the East Asiatic
Company, the destruction of the environment by forest fires, the operations of
American missionaries in the north, budding French administration in French
Laos, the development of a modern upcountry corps of gendarmes under Danish
leadership, and the growing trade interests of Britain and Germany.
This
straightforward and detailed report shows us the problems associated with
mounting an expedition, even one with limited objectives and with only one
foreigner.
The local flavor of villages and towns is colorfully described and
illustrated with more than ninety period photographs.
IS BN 978-974-8434-28-5
WL Order Code 22 026
US$32.00
Bangkok 1998, 251 pp., 72 pp. color illus.,
150 x 210 mm, pbk.
Howard, Michael C., Wattana Wattanapun & Alec Gordon (Eds.), Traditional
T’ai Arts in Contemporary Perspective
Studies in Contemporary Thailand No. 7
The papers contained in this book examine a variety of forms of artistic expression,
including weaving and fashion, carving, painting, and dancing, as well
as boxing.
The chapters are written by academics and artists and the volume
as a whole reflects a blending of the perspectives of those who study the arts
and those who practice them.
While the focus is on the arts of T'ai peoples in
Thailand, attention is also paid to T'ais in the neighboring countries of Laos,
Burma, China, and Vietnam. Such a geographical spread reflects a growing
interest in the comparative study of T’ai-speaking peoples living in different
political and social settings in an effort to better understand common themes
in T’ai culture and how it has evolved throughout the region.
The chapters are
accompanied by ninety-three color photos that provide a pictorial survey of the
forms of artistic expression among T’ai peoples.
IS BN 978-974-7534-81-8
WL Order Code 2 638
US$18.00
Bangkok 1968, repr. 2002 with additional historical maps and prints; 194 pp., 51 pp.
illus., 135 x 2l0 mm, pbk.
Hutchinson, E. W.; 1688 Revolution in Siam
This book describes the 1688 revolution which ended the first European
attempts to penetrate the kingdom. King Narai of Siam, a sick man even before
the outbreak, died two months later a prisoner in this own palace at Lopburi—
displaced but nominally “King”.
The revolution was followed by the reversal of
an unpopular foreign policy—dependence upon France, and at the same time,
a severe rebuff was administered to King Louis XIV’s advisers who aspired
to subvert the national religion in Siam by attempting to convert the King to
Roman Catholicism.
IS BN 978-974-8496-39-9
WL Code Order 21 754
US$28.00
Bangkok 1996, first English trans. from 1905; 472 pp., 104 illus., 145 x 215 mm,
pbk.
Jottrand, Mr. & Mrs. Émile ;In Siam: The Diary of a Legal Adviser
In Siam is a travelogue by Émile Jottrand and his wife. Jottrand was a Belgian
assistant legal adviser in the Siamese Ministry of Justice during the period
1898–1902.
This lively account presents the reader with all aspects of the work
of the foreign adviser as well as the life of a western wife in Bangkok and other
parts of Siam.
Because of his official position, Jottrand was a privileged witness
to everyday life in the courts and corridors of powers and at the parties of
Siamese high officialdom during the Fifth Reign.
His quasi-political comments
enliven the narrative of Siam’s development at the end of the nineteenth century.
Émile Jottrand and his wife were gifted observers and their keen perceptions
span the environment and all social aspects.
Unique period photographs, discovered
in the Jottrands’s private collection and from other archives, compliment
the text.
IS BN 978-974-480-042-8
WL Order Code 22 341
US$20.00
Chiang Mai 2003, 457 pp., 190 x 245 mm,
pbk.
Kaosa-ard, Mingsarn and John Dore; Social Challenges for the Mekong
Region
This book provides local writers’ perspectives on a wide range of significant,
often related, social challenges.
They discuss, in a Mekong Region context:
international economic integration, the rise of transnational civil society, the
relationships between Mekong states and external powers, changing geopolitics,
poverty, government policies affecting ethnic minorities, gender inequity, industrialization,
labor migration, human rights, HIV/AIDS and drug use, biotechnology
impacts on agriculture, uplands land use, fisheries disputes, access to natural
resources, state approaches to sustainable development, and the governance of
Mekong River and regional infrastructure ‘development’ projects.
Neatly summarizing
this diversity is neither possible nor desirable.
However, one message is
clear: Mekong Region challenges require a wider spectrum of regional perspectives
to be heard, more learning and, to an extent, concerted action.
IS BN 978-974-480-070-1
WL Order Code 22 455
US$30.00
Bangkok 2005, 258 pp., 150 x 210 mm,
pbk.
Kersten, Carool;
Dr. Muller’s Asian Journey: Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam
and Yunnan (1907–1909)
This work is based on one of the travel books by the Dutch scholar and diplomat
Hendrik Muller, written after a lengthy sojourn in various parts of Asia. As a
member of the Netherlands’ commercial elite, he was able to gain access to the
highest circles in the countries he visited.
There are accounts of audiences with
the kings of Thailand and Cambodia, as well as encounters with other royalty,
meetings with colonial governors, orientalists, prominent foreign advisers and
other senior officials.
Apart from the main cities—Bangkok, Saigon, Phnom
Penh and Hanoi—Muller also ventured into the interior.
There is an extensive
account of his excursion to the ruins of Angkor, which in his time had barely
been explored and studied.
In northern Vietnam he visited the border town
of Langson, and traveled on the Tonkin‑Yunnan railway, a fabulous piece of
engineering, to Mengzhi. The book contains many historical digressions, based
on the author’s own research in the Dutch colonial archives and readings of
earlier studies of Southeast Asian history. As a former businessman he was also
a keen observer of the region’s contemporaneous economical situation.
This
century‑old book is also interesting for what it reveals of the author’s conceptions
regarding other cultures and religions, and the role of imperialism.
IS BN 978-974-89027-7-7
WL Order Code 21 633
US$13.00
Bangkok 1993, 160 pp., fully illus., 150 x
210 mm
Knights, Paul & Patrick McGeown; Thoughts from the Pattaya Orphanage
A beautiful and touching collection of photographs of children from the Pattaya
Orphanage, run by Father Ray Brennan.
Proceeds will finance a nurse for the
orphanage.
IS BN 978-974-8434-96-4
WL Order Code 22 122
US$18.00
Bangkok 1999, repr. from the 1920’; 312
pp., 48 pp. illus., 150 x 210 mm, pbk.
Kornerup, Ebbe ;Friendly Siam: Thailand in the 1920’s
This travelogue from King Vajiravudh’s Reign is one of the very few reports
on South Thailand.
The volume complements Morgenthaler’s Impressions
of the Siamese-Malayan Jungle and Warington Smyth’s Five Years in Siam,
which covers a period twenty years earlier.
The author devotes nearly a third of
his account to the South, but also traveled to the west, north, east, and central
regions, by train, boat, and plane.
His report is enriched with unusual pictures
not found in other books and distinguishes itself by the varied and lively perspectives
brought to bear on the scenes observed. (A German version is also
available.)
IS BN 978-974-7534-51-1
WL Order Code 22 204
US$21.00
Bangkok 2000, first English trans. of 1906;
256 pp. 24 pp. illus., 145 x 205 mm, pbk.
Lajonquière, Lunet de ;
Siam and the Siamese: Travels in Siam and Burma
in 1904
A remarkably vivid account of a journey by steamboat and canoe, on horseback
and elephant back, to the urban centers and border areas of early twentieth-century
Thailand and Burma.
The spare-time work of a professional archaeologist,
this volume would alone merit attention for its kaleidoscopic and richly detailed
account of Bangkok.
The descriptions of Siam’s former capitals are, however, no
less thorough, and the sojourn in Moulmein and Rangoon valuably comments
on Britain’s thriving colony. Lajonquière’s trained eye misses little, taking in
religion, architecture, history, daily habits, administrative institutions, and even
the life of Bangkok’s European community.
Indispensable for the specialist, the
general reader will find this highly readable travelogue a candid snapshot of the
Thai and Burmese at a crucial transitional moment in their movement toward
modernity.
IS BN 978-974-7534-42-9
WL Order Code 22 181
US$23.00
Bangkok 2000, 368 pp., illus., 150 x 210
mm, pbk.
Lyttleton, Chris; Endangered Relations: Negotiating Sex and AIDS in Thailand
This book is about sexuality, disease and culture. It tells the story of HIV/AIDS
in Thailand and the social and cultural forces shaping its impact. AIDS has
become an increasingly prominent symbol of modernity in Thailand, yet ways
of dealing with it draw on time-honored understandings of fate and misfortune,
disease and contagion, gender and pollution.
Endangered Relations describes
how over the past ten years public health maneuvers to control the threat of HIV
infection have meshed with local understandings of identity and sexuality.
It is
a study of the way in which Thai social relations, in particular Thai sexualities,
shape the history of AIDS in Thailand and it offers a unique perspective on the
complicated ways that sexuality and disease are negotiated in cultural, political
and human terms.
IS BN 978-974-8496-25-2
WL Order Code 21 730
US$23.00
Bangkok 1994, repr. from 1896; 300 pp.,
150 x 210 mm, pbk.
MacGregor, John ; Through the Buffer State: Travels in Borneo, Siam,
Cambodia, Malaya and Burma
This book presents the recollections of the travels made by John MacGregor in
Sarawak, Siam, Cambodia, Vietnam, Malaya and Burma in 1895.
It is a lively
account by a medical doctor with a wide scope of interests, from contemporary
political issues to the customs and the traditions of native peoples.
The wellread
author is on the look-out for the peculiar things one often finds in travelogs,
in order to verify and to savor.
The account excels in its colorful and often witty
descriptions of encounters and events on the road to Singapore, Kuching, Bangkok,
Phnom Penh, Saigon, Malacca and Mandalay.
It presents an accurate and
lively picture of the people and the countries on the eve of rapid development.
IS BN 978-974-8496-98-6
WL Order Code 21 974
US$23.00
Bangkok 1997, 168 pp., 150 x 210 mm, pbk.
Marks, Tom ;The British Acquisition of Siamese Malaya (1896–1909)
The book tells the story of the political maneuvering by Bangkok and London
for possession of key semi-independent states on the Malay Peninsula.
The
book starts with the Anglo-Siamese Secret Convention of 1897, with which the
British hoped to neutralize possible influences of other colonial powers, and it
deals with the Siamese drive to exclude foreign influences from the Siamese
territories. The ill-fated attempt to set up a system of advisors to the Sultans
is discussed.
The significance of the ventures such as the Kra Isthmus canal
and a Malay Peninsula railway project is elucidated using confidential British
Foreign Office papers and contemporary newspaper sources.
In the end, Siam
would have to let go and the British acquired some of the Malay provinces
on the Peninsula thus establishing the present borders of southern Siam and
Malaysia.
IS BN 978-974-480-106-7
WL Order Code 22 494
US$43.00
Forthcoming
Marks, Tom; Maoist People’s War in Post Vietnam Asia
This study builds upon the earlier work of the author to provide a definitive
exploration of the most effective means of irregular warfare yet devised.
Comparing the Asian cases of Thailand, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, and
Nepal—with Peru used as as a prominent out-of-area Maoist standbearer—
Dr. Thomas A. Marks examines the strategy and operational art that make
people’s war such a devastating technique of armed politics.
In the process,
he sheds considerable light on insurgency and counterinsurgency in general,
and offers much food for thought in the present battle against violent radical
Islamists.
For Mao’s fundamental insight was to understand that insurgency
was an armed political campaign that fielded violence, to include “guerrilla
war,” as but one of its weapons.
His insights thus provide a template to analyze
any insurgency or counterinsurgency. Significantly, until the inadequate
response of the Nepali state, all major post-Vietnam war cases of people’s
war had been unsuccessful.
Recent difficulties of counterinsurgency efforts in
Iraq and Afghanistan make these cases even more compelling for the lessons
they offer.
IS BN-10: 974-8495-43-4
WL Order Code 21 537
US$42.00
Bangkok 1992, 149 pp., illus., 28 pp. in
color, 210 x 295 mm
Matics, K. I.; Introduction to the Thai Mural
Although Thai murals have been the subject of some studies in western languages,
it is rare, indeed, that one encounters a study that reveals the rich cultural
and historical tapestry interwoven throughout the art of Buddhist temples
in Thailand. Dr. Matics’s study guides the reader through the complexities of
Thai artistry, providing vivid descriptions of styles, techniques, origins, themes
and mediums.
Regrettably, many of the murals depicted are no longer in existence:
hence, this book is a valuable historical record of Thai murals.
IS BN 978-1-85065-370-7
WL Order Code 7 978
US$21.00
London 1998, 352 pp., 4 pp. illus., 135 x 210
mm, pbk.
McCargo, Duncan;Chamlong Srimuang and the New Thai Politics
Since the early 1980s Thailand’s politics—like its fast growing economy—have
changed immensely. Dramatic events, such as the 1991 military coup and the
popular anti-military uprising of May 1992, have challenged conventional views
of the Thai political order.
The armed forces remain capable of seizing power,
yet can no longer take their traditional dominance for granted.
The military and
bureaucracy are under threat from new sources of power—dissident religious
movements, local politicans in Bangkok, the opposition, NGOs, and a critical
mass media.
Chamlong Srimuang, a former general who served for six years
as governor of Bangkok and later became deputy prime minister and leader of
the Phalang Tham Party, is Thailand’s most controversial politician.
A celibate
and vegetarian with no worldly possessions, he is best known for spearheading
the mass protest which ousted military strongman Suchinda Kraprayoon from
the premiership in 1992.
Chamlong then seemed to have disappeared from the
political scene but was back as an anti-Thaksin force, although he previously
had been a Thaksin supporter and mentor.
This book examines his career. “The best available book-length analysis of Thai politics to the present day,
biography of a contemporary Southeast Asian political figure, and case study of
recent social and political development in the region.” (Dr. John Sidel, School
of Oriental and African Studies, University of London).
IS BN 978-974-8434-02-5
WL Order Code 22 057
US$18.00
Bangkok 1999, repr. from 1871; 128 pp., 8
pp. color illus., 150 x 210 mm, pbk.
McDonald, Rev. N. A.;A Missionary in Siam (1860–1870)
This missionary presents a down-to-earth account of life in Siam in the 1860
it is valuable source material as there are very few descriptions of Siam by
foreigners during that period.
Most especially is this true for the coronation of
King Chulalongkorn as only a handful of non-Siamese were permitted to witness
this auspicious occasion.
The reader learns about Thailand’s past, forgotten
events, customs and habits, some of which have disappeared.
On the other
hand, details raised here indicate that Thai society and culture have not changed
as much during the past century as European and American societies have.
The
book is illustrated with prints from the 1850s and 1860s.
IS BN 978-974-7534-08-5
WL Order Code 22 111
US$32.00
Bangkok 1999, repr. from 1928; 646 pp.,
130 pp. illus., 150 x 210 mm, pbk.
McFarland, George Bradley (ed.); Historical Sketch of Protestant Missions
in Siam 1828–1928
The book was the only general study of Protestant church history in Thailand
until the publication of Wells’s History of Protestant Work in 1958.
But Wells’s
book supplements McFarland’s rather than replacing it, leaving the Historical
Sketch as the most important introduction to its subject.
A new introduction
and commentary assist the reader in using McFarland’s work by providing
additional information and insights into its historical context, perspectives, and
reliability.
The book also provides background information for readers of nineteenth-century reports on Siam describing the missionaries and their services
to the community in hospitals, leprosaria, schools, and other institutions.
The
volume also includes a specially commissioned bibliography of the Protestant
church in Thailand.
IS BN 978-974-7534-79-5
WL Order Code 22 248
US$27.00
Bangkok 2001, repr. from 1912; 518 pp., 24
pp. illus., l50 x 2l0 mm, pbk.
McGilvary, Daniel; A Half Century Among the Siamese and the Lao
This is the autobiography of Daniel McGilvary (1828–1911) who looms large
in the history of Protestant Christianity in Thailand.
His main field of activity
was in Chiang Mai, setting up the Lao Mission in 1867, from where he played
a leading part in the major political, economic and socio-cultural changes in
the North, in education, medicine, the role of women and the incorporation
of the northern principalities into the nation state of Siam.
From 1870 he traveled
extensively, laying the foundations for Christian communities and future
missions.
Herbert R. Swanson provides a comprehensive introduction, which
also portrays McGilvary’s background within the centuries long tradition of
religious thought.
His own can be described as: American Presbyterian coupled
with Scottish common sense and a warm hearted engagement in Protestant
evangelism and revivalism.
IS BN 978-974-480-025-1
WL Order Code 22 316
US$33.00
Bangkok 2003, 458 pp. 150 x 210 mm, pbk
Molle, François & Thippawal Srijantr (eds.); Thailand’s Rice Bowl:
Perspectives
on Social and Agricultural Change in the Chao Phraya Delta.
Studies in Contemporary Thailand No. 12
This is a collection of papers by several researchers describing the dramatic
changes affecting the Chao Phraya Delta.
Traditional rice mono-cropping has
given way to more intensive and diversified agrarian systems.
Villages of rice
farmers are being replaced by a post-agrarian society of rural entrepreneurs
and urban-rural migrants. Economic and cultural boundaries between city and
village are blurred.
The delta is no longer a traditional “rice bowl” but a premonition
of changes enveloping Thailand as a whole.
The book surveys these
changes over the range of agrarian systems, water usage, resource management,
community impact, social changes, and political implications.
IS BN 978-974-7534-88-7
WL Order Code 22 275
US$33.00 (price without CD)
Bangkok 2001, 237 pp., 210 x 290 mm,
pbk.
Mollerup, Asger; Thai - Isan - Lao Phrasebook
MP3 Sound Tracks on CD-ROM available upon request from the author
This phrasebook is the first comprehensive book to teach the Thai, Isan, and
Lao languages simultaneously.
The languages are tonal, and there is also is
a CD-ROM in MP3 available that makes it easier to get acquainted with the
tones.
The book aims at: a) beginners, who want to know the basics of the
languages; b) students who might know most of the vocabulary already but
want to learn to read and write and determine tones; c) advanced students, who
already know Thai and want to know Isan or Lao, and d) the people of Isan,
who want to read and write Lao, and the people of Laos, who want to read and
write Thai.
IS BN 978-974-7534-87-0
WL Order Code 22 274
US$28.00
Bangkok 2002, repr. from 1934; 234 pp., 2
maps, 1 folded, 150 x 210 mm, pbk.
Moorland, W. H. (ed.); Peter Floris:
His Voyage to the East Indies in the
Globe, 1611–1615: Siam, Pattani, Bantam
This reprint provides an account of a trading mission on behalf of the British
East India Company, the Globe being the first English vessel to take part in
trade with the Bay of Bengal, and to sail through the Straits of Malacca and of
Singapore.
The events described predate the later, well-known accounts of the
French travelers Tachard and de La Loubère and differ in observations made.
Trade being the sole objective, events and local conditions are described in
terms of the market, and in parts in a modern way.
For example, both the
English and Dutch had local factories producing cotton cloths because markets
to be visited demanded cloth with meticulous reproductions of cheap
stereotyped designs. Skins and hides were purchased in Siam, the competition
having taken the Japanese market for other goods.
The port of Siam
was then the entrepôt for goods brought by Chinese junks.
The impact of the
arrival of Dutch traders on the Portuguese interests, events in Siam itself, and
local wars, including those with Burma, provide a fascinating backdrop to the
risks and successes of trade, as described by the author.
The Globe returned home after four and a half years with an added cargo of pepper and achieved
a successful three for one profit, as is explained in the very informative introduction
to the book.
IS BN 978-974-8434-03-2
WL Order Code 22 117
US$30.00
Bangkok 2000, repr. from 1864; 424 pp.,
fully illus., 8 pp. in color, 150 x 210 mm,
1 map, pbk.
Mouhot, Henri; Travels in Siam, Cambodia, Laos, and Annam
Originally published as: Travels in the Central Parts of Indo-China (Siam,
Cambodia and Laos during the Years 1858, 1859 and 1860)
This Travelogue is a classic description of parts of Cambodia, Laos, and Siam in
the Reign of King Mongkut.
Henri Mouhot is best known for re-discovering the
ruins of Angkor Wat (the Khmers have of course always known about the ruins)
thus, indirectly, causing a minor tourist boom there. Mouhot was followed, in
the 1860s and 1880s, by the members of the Garnier and Pavie Missions.
His
exploration first comprised the central area of Siam and the southeastern seaboard
(Chantaburi), from there he reached Cambodia and the provinces then
under Siamese Government’s control around the Tonle Sap.
He also ventured
into areas of Annam (present-day Central Vietnam) inhabited by “wild” tribes
but returned to Battambang and Angkor, and eventually to Bangkok. Another
journey took him to Petchaburi on the eastern part of the upper peninsula. His
last journey covered the so-called Lao parts of Siam, now referred to as Isan,
but at that time only loosely associated with the nation.
His final destination
was Luang Prabang. Part of his journey was originally published in the travel
magazine Le Tour du Monde, but the present English version is more comprehensive
in coverage.
IS BN 978-974-8434-19-3
WL Order Code 22 004
US$59.00
Bangkok 1998, 278 pp., fully illus., partly in
color, 210 x 290 mm, pbk.
Munier, Christophe;Sacred Rocks and Buddhist Caves in Thailand
This is the first comprehensive study in English of a fascinating but little-known
aspect of Thai Buddhism and culture.
Rocks and caves are major places of pilgrimage
in Thailand and this book places these natural holy sites in their historical,
cultural and religious context. Rocks are sacred because of their shapes
or the Buddhas carved on them.
Animist activities involving rocks started in
prehistoric times and continue to this day. The earliest rocks integrated into
a religious context belong to the beginning of the Dvaravati period (6th–8th
centuries) that saw the birth and spread of Theravada Buddhism in what is present
day Thailand.
Caves have also been used as ritual places since prehistoric
times and were inhabited by hermits and Buddhist monks during the Dvaravati,
Sukhothai, Ayutthaya and Bangkok periods.
They are adorned with mural
paintings, stucco reliefs and statues.
The book is lavishly illustrated with 300
plates, maps, and plans and provides practical information on how to reach
these rocks and caves.
IS BN 978-974-8496-79-5
WL Order Code 20 918
US$21.00
Bangkok 1999, repr. from 1852; 266 pp., 145
x 210 mm, pbk.
Neale, F. A.;Narrative of a Residence in Siam
This book is a lively and humorous description of Siam of the 1840s. Most
historical accounts of Thailand are either earlier in the 17th century or the latter
part of the 19th century.
Therefore, this book provides a fascinating account
of a little known period.
The author was in the service of King Rama III and
thus in an excellent position to gather inside information.
Neale provides lively
descriptions of marriage and funeral ceremonies, festivals, and the character of
the Siamese, but also of disputes between the government of Siam and Cochinchina,
trade with China, and business in Siam.
Also included is a chronicle
of his visit to Chantaburi.
A glimpse of the understanding of early Siamese
cartography is offered and the author’s description of meeting with an arrogant
missionary as well as his anecdotes of other lively scenes of life in Siam in the
1840s should not be missed.
IS BN 978-974-8434-17-9
WL Order Code 22 022
US$28.00
Bangkok 1998, 346 pp., 24 pp. illus., 150 x
210 mm, pbk.
Nelson, Michael H.; Central Authority and Local Democratization in Thailand.A Case Study from Chachoengsao Province.
Studies in Contemporary Thailand No.6
The institutional aspects of bureaucratic dominance, integration of the sub-district
level into the central hierarchy, the introduction of elections of sub-district
and village headmen and the often neglected provincial administrative organization
are emphasized.
The question whether there already exists a politically
aware audience, indispensable as a countervailing force to the bureaucracy, is
addressed by focusing on the widely used practice of electoral influence peddling
and vote-buying.
These questions are treated in the context of two major
political changes in Thailand: decentralization and a reform of the relationship
between the political system and the citizens.
IS BN 978-974-480-012-1
WL Order Code 22 295
US$28.00
Bangkok 2002, 544 pp., 12 pp. illus. in
color, 150 x 210 mm, pbk.
Nelson, Michael H.; Thailand’s New Politics: King Pradjadiphok Institute
Yearbook 2001. KPI Studies in Thai Politics and Democracy No. I
This first KPI Yearbook 2001 looks at aspects of what has been called“political reform.” Especially since the “People’s Constitution” was passed
in October 1997, it was assumed that Thailand was on its way to a more
consolidated democracy.
The authors of this volume contribute to forming
a more realistic understanding of the issues involved.
James R. Klein
analyzes the evolution of Thailand’s National Human Rights Commission
between 1992 and 2001; Norbert Eschborn describes what the Konrad Adenauer
Foundation contributes to Thai democracy; Philip S. Robertson, Jr.
highlights the democratic role of Thai labor; Allen D. Hicken explains why
Thailand has so many political parties; Marco Bünte introduces a model
of democratic consolidation and applies it to the Thai situation; finally,
Michael H. Nelson deals with the decentralization process and takes a close
look at the election of 6 January 2001 and its aftermath.
This first KPI Yearbook
opens with Nobel Laureate in economics, Amartya Sen, presenting his
thoughts on “The Market, Democracy, and Development.” It is rounded off
by documents on “good governance” and by reviews of publications about
Pridi Banomyong, business and politics in provincial Thailand, and Bloody
May 1992.
IS BN 978-974-7534-05-4
WL Order Code 22 110
US$27.00
Bangkok 1999, first English trans. from
1854; 440 pp., plus 1 folded map, 150 x 210
mm, pbk.
Pallegoix, Monsignor Jean-Baptiste ;Description of the Thai Kingdom or
Siam. Thailand under King Mongkut
This account gives a complete overview of the basic features of the Thai people
and of Thailand during the reign of King Mongkut.
The description is directed
at laymen in Western countries at a time when only a few travelogues on the
Orient, written by traders and missionaries, reached the West.
Monsignor
Jean-Baptiste Pallegoix, for many years a missionary working in Siam and
later Bishop of Siam and neighboring countries, elaborates on the daily life
of the Siamese and on physical features of the country, and its flora and fauna
in the early 1830s.
He describes the juridical and political institutions of the
Thai state, including its elaborate system of nobility, and officials, serfs and
slaves, its arts and crafts, and the growing agricultural production and exports
of a nascent economy.
As a Roman Catholic bishop he had a keen eye for the
religion and history of the Thai people with respect to the likelihood of conversions
to Christianity.
Thai Buddhism and superstitions are treated in great
detail, and the foundations and rules of this religion are provided for laymen.
The book provides an elaborate account of important events in the history
of the country starting with the arrival of the first French missionaries—for
example the behind-the-scene moves in the revolution of 1688 and King
Narai’s relations with the French priests and his embassies to France—and
concludes with an extensive description of the state of the Catholic Church in
Siam around 1850.
IS BN 978-983-56-0025-8
WL Order Code 8 095
US$19.00
Kuala Lumpur 1997, 108 pp., 47 pp. illus. 16
pp. in col. 135 x 200 mm
Pattaratorn Chirapravati, ML ;Votive Tablets in Thailand
Buddhism has influenced many aspects of Thai life for over a thousand years.
Evidence of the change and development of Buddhist ideas and practices in different
regions and cultural periods can be found in the archaeological remains
of temples, stupas, sculptures, paintings, and votive tablets.
This book focuses on the origin, development of styles, and uses of
votive tablets in Thailand from their introduction in the sixth century to
their present role, in the almost universal Thai practice of wearing amulets.
The book first elaborates on the introduction of Buddhism to Thailand and
the practice of making votive tablets during the pre-Thai periods of the Mon,
the Khmer, and the residents of the Peninsula (six to thirteenth centuries).
It
then presents votive tablets produced during the Thai periods of Sukhothai,
Haripunjaya, Ayutthaya, Lanna, and Ratanakosin from the fourteenth century
to the present. Lastly, it addresses the cult of amulets and the ‘merchants
of Buddhism’.
IS BN 978-974-7534-95-5
WL Order Code 22 273
US$16.00
Bangkok 2001, 110 pp., 150 x 210 mm, pbk.
Peleggi, Maurizio; The Politics of Ruins and the Business of Nostalgia.
Studies in Contemporary Thailand No. 10
This book investigates the theory and practice of heritage conservation in Thailand,
focusing in particular on the period from the mid-1970s to the late 1990s.
Although the trend towards historic preservation first appeared in Thailand at
the end of the nineteenth century and was further promoted by the nationalist
regime of the 1940s and 1950s, it has become a major governmental undertaking
since 1977 when the first historical park projects were launched. National
pride and international awareness of Thailand’s cultural heritage have increased
considerably in recent times.
This monograph questions the commonplace glorification
of historic sites as tangible signs of the past glory of the Thai nation.
The state-sponsored material and discursive practices that have led to the institutionalization
of Thailand’s national heritage are examined, along with their
contestation by elements of civil society, vis-à-vis the process of political and
social change.
The book also analyzes the commodification and consumption
of heritage sites as tourist attractions, as well as the linkage between the promotional
narratives of tourism advertising and the official historical narrative
of the Thai nation.
IS BN 978-0-8248-1065-8
WL Order Code 4 353
US$29.00
Honolulu 1987, 406 pp., 160 x 245 mm
Phillips, Herbert F.; Modern Thai Literature
A presentation of some of the major writings published in Thailand during the
1960s and 1970s Modern Thai Literature is the first systematic attempt to use
the contemporary literature of a complex, non-Western society to explore its
cultural premises, indigenous meanings, and intellectual styles.
Besides Phillips’
ethnographic analysis, a large portion of the book is devoted to the writings
themselves—essays, short stories, an excerpt from a novel, poems, a short
play, and song lyrics.
IS BN 978-962-215-045-4
WL Order Code 2 922
US$42.00
Hong Kong 1982, 197 pp., fully illus., partly
in color, 270 x 260 mm
Piriya Krairiksh,Sculptures from Thailand
A fully illustrated catalog documenting 50 Thai sculptures.
The author uses
his own state-of-the-art classification system to offer a unique analysis of this
form of Thai art.
IS BN 978-0-19-588562-0
WL Order Code 8 074
US$42.00
Singapore 1992, 130 pp., 140 x 220 mm
Apinan Poshyananda, Modern Art in Thailand: Nineteenth and Twentieth
Centuries
A comprehensive account of the development of modern art in Thailand.
Its
central focus is to trace the main thread of eclecticism that characterizes modern
Thai art, and to show how foreign influences, as well as Buddhism, local
traditions, and folk cultures served as catalysts in the development of styles.
IS BN 978-974-480-091-6
WL Order Code 22 474
US$30.00
Bangkok 2005, 370 pp., 8 pp. illus. in col.
150 x 210 mm, pbk.
Pye, Oliver; Khor Jor Kor Forest Politics in Thailand
Studies in Contemporary Thailand No. 14.
“Khor Jor Kor: Forest Politics in Thailand” analyses the development of Thai
forestry from the founding of the Royal Forest Department in 1896 up to the
present day, focusing particularly on one of the most controversial state forestry
programs in Thai history, the military‑led Khor Jor Kor project (1990–1992).
The Khor Jor Kor project aimed to reorganize land use in all of Thailand’s
1, 253 National Forest Reserves.
Behind the project was a powerful alliance of
army generals, forestry officials, and pulp and paper companies. Had it gone
through, thousands of families living in forest areas would have been evicted
from their homes to make way for commercial plantations of eucalyptus.
However, Khor Jor Kor led to massive conflict and sustained protests.
Under the repressive conditions of the Suchinda dictatorship, farmers developed
a civil disobedience strategy that finally stopped the project in July 1992.
This book tells the story of that resistance movement and argues that it was a
key link in the development of democratic forest management alternatives to
the prevailing state and corporate models.
At the same time, the book takes a fresh look at the historical development
of forest politics in modem Thailand. Continuity and change in forestry are
explained as the result of the rise and fall of different ‘strategic groups’, from
British teak companies to the Royal Forest Department, from the Thai military
to global pulp and paper conglomerates.
Issues such as colonialism and the plundering of Thailand’s forests, counter‑insurgency
and forest villages, conflicts over commercial plantations, the
1989 logging ban, illegal logging scandals and the failure of state reforestation,
and the emergence of a vibrant grassroots environmental movement are integrated
into a comprehensive framework of analysis that is highly relevant for
the debates in global forestry today.
IS BN 978-974-86270-4-5
WL Order Code 22 007
Bangkok 1998, 196 pp., 145 x 210 mm, pbk.
Redmond, Mont;Wondering into Thai Culture or Thai Whys and Otherwise
The Western “war on terrorism” has revived the issue of what this planet’s
core cultural values should be.
Rarely has the discussion strayed beyond the
framework of what most global media giants are familiar with, namely Euro-
American ideas of freedom vs. security, or fundamentalism vs. secularism.
Few
people realize that there are alternative ways of looking at the world, or that
the core values of other cultures, such as compassion and compromise, could
help lighten or resolve the problems of today.
This book offers a wholesome
challenge—the culture of Thailand—to the preconceptions of the average English-
speaking reader.
Thais have long had a very different perspective on life,
leaders, language, freedom, and dozens of other subjects touched on between
the covers of this book.
Before you enter into your next argument about what’s
right or wrong in the world, wouldn’t it be worthwhile to get acquainted with a
fresh and fascinating point of view, belonging to a people whose every answer
seems to end with a smile?
IS BN 978-974-480-103-6
WL Order Code 22 518
US$42.00
Bangkok 2007, 128 pp., 40 pp. illus. in color,
210 x 297 mm, pbk
Reichart Peter A.;The Spirit Houses of Thailand
This book provides a comprehensive overview of this custom describing the
different types of spirit houses in Thailand.
It devotes one chapter to the worship
of the Lord of the Land and what to offer him to keep him satisfied and in
good moods.
The ceremony how to install a spirit house is described as well as what to
do when one has to dispose of a spirit house.
The Erawan shrine in Bangkok and
the city pillars of some cities of Thailand are described as well as spirit houses
in neighbouring countries of Thailand.
The book is richly illustrated by both black and white and color photographs
showing the different styles of spirit houses around the country.
The interested
reader will get important background information and thus will understand the
significance of the spirit house in present day Thailand in much more detail.
IS BN 978-974-480-073-2
WL Order Code 21 832
US $54.00
Bangkok 2005 expanded repr. from 1996;
171 pp., fully. Illus. in col. 210 x 295 mm,
pbk.
Reichart, P.A. & H. P. Philipsen;Betel and Miang: Vanishing Thai Habits
The chewing of betel and of miang (fermented tea leaves) is peculiar to
Thailand.
These habits and the paraphernalia associated with them have
fascinated western observers since the earliest travelers visited Siam in the
seventeenth century.
This work provides a comprehensive examination of all
aspects of these habits. The history, the ritual, and sociological significance
are all presented, as are the production and preparation of the chewing quids
and the pharmacological effects of the ingredients on the body.
The authors,
dental scientists who have studied these practices for many years, provide
the reader with an understanding of the possible side effects and the medical
and dental problems associated with these addictive habits.
A large part of
the book is devoted to describing the paraphernalia and utensils associated
with the betel and miang habits.
A superb collection of over 130 illustrations,
mostly in full color, complement the text. Many of the items shown
are extremely rare.
IS BN 978-967-65-3068-4
WL Order Code 8 075
US$28.00
Kuala Lumpur 1996, 224 pp., fully illus., 16
pp. in color, 195 x 255 mm
Ringis, Rita ;Elephants of Thailand in Myth, Art, and Reality
This book surveys a wide range of elephant lore in Thailand, past and present.
Early Thai writings, both sacred and secular, centuries-old European travelers’
tales, and more recent diplomatic correspondence with the West concerning
the role of the elephant in Thai life are touched upon, providing an interesting
historical perspective.
Also explained are the religious, artistic, and literary
backgrounds underpinning Thai attitudes to elephants, both real and mythical.
The elephants of present-day Thailand are described: as the rarely glimpsed
wild herds, as “students” in the unique elephant training school, as workers in
forests, or as participants in the great annual round-up at Surin.
IS BN 978-0-19-588933-8
WL Order Code 5 136
US$32.00
Singapore 1990, 269 pp., fully illus., 16 pp.
in color, 195 x 260 mm
Ringis, Rita , Thai Temples and Temple Murals
This book surveys the ancient Hindu and Buddhist concepts on the nature
of the Universe and the place in it of man, gods, and guardian creatures as
manifested in the traditions of Thai religious architecture and painting.
The
forces contributing to these traditions are examined from both a regional and
a historical perspective.
The evolution of temple structures and ornately decorated
assembly halls acquaint the reader with the significance and symbolism
that is constant throughout Thai monastic architecture.
The subject matter of
temple murals is outlined through a detailed examination of murals depicting
the life of the Buddha.
This extensive study comes with numerous historical
prints.
IS BN 978-974-7534-17-7
Order Code 22 124
US$36.00
Bangkok 2000, 350 pp., 56 pp. color illus.,
150 x 210 mm, pbk.
Schliesinger, Joachim ; Ethnic Groups of Thailand: Non-Tai-Speaking
Peoples
Ethnic Groups of Thailand describes non-Tai peoples residing in Thailand—
the well known mountain dwelling so-called hill tribes (Akha, Hmong,
Htin, Khamu, Lahu, Lawa, Lisu, Mien, Pwo Karen, Sgaw Karen); lesser known
northern peoples (Bisu, Blang, Haw, Kachin, Kayah, Kayaw, Kha Hor, Lamet,
Mlabri, Mpi, Padong, Palaung, Pa-O, Parauk, Samtao) and northeastern and
central lowlands (Bru, Cham, Chaobon, Chong, Gong, Kaleung, Kui, Mon,
Seak, Sol Thavung).
Lastly, Semang and Sea Gypsies of southern Thailand and
the Andaman Sea. These various ethnic groups are here classified by their language
family and a description given of each one’s history, costume and crafts,
houses and villages, agriculture and economy, society, ceremonies, myths and
beliefs.
All the groups are portrayed by 177 color illustrations taken by the
author; an extensive bibliography for further reading is added.
IS BN 978-974-7534-47-4
WL Order Code 22 198
US$36.00
Bangkok 2000, 264 pp., 56 pp. color illus.,
150 x 2 10 mm, pbk.
Schliesinger, Joachim; Tai Groups of Thailand. Volume 1: Introduction and
Overview
This first volume describes events in Thailand before the arrival of the Tai,
and their history afterwards.
It informs about the origin of the Tai race and
shows the development of the ethnic Tai people in the context of the various
Tai groups, their kingdoms, states and principalities in Asia in general, and in
Thailand in particular.
It also contains an extensive bibliography and 163 color
illustrations.
IS BN 978-974-7534-48-1
WL Order Code 22 199
US$36.00
Bangkok 2000, 253 pp., 40 pp. color illus.,
150 x 210 mm, pbk.
Schliesinger, Joachim; Tai Groups of Thailand. Volume 2: Profile of the
Existing Groups
This book sketches each of the 30 Tai-speaking groups residing in Thailand: the
Thai people of central Thailand, the numerous Lao Isan people of northeastern
Thailand, the well-known Lao, Lue, Yuan and Tai Yai of northern Thailand;
it also describes the lesser known and smaller groups (Kaleung, Khorat Tai,
Lao Ga, Lao Krang, Lao Lom or Tai Dan, Lao Ngaew, Lao Song, Lao Ti, Lao
Wieng, Phuan, Phu Tai, Seak, Southern Thai, Tai Bueng, Tai Dam, Tai Gapong,
Tai Khoen, Tai Mao, Tai Wang, Tai Ya, Tai Yong, Tai Yor, Tak Bai Thai, Yoy)
that are scattered throughout Thailand.
The groups are presented with their
domestic history, costumes and crafts, design of houses and villages, activities
in agriculture and economy, society and religion.
The text is supported by 115
color illustrations.
IS BN 978-974-7534-92-4
WL Order Code 22 277
US$18.00
Bangkok 2001, 192 pp., illus., 150 x 210
mm, pbk.
Seri Phongpit & Kevin Hewison ;Village Life: Culture and Transition in
Thailand’s Northeast
This revised edition deals with Thailand’s Northeast—Isan as did the original
version published in 1990.
A large and populous area of great cultural diversity,
it has retained its distinctiveness.
This book provides insights into village life in
the Northeast, showing also how it has changed under the pressures of centralization
and economic development.
As the pace of change has accelerated, so
the struggle for self-reliance has become more difficult.
Village Life reflects on
the remarkable changes that have taken place in the Northeast and shows how
villagers are seeking ways forward.
As the book is based on the activities of
non-governmental organizations and local people, there will be much of interest
to academics, professionals, and others involved in development work.
IS BN 978-1-85649-588-2
WL Order Code 7 977
US$18.00
London 1998, 175 pp., illus., 135 x 216 mm,
pbk.
Sinith Sittirak, The Daughters of Development. Women in a Changing
Environment
This is a powerful feminist critique of the Western concept of development,
which has brought profound changes to the lives of women in the South over the
last thirty years.
It is also an attempt to rediscover and rehabilitate traditional
indigenous knowledge as an important basis for empowering women and reestablishing
the foundation of reciprocity in North-South dialogue.
The author
looks at the damage “progress” has wreaked on the lives of Thai sex workers
and of indigenous peoples globally and contrasts this with a portrait in words
and pictures of her own “undeveloped” mother, “gardener, agriculturalist,
cook, entertainer, tool and toy inventor and maker, traditional doctor resources
manager, energy conservationist, food scientist, home economist, sustainable
developer, ecologist and environmentalist.”
IS BN 978-974-8495-97-2
WL Order Code 21 715
US$54.00
Bangkok 1994, repr. from 1898; 703 pp.,
illus., 4 folded maps in color, 150 x 210 mm,
pbk.
Smyth, Warington H.; Five Years in Siam, from 1891–1896 (Vol. 1 & 2)
The account reviews the dynamic situation in Siam at the end of the nineteenth
century, it is a vivid portrayal of the people and the place. Its author, a British
national working for Siam’s government, skillfully navigated his way through
uncharted political and social terrain.
His narrative provides a refreshing and
singular perspective of the country in those tumultuous times.
As an official in
the newly created Department of Mines, Smyth traveled to frontier provinces
that at the time went through the process of cartographic and administrative
incorporation into Siam.
His unique position enabled him to provide the first
rigorously detailed and dramatic account of the Chantaburi and Pailin gem
mines.
Smyth also witnessed first hand the Paknam Incident of 1893, when
French and Siamese gunboats engaged in a skirmish en route to Bangkok.
Another factor that distinguished Smyth from his Western contemporaries
was his ability to speak Thai.
No doubt Smyth’s direct communication with
the Thai-speaking population informed his experience and also accounted for
his amiable relationship with them.
Smyth genuinely attempted to locate and
understand each situation he encountered within its cultural context.
With its
unassuming charm and insights this account is a goldmine for scholars and lay
readers alike.
IS BN 978-974-8434-92-6
WL Order Code 22 109
US$33.00
Bangkok 1999, repr. from 1898; 369 pp., 4
pp. illus., 4 maps, 1 folded, 150 x 210 mm,
pbk.
Smyth, Warington H.; Five Years in Siam (1891–1896).
Volume 2:
The Malay and Cambodian Peninsulas, with Descriptions of
Ruby Mines
This book covers the second part of the author’s journey in Thailand and is one
of the few accounts of the South of Thailand and the only detailed record of the
ruby mines in Chantaburi and Pailin, at the time ruled by Bangkok.
The volume
covers the author’s travels, focusing especially on Cambodia’s ruby mines, and
includes an account of the French occupation of Chantaburi.
IS BN 978-974-480-057-2
WL Order Code 22 466
US$33.00
Bangkok 2005, 291 pp., 8 pp. illus. in col.
150 x 210 mm, pbk.
Sparkes, Stephen; Spirits and Souls: Gender and Cosmology in an Isan Village
in Northeast Thailand
Studies in Contemporary Thailand No. 13
An anthropological study of the complex and rich cosmology of the Isan.
The
interrelationship between gender concepts and religious practices is analyzed
through the symbolism of some of the most important Buddhist and household
rituals in the setting of a large village in Loei Province.
This approach to cosmology
illustrates how Buddhist and ‘Spirit Religion’ beliefs are complementary
and competing and moulded by the immediate and pragmatic needs of the
villagers.
The coexistence of two religious traditions parallels the two attitudes
to gender. Village Buddhism orders gender in a hierarchical manner justifying
the higher status of men and excluding women from the sources of religious and
magical power.
The Spirit Religion, however, manifests complementary gender
values in rituals for the continuity of female descent groups and agricultural
production.
The contrast between ancestral spirits who watch over the living
and the transmigratory soul of Buddhism illustrate the coexistence of two fundamentally
different value systems.
IS BN-10: 974-8495-20-5
WL Order Code 21 360
US$27.00
Bangkok 1990, 132 pp., fully illus., 215 x
295 mm, pbk.
Subhadradis Diskul, M. C.; Hindu Gods at Sukhodaya
A study in iconography in which the author applies the theory developed by
Philippe Stern for Khmer iconography on Thai sculptures of the Sukhothai
period.
It attempts to establish a chronology based on the development of ornaments.
This book has a preface by Jean Boisselier and is a revised version of a
study in Thai language from 1966.
IS BN 978-974-8434-34-6
WL Order Code 22 125
US$24.00
Bangkok 1999, repr. from 1688 in new typeset
form; 275 pp., 27 pp. illus., 150 x 210
mm, pbk.
Tachard, Guy; A Relation of the Voyage to Siam
Performed by Six Jesuits
sent by the French King to the Indies and China in the Year 1685
The book describes the first French Embassy to Siam in 1685.
The Embassy
which set out on March 1685 was a remarkable event. It was triggered by
the express request of the Siamese King Phra Narai, who for years had been
extraordinarily interested in making contact with the King of France.
Already
at the end of 1680 Narai had sent a fully-fledged embassy to France on the
Soleil d’Orient, a vessel of the French Oriental Company but this attempt ended
disastrously when the ship foundered near the eastern coast of Madagascar with
the loss of all people and its valuable cargo.
This book, Guy Tachard’s first, was
quite influential. It was the first of a large number of French works concerning
late-seventeenth century Siam. Apparently, it was avidly read: the first three
French editions date from 1686, 1687 and 1688, the first edition in the Dutch
language dates from 1687, this English version appeared in 1688 and an Italian
edition came out in 1693.
When Engelbert Kaempfer visited the Dutch trading
station at Ayuthia in June and July 1690 he annotated the book and his later
writing on Siam shows that he benefited from some of Tachard’s observations.
It was a work that helped stimulate the French appetite to invest in a short-lived
military adventure.
This book still deserves attention, its mixture of scientific
curiosity, methodic enquiry and religious zeal is typical of the period. It is an
exemplary document on Siamese seventeenth-century culture.
IS BN 978-981-3016-49-1
WL Order Code 6 615
US$25.00
Singapore 1993, 377 pp., 150 x 230 mm,
pbk.
Taylor, J. L.;Forest Monks and the Nation-State: An Anthropological and
Historical Study in Northeastern Thailand
Forest Monks and the Nation‑State is a detailed study on the ascetic forest monk
tradition in the Lao‑speaking provinces of northeastern Thailand in the wake of
the early twentieth century politico‑religious reforms.
The narrative alternates
between the periphery and the capital, dealing with historic transformations
and persistencies in the social field of wanderng forest monks as well as the
contemporary impact of this monastic tradition in the wider social and political
milieu.
The writer uses original ethnographic materials and provides a rare
insight into the formation of monastic lineages and the local politico‑religious
histories of present‑day northeastern Thailand.
IS BN 978-974-8496-03-0
WL Order Code 21 719
US$23.00
Bangkok 1994, 3rd revised edition; 320 pp.,
150 x 210 mm, pbk.
Terwiel, B. J.; Monks and Magic: An Analysis of Religious Ceremonies in
Central Thailand
The book deals with Buddhism as it was practiced in a community in rural
Central Thailand.
The text is based on anthropological fieldwork during the late
1960s.
The scene unfolds with the religious perspective of children and young
adults who appear mainly interested in esoteric spells and magical diagrams.
Full ritual knowledge is obtained by many men in their twenties when they join
the order of monks for at least one Lenten season.
The latter parts of the book
are devoted to the world view of older people and an analysis of some Buddhist
rituals.
IS BN 978-1-85649-810-4
WL Order Code 8 412
US$18.00
Bangkok 2000, 208 pp., 135 x 215 mm,
pbk.
Thompson, Nicholas & Scott Thompson; The Baobab and the Mango Tree.
Lessons about Development: African and Asian Contrasts
This is a book dealing with the big questions about development: What is development?
Can Third World countries ever hope to ‘catch up’?
Can a development
path be found that avoids indefinite impoverishment on the one hand, and environmental
destruction on the other?
What is the relationship, if any, between
economic growth and political development?
Can a country that has failed
hitherto create for itself a second chance?
In their wide-ranging and insightful
exploration, the authors take as their main examples two contrasting countries:
Ghana, the first African colony to win independence, but which plunged into
a downward spiral of economic decay; and Thailand, which was poorer than
West Africa in the 1950s, but which went on to achieve decades of extraordinary
rapid economic growth, albeit at considerable environmental and human
cost. Intensely readable, this thought-provoking and courageous book brings
the big questions about development to a wide audience of college students and
interested readers.
IS BN 978-1-85649-128-0
WL Order Code 8 373
US$13.00
London 1994, 233 pp., 15 pp. illus., 135 x
215 mm, pbk.
Thorbek, Susanne; Gender and Slum Culture in Urban Asia Rapid urbanization has always spawned slums. But what are they like to live
in? And particularly for women? This study of slum culture and gender relations
compares two slums in Asia—Ratmalana in Colombo and Khlong Toey
in Bangkok—and shows how the impact of urbanization, economic change and
national politics has differed significantly in Sri Lanka and Thailand, despite
their common cultural background of Theravada Buddhism. The book explores
the impact of these differences on gender relations and the lives of the very
poorest men and women. Dr. Thorbek, a Danish sociologist, discusses how gender
identity is defined; the contradictions between culture as publicly expressed
and privately practiced in women’s daily activities; and how female identity
may be understood in each country. and, as in her previous, highly acclaimed
Voices from the City Women of Bangkok (Zed Books, 1987), the author allows
the women in the slums to speak through her pages.
IS BN 978-974-8434-27-8
WL Order Code 22 020
US$23.00
Bangkok 1998, 302 pp., illus., 150 x 210
mm, pbk.
Tips, Walter E. J.;
Crime and Punishment in King Chulalongkorn’s Kingdom. The Special Commission for the Reorganisation of the Provincial
Courts in Ayuthia (1896–1897)
The book tells the story of the Ayuthia Special Commission for the Reorganization
of the Provincial Courts in the words of Siam’s first Legal Adviser, Robert
J. Kirkpatrick. After a temporary consolidation in foreign affairs had dealt with
external threats, Siam was pushed on the road to internal reforms starting with
the outdated court system. The Ayuthia Commission, starting work in September
1896, was the first of its kind to evaluate the courts upcountry and to judge
hundreds of court cases that had been awaiting trial, sometimes for years. From
tax evasion on boats and illegal distilleries, through thefts of cattle and property
to abduction, rape, violent assaults and even murder, the commissioners heard
witnesses and meted out justice. Justice was done too to those officials found
taking bribes from prisoners wishing to escape from their chains, or torturing
the accused, sometimes until death followed. The journal of the Commission’s
activities reads like a kaleidoscope held up against the light of western principles
of justice, reflecting the multicolored facets of Siamese society on the
eve of modern times.
IS BN 978-974-8496-58-0
WL Order Code 21 830
US$33.00
Bangkok 1996, 522 pp., 16 pp. illus., 145 x
210 mm, pbk.
Tips, Walter E. J.;
Gustave Rolin-Jaequemyns and the Making of Modern
Siam:
The Diaries and Letters of King Chulalongkorn’s General Adviser
This study is based on three thousand pages of privately held letters and diaries
of HM King Chulalongkorn’s General Adviser and other Belgian advisers working
in Siam. The book covers the crucial period of Siam’s modernization, from
September 1892 until January 1902, from the inside. It contains never before
revealed information on a wide variety of developments of the time, from big
powers’ attempts to usurp Siam’s independence over the Paknam Incident of
13 July 1893, to the arcane day-by-day struggles to implement much needed
internal reforms of the kingdom’s legal framework and bureaucracy. This book
offers material that has never before seen the light of day and astounding facts
that change our understanding of the shaping of the free nation as it known
today.
IS BN 978-974-8496-91-7
WL Order Code 21 872
US$21.00
Bangkok 1996, 272 pp., 37 illus., 145 x 210
mm, pbk.
Tips, Walter E. J.;Siam’s Struggle for Survival:
The Gunboat Incident at
Paknam and The Franco-Siamese Treaty of October 1893
This study tells the story of the French attempts to take over Siam in 1893.
The battle between French warships and Siamese guns at Fort Paknam, on the
mouth of the Chao Phya River, is told in the words of one of the main actors
in the diplomatic struggles that preceded and followed the incident. Gustave
Rolin-Jaequemyns’s daily journal of the political maneuvering between France
and Britain, the battles on the Mekong between French and Siamese troops and
of the sleepless nights of HM King Chulalongkorn and his princely ministers,
reads like a political thriller. The report of Siamese counter-attacks and diplomatic
plotting, in which Prince Devawongse was the main actor, sheds light on
hitherto unknown but crucial pages in the life of Siam as a modern nation in the
making. Siam would preserve its independence and HM King Chulalongkorn
would manage to hold on to most of the core territories of the kingdom in the
Franco-Siamese Treaty of 3 October 1893 which followed the incident. Here is
the story of a Siam dangerously close to losing her freedom.
IS BN 078-974-8496-63-3
WL Order Code 21 869
US$23.00
Bangkok 1996, repr. from 1908; 210 pp., 150
x 210 mm, pbk.
Turpin, F. H.;History of the Kingdom of Siam and of the Revolutions
That
Have Caused the Overthrow of the Empire Up to A.D. 1770
Originally published in 1771 as the first account in a Western language of the
period of the French Embassies to Siam, the reign of King Narai and Constant
Phaulcon, and of the sacking of Ayuthaya by the Burmese in 1767. The text was
compiled from first hand accounts and reports of Christian missionaries and
bishops. It presents a wealth of detail that is not readily available elsewhere. As
a classical history, it deals mostly with battles, revolutions and the overturning
of personalities and reigns. The final chapters provide an assessment of the
trading potential of Siam and the neighboring states. The book, however, does
not shun bloodshed and scandal, which seem to have been the order of the day.
Indeed, when reading this book one wonders whether our ancestors and their
times really are an example for the younger generations.
IS BN 978-974-8434-49-0
WL Order Code 22 031
US$18.00
Bangkok 1999, English trans. from 1894,
1898; 124 pp., 150 x 210 mm, pbk.
Uchtomskij, Prince Esper Esperovitch; Czarevitch Nicolas of Russia in Siam
and Saigon (1891)
The book reports on the visit of the later Czar Nicolas II of Russia to King
Chulalongkorn’s kingdom and to Saigon, one of the important early trade centers
of France’s fledgling colony in Indochina. The visit was of great historical
significance for the Thai nation. As a result of the extremely warm welcome
given by the Thais, the bonds between the two Royal Houses became especially
close. Only a few years later, after the Paknam Gunboat Incident of 1893, Russia
would defend Siam’s case with Russia’s French allies. The author, a specialist
in oriental religions and literature, was with the Czarevitch during the whole
visit and testifies to great political skills and a rare clarity of vision of Russia’s
future in the Orient. This book is an eye-opener for all those interested in big
power politics at the turn of the century and its consequences for the small,
independent kingdom of Siam.
IS BN 978-974-8495-26-2
WL Order Code 21 225
US$33.00
Bangkok 1988, repr. from 1873, with a supplement
of the 1884 edition; 475 pp., illus.,
folded map, 145 x 210 mm
Vincent, Frank; The Land of the White Elephant: Sights and Scenes in
South-East Asia 1871–1872
One of the liveliest and most readable of the many accounts by nineteenth century
travelers of the countries of Southeast Asia and their rich and ancient civilizations
which were still then largely unknown in the West. The great temples
of Angkor, which were the principal objective of Vincent’s travels in Siam and
Indochina, had only been rediscovered by Henri Mouhot thirteen years before
this book was published. The author was a man of cultivated tastes and catholic
interests, an adventurous and observant traveler and an accomplished writer,
and these qualities combine to make this account, which was the first of several
travel books that Vincent wrote about different parts of the world on four continents,
as fresh and spontaneous as it was when first written.
IS BN 978-974-88761-9-1
WL Order Code 21 548
US$12.00
Bangkok 1992, 172 pp., 130 x 195 mm,
pbk.
Walker, Dave & Richard S. Ehrlich ;Hello My Big Big Honey!
Love letters to Bangkok Bar Girls and their revealing interviews. Collected
and with introduction by D. Walker and R. S. Ehrlich. Prologue by Dr. Yos
Santasombat. Glossary. Epilogue by Mrs. Pisamai Tantrakul.
(A French version is also available.)
IS BN 978-974-8496-33-7
WL Order Code 21 766
US$18.00
Bangkok 1995, 121 pp., 145 x 210 mm, pbk.
Wenk, Klaus; Thai Literature: An Introduction
This is a study of the extensive and diverse writings that form an integral part
of the Thai literary tradition. The book is divided into tentative periods beginning
with the discovery of an inscription on a stela, erected in 1292 by Ram
Kamhaeng, and concluding with an overview of contemporary Thai literature.
This study does not claim to comprise all titles and dates of literary relevance,
but it contains all that is essential. The author’s predilection for some poets has
attributed to them greater emphasis than others, for example, Sunthon Phu for
whom writing poetry was, inter alia, an act of personal liberation and artistic
play. The decisive message expressed by him in his verses has given direction to
the evolution of Thai poetry. Detailed descriptions of what the author considers
to be typical and of peculiar interest to western readers makes this study especially
fascinating and take it beyond being a mere introduction to the subject.
IS BN 978-974-8496-90-0
WL Order Code 21 936
US$18.00
Bangkok 1997, 347 pp., 8 pp. illus., 145 x
210 mm, pbk.
Wimon Wiriyawit,
Free Thai: Personal Recollections and Official Documents
An important eyewitness account of one of the active participants. Group Captain
Wimon Wiriyawit is one of the few survivors of a small group of Thais
who were in the USA at the beginning of the Pacific War and who volunteered
to work for the liberation of Thailand from Japanese occupation. The personal
recollections are supported by official documents from US archives, released
only recently. This book brings to light the differing agendas of the war allies:
the USA, Britain and Nationalist China, as well as different ideas within the
Thai political elite.
IS BN 978-974-480-087-9
WL Order Code 22 484
US$37.00
Bangkok 2005, 240 pp., illus., 150 x 210
mm, pbk.
Wong, Ka F.;
Visions of a Nation: Public Monuments in Twentieth-Century
Thailand
Studies in Contemporary Thailand No. 15
This book offers a unique discourse on modern Thai history through the exploration
of monumental images and narratives. Visible to the people on an everyday
basis, public monuments are the visual manifestation of how the Thais have
imagined and re-imagined their nation-state in the last century. Thailand was
the only country in Southeast Asia to retain its political independence during
the age of colonialism, and hence, the only nation to use public art in support of
indigenous political goals. From absolute to constitutional monarchy, the two
World Wars to the Cold War, and military dictatorship to the emergence of
people’s democracy, different regimes erected public memorials to legitimize
their own rule and promulgate their own concepts of modern Thailand to the
people. Grouping the most renowned monuments into four visions—Absolute
Monarchy, Modern Nationalism, Traditionalism, and Diversity, this book
explains how Thai artists use scale, style, and symbol to reinterpret historical
events and produce political effects on one hand and create works of beauty
on the other. An innovative synthesis of political, cultural, and art history,
this book brings not only a new relevance to the many public monuments seen
throughout the country but also a fresh understanding of complex twentiethcentury
Thai society.
IS BN 978-974-8495-00-2
WL Order Code 21 713
US$48.00
Bangkok 2003, 302 pp., fully illus., 230 x
310 mm
Wright, Arnold & Oliver T. Breakspar; Twentieth Century Impressions of
Siam: Its History, People, Commerce, Industries, and Resources
This was initially published, during the first decade of this century, as one
of a series of books on South East Asia. Original copies of the book are now
extremely rare. The value of this reprint lies in the pictures, being lavishly
illustrated with scenes of the country and its people. Another valuable aspect
of the book is the record is provides of the names and photographs of several
individuals-both Siamese and foreign-who played a part in the development
and advancement of Siam during the long and illustrious reign of H.M. King
Chulalongkorn (Rama V) from 1868 to 1910
In sddition, government officials, foreign advisors, traders and houses are
depicted: import, export, shipping, rice mills, teak industry, mines, engineering,
many of which stilee exist. Many of the photographs, such as those of foreign
diplomats and advisors, are not published elsewhere. The author rightfully
claimed that the book offers “a pictorial representation of Siam upon a scale
which has never been attempted before”.
IS BN 978-974-480-089-3
WL Order Code 22 485
US$30.00
Bangkok 2005, 316 pp., fully illus., 150 x
210 mm, pbk.
Yasmeen, Gisèle;
Bangkok’s Foodscape: Public Eating, Gender Relations
and Urban Change
Studies in Contemporary Thailand No. 16
This book provides an overview and analysis of the habit of “public eating” in
Thai society with specific attention paid to the case study of Bangkok where
the phenomenon has been particularly widespread for several decades. Using
the well-established ethnographic approach of “thick description”, this contribution
to the study of Thai and Southeast Asian foodways concentrates on the
nexus between eating habits, the social construction of gender and patterns of
urban development in one of the world’s mega-cities. By providing a detailed
snapshot of the rapid growth period of the early to mid-1990s in central Bangkok
and concluding with insights as to the impacts of the economic crisis that
wreaked havoc in the latter part of the decade, Gisèle Yasmeen illustrates the
recursive social, economic and cultural impacts of the “foodscape” on urban
space.
IS BN 978-1-56098-405-4
WL Order Code 7 948
US$37.00
Washington 1995, 388 pp., 28 pp. illus., 155
x 235 mm
Young, Edward M.;
Aerial Nationalism: A History of Aviation in Thailand
In 1911 aviation was introduced to Thailand through a traveling air show.
This dramatic form of technological innovation quickly became integral to
the country’s program of modernization as a means of gaining international
respect. This first detailed study focusing on the pivotal years 1911–1945 traces
the nationalistic impulses that drove the Thai quest for air power, first under the
Thai royalty and then under the military regime that followed the coup d’état
in 1932. The book also examines the later development of the Thai air force,
when it helped regain territory ceded to the French, participated in the Japanese
advance in Burma, and later provided clandestine support to the Allies
in World War II. The author shows how economic, technological, and political
issues affected the country’s choice of airplanes. The government’s purchase of
American airplanes reflected in part a growing desire to draw away from the
influence of England and France.
IS BN 978-974-7534-02-3
WL Order Code 22 126
US$23.00
Bangkok 1999, repr. from 1932; 337 pp., 7
pp. illus., 150 x 210 mm, 1 folded map in
pocket, pbk.
Zimmerman, Carle C.; Siam: Rural Economic Survey 1930–1931
This is the first survey of the Siamese rural population. The author compiled
everything anyone needed to know about the rural Siamese. His efforts lie
before you: a wealth of tables detailing the eating habits, living expenses, diseases,
birth and death rates of the people. Here one can discover the average
number of farm animals per family in the North, Northeast, South and Central
parts of the country. There are comparisons of the cost of glutinous and garden
rice alongside explanations of the kilogram equivalent for the measures used
by farmers to sell their paddy. One can examine the nutritional values of foods
such as shrimp paste and fermented fish as well as a complete chemical analysis
for common salts consumed in Siam. It is a remarkably detailed work and a
valuable source for further studies.
038-239-883-4 
