A HISTORY OF THAILAND Fourth Edition Since it wasfirstpublished, in 2005,AHistory ofThailandhasbeenhailed asan authoritative, lively, and readable account of Thailand’s political, economic, social,andculturalhistory. From the early settlements in the Chao Phraya basin to today, Baker and Phongpaichit trace how a world of mandarin nobles and unfree peasants was transformedbycolonialism,theexpansionofthericefrontier,andtheimmigra- tion of traders and labourers from southern China. They examine how the monarchymanagedthefoundationofanewnation-stateattheendofthe19th centuryandhowurbannationalists,ambitiousgenerals,communistrebels,and business politicians competed to take control through the 20th century. They trackThailand’seconomicchangesthroughthehighsandlowsofaneconomic boom, globalization, and the evolution of mass society and draw on popular culture,includingthepress,novels,songs,andfilm,todramatizesocialtrends. This edition contains a new chapter, on Thailand’s turbulent politics since 2006 – including the 2006 and 2014 coups, the royal succession, and the 2019 election – and incorporates new sources and recent research throughout. WritteninanaccessiblestyleanddrawingonawiderangeofThaiandwestern sources, A History of Thailand is an essential resource for history students and enthusiastsalike. Chris Baker taught Asian history at Cambridge University and has lived in Thailand for over 40 years. He is now an independent writer, researcher, andtranslator. PasukPhongpaichitisEmeritusProfessorofPoliticalEconomyatChulalongkorn University,Bangkok. Together they have written widely in Thai and English on Thailand’s history, politicaleconomy,andclassicalliterature.In2017theywerejointlyawardedthe FukuokaGrandPrizefortheircontributionstoAsianculture. CambridgeUniversityPressacknowledgestheAustralianAboriginaland Torres Strait Islander peoples of this nation. 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Contents Preface pagevii List ofillustrations xi List ofabbreviations xiii Glossary xv Chronology xix Artist’sstatement – cover image xxiii 1 Before Bangkok. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 2 The old order in transition,1760sto 1860s. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28 3 Reforms,1850sto 1910s. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .51 4 Peasants, merchants,and officials,1870s to1930s. . . . . . . . . . . . .90 5 Nationalisms,1910s to 1940s. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116 6 The American eraand development, 1940s to 1960s. . . . . . . . . . 155 7 Ideologies, 1940sto 1970s. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187 8 Globalization and mass society, 1970s to 2000s. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 221 9 Politics contested, 1970s to 2000s. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 259 10 Troubles,2005 to 2021. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 297 Postscript: Thailand’sfuture. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 329 Notes 335 Glossary ofnames 353 Reignsand prime ministers 363 Readings 365 Index 371 Preface History was invented for the nation-state. It has a tendency to imagine ‘the false unity of a self-same, national subject evolving through time’ (PrasenjitDuara).1Alltooeasily,thenationbecomessomethingnatural that always existed but was only properly realized in the nation-state. In reaction against this tendency, historians today prefer to write about people, things, ideas, localities,regions, or the globe – anything but the nation.Orelsetheywritereflectivehistoriesabouttheinterplaybetween the nation and the productionof its own history. Theapproachadoptedhereistomakethecareerofthenation-state theexplicitfocusofthestory.Oneofthemainthemesofthisbookishow the idea of the nation and the machinery of the nation-state were established in Thailand, and then how different social forces tried to makeuseofit–byreinterpretingwhatthenationmeantandbyseeking tocontrolorinfluencetheuseofstatepower.Thesecondmajortheme is the evolution of the social forces involved. After the introductory chapter, the chapters alternate between these two themes, though the divisionis rough,not rigid. Thepublisherwantsthebooksinthisseriestobeaccessibletoawide readership,nottoolongandnotoverloadedwithacademicreferencing. Our policy has been to limit notes to the sources for direct quotations. The section of ‘Readings’ cites major published works in English, but ratherlittlehasbeenpublishedinEnglishonmodernThailandoverthe pastgeneration.InThaitherehasbeenahugeamount,andevenmore existsinunpublishedthesesinbothThaiandEnglish.Ourdependence ontheseworksshould beeasilyrecognizablebytheir authorsand other experts. Some of the most important are Srisak Vallibhotama, Geoff Wade, Phiset Jiajanphong, and Sratsawadi Ongsakun on early history; Nidhi Eoseewong and Saichon Sattayanurak on early Bangkok society; viii PREFACE DavisakdiPuaksom,AttachakSattayanurak,andRujayaAbhakornonthe Chulalongkorn reform era; Pimpraphai Phisanbut, Chamnongsri Rutnin, and Panni Bualek on city society; Chatthip Nartsupha, David Johnston, and Atsushi Kitahara on rural society; Nakharin Mektrairat, Eiji Murashima, Thamrongsak Petchloetanan, Chanida Phromphayak Puaksom, Saichon Sattayanurak, Chaloemkiat Phianuan, Morakot Jewachinda, Vichitvong na Pombejra, Phenphisut Inthraphirom, and Matt Copeland on nationalisms; Chalong Soontravanich, Somsak Jeamteerasakul, Suthachai Yimprasoet, and Charnvit Kasetsiri on the American era; and Praphat Pintobtaeng, Thirayuth Boonmee, Anek Laothamatas, Ubonrat Siriyuvasak, James Ockey, Kasian Tejapira, and ThongchaiWinichakulonThailandsince1975.Wewouldliketorecord ourappreciationandthanks,alongwithapologiesforanyshortcomings in our useof these works. The book was written in Thailand but with indispensable help from forays into libraries and research centres elsewhere. We are especially grateful to the Center for Southeast Asian Studies at Kyoto University, the Nordic Institute of Asian Studies in Copenhagen, Johns Hopkins SchoolofAdvancedInternationalStudiesinWashington,andthelibrar- ies of the Australian National University and Cambridge University. We would like to thank Kevin Hewison, Craig Reynolds, Malcom Falkus,GrantEvans,AndrewBrown,andJohnFunston,whocommented onearlierdrafts of the manuscript. For help in finding the illustrations, thanks to the Thailand National Archives,ThammasatUniversityArchives,BangkokPost,TheNation,Siam Society, Anake Nawikamune, Charnvit Kasetsiri, Chatchawan Chatsuthichai, Daoruang Naewthong, Ekkarin Latthasaksiri, Kane Sarika, Kovit Sanandaeng, Krairoek Nana, Nantiya Tangwisutijit, Nick Nostitz, Pana Janviroj, Piriya Krairiksh, Sa-ard Angkunwat, Sakdina Chatrakul na Ayudhya, Sanga Luchapatthanakon, Sharon O’Toole, Somsuda Leyavanija, Steve Van Beek, Subhatra Bhumiprabhas, Thamrongsak Petchloetanan, and Warunee Osatharam. NOTE ON THE FOURTH EDITION We have added a new chapter on the turbulent events since 2005 and madeover100otheradditions,incorporatingnewsourcesandresearch. ThankstoAimSinpeng,CraigReynolds,DavidMalitz,DouglasSanders, PREFACE ix Kevin Hewison, Khemthong Tonsakulrungruang, Matthew Reeder, Parkpume Vanichaka, Patrick Jory, Peter Jackson, Simon Landy, Tomas Larsson, Tyrell Haberkorn,and Monton Praphakonkiat. NOTE ON TRANSLITERATION AND NAMES Official spellings are used for kings and places, and conventional forms for some well-known names. Otherwise, Thai is translated using the RoyalSocietyofThailandsystem,withtheexceptionofusing‘j’forjojan.