Humanity, Scholarship and Beer
Just by chance I came across this picture of the Thai historian, Charnvit Kasetsiri, on facebook today. The text at the top says (and I translate it loosely here in…
King Chulalongkorn’s Letter to Grover Cleveland
During the Fifth Reign (1873-1910) in Siam, the royal family became very interested in photography and a lot of pictures were taken at that time. These photographs are now fascinating…
The Empire of Siam
Anyone who has ever been to Thailand or read anything about Thailand has undoubtedly heard that Thailand is “the only country in Southeast Asia that has never been colonized.” On…
Restless Chinese and American Steam Machinery in 1850s Bangkok
These days it is as easy (or even easier!) to get say Italian, Japanese, Indian or Vietnamese food in Bangkok as it is in any major metropolis on the planet.…
Wanted Dead or Alive in Sandakan
The genre of movies about the American West in the late nineteenth century known as “Westerns” are very specific to that time and place, but they are also universal as…
An S-Shaped Country and Historical Scholarship in the Digital Age
There is a short video clip about Vietnamese history that is getting a lot of attention these days. Called “Vietnam, an S-shaped country!,” it was produced by graphic design students…
“Traditional Thai-ness” and Women’s Shoulders
Every once in a while over the past decade or so, the issue of how women, particularly young women, dress gets discussed in the Thai media. These debates often start…
The King of Seasonings in 1950s Thailand
I came across this advertisement for Aji-No-Moto brand monosodium glutamate (MSG) from a Chinese-language newspaper from Thailand in the 1950s. It is called “The King of Seasonings” and the advertisement…
Choosing an Appropriate Form of Modernity for Siam in the Fourth Reign
In many (nationalist) renderings of modern Thai history, the two Chakri kings, Mongkut and Chulalongkorn, loom large as figures who are credited with almost single-handedly saving Siam/Thailand from colonization and modernizing…
When an Apsara Ruled the Universe
The apsaras, or celestial female spirits, of Hindu-Buddhist mythology are figures of grace and elegance. They are renowned for their beauty. . . but did any of those apsaras ever…