a history of thailand

It demonstrates how throughout the twentieth century, Thailand has been drawn into the, Covering the past three centuries of Thai history, this book reveals how a landscape of sparsely populated forest and jungle was transformed into villages and paddy fields, with a rural society of smallholder peasants and an urban society populated mainly by migrants from southern China. My biggest frustration is that the authors did not often take the time to step back from reporting the facts to point out trends across times (so each described event felt disjointed from everything that happened before) or to explain how events in Thailand fit into broader global trends. Baker and his co-author give a 35,000 foot view of Thai history, focusing on the 1500s as a rough starting point, and continuing through the modern era when Yinglak served as Prime Minister. Cambridge University Press, Apr 20, 2005 - History - 301 pages 1 Review This lively, accessible book is the first new history of Thailand in English for two decades. This book about Thailand’s history was what I expected. The Kingdom of Thailand (known as Siam until 1939) was ruled by the Khmers, based in what is now neighboring Cambodia, during the 11th and 12th centuries. However about 4,000 BC they began farming. The authors cover the contests between urban nationalists, ambitious generals, communist rebels, business politicians, and social movements to control the nation-state and redefine its purpose. Baker and Phongpaichit's fine work is a good place to start learning about all that. Perhaps better titled as "An Economic History of Thailand", the work suffers from its over-indulgence in my last favorite favored aspect of modern historiography. It does explain a lot about why Thai people think and behave as they do. Chris Baker taught Asian history at Cambridge University, and has lived in Thailand for over twenty years. A HISTORY OF THAILAND Third Edition A History of Thailand offers a lively and accessible account of Thailand’s political, economic, social and cultural history, from the early settlements in the Chao Phraya basin to today. We’d love your help. If you don’t have 15 minutes to read, I am sure you have 5 minutes to watch! Overall, this is an important read of the information it contains, but less for the pleasure of the writing and analysis. At the end, however, I couldn't care less. And because lèse majesté laws limit often people voice their true opinions on current events. 'In A History of Thailand, Chris Baker and Pasuk Phongpaichit, two respected Bangkok-based scholars, offer a lively, highly readable account of modern Thai history, the first such history in English for two decades.' Don't take too much notice of the right wing academic reviews, that are seeking to wash over the tremendouys influence the US has had on this country both positive and negative. In A History of Thailand, Chris Baker and Pasuk Phongpaichit reveal how a world of mandarin nobles and unfree labour evolved into a rural society … Here is a super brief history of Thailand in just a few minutes. In Thailand: History The Thai are descended from a much larger group of Tai-speaking peoples. Thailand has been through many changes in the 20th and 21st centuries as a rather poor and rural society attempted to cope with imperialism, war, immigra. If you're looking for a readable and historically accurate introduction to Thai history, this is it. The book is an impressive tribute to Thailand's vibrant people, showing their creative involvement in every global movement in terms of politics, economics, popular culture, or religion. 20 New Books on Women’s History. History of Thailand . This book was exactly what I wanted, it is certainly not a definitive work but it does provide a brief clear sketch of Thai history as it pertains to the development of modern Thailand. This is not academic text, however, but easy to read textbook. “The American era and development, 1940s to 1960s” and “Ideologies, 1940s to 1970s,” this jumping back and forth in time doesn’t exactly make it a very accessible read either. Be the first to ask a question about A History of Thailand. One should take into account that the book has a somewhat leftist bias - about what one should expect in a book by two professors - but, with all that, it is certainly an excellent source as an introduction to the history of that fascinating country. (Control of the nation state is still contested between forces with a patriarchal belief in change from above, and advocates of democracy and liberal values.). Yet little is known about the area prior to the 13th century since literary sources are scarce and most of the knowledge we have today is taken from archeology only. (A Concise) History of Thailand From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Thai peoples who originally lived in southwestern China migrated into mainland Southeast Asia over a period of many centuries. No history is definitive or free from bias but what is put forward in this book seems to accord pretty well with my own experience in the country both in the. Textbook used for one of the University of London courses on SE Asia. Thai food originated with the people who emigrated from the southern Chinese provinces into modern day Thailand many centuries ago. By 100 AD they were practicing Theravada Buddhism. There are no discussion topics on this book yet. They describe the dramatic changes wrought by a booming economy, globalization, and the evolution of mass society. In A History of Thailand, Chris Baker and Pasuk Phongpaichit reveal how a world of mandarin nobles and unfree labour evolved into a rural society of smallholder peasants and an urban society populated mainly by migrants from southern China. “Khaosai, Somluck, Paveena, and Mum all came from the rural northeast. The first third of the book is spent on pre-20th century Thailand -- sketching in particular the structure of its monarchy and the geopolitical region it dominated, the Mekong (stretching to Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia and Burma). Welcome back. You'll also find little sympathy for virtually any figures in Thai history, a pleasant change from the official hero-worship that masks as "education" within the country. No history is definitive or free from bias but what is put forward in this book seems to accord pretty well with my own experience in the country both in the early 1970's and later in the 90's and from 2000 on. These authors (finally!) A History of Thailand offers a lively and accessible account of Thailand's political, economic, social and cultural history. From 1939 to 1942 Prime Minister, Phibun, issued a series of ‘state decrees’ intended to create a civilised, uniformed and unified country, which would, in turn, help the war efforts. From about 500 BC the people of what is now Thailand used iron. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of, Published Gave a very readable account of the complexities of Thailand's politics and economy. Emerging Tai Kingdoms. A history that spans the early regional kingdoms (briefly) through the early unified kingdoms of Ayutthaya and Thonburi and the 200-plus-years-old Bangkok Chakri dynasty up to King Bhumipol's late 20th-century reign and the 2001 election of Thaksin Shinawatra as prime minister. If you're looking for a readable and historically accurate introduction to Thai history, this is it. Modern Thai politics is notorious for being incomprehensible to outsiders, since the patterns do not often line up with those we are used to seeing elsewhere in the world. It provides a detailed context the for cultural, political and economic history of Thailand and to a lesser degree southeast Asia. do a good job, within the constraints of the book's length, of explaining how an array of feudal city-states were eventually consolidated and, basically, colonized by Bangkok powers, resulting eventually in the nation-state of Thailand. In A History of Thailand, Chris Baker and Pasuk Phongpaichit reveal how a world of mandarin nobles and unfree labour evolved into a rural society of smallholder peasants and an urban society populated mainly by migrants from southern China. Ancient History A number of indigenous Mon-Khmer and Malay civilizations used to live in the region now known is Thailand. To see what your friends thought of this book. And because lèse majesté laws limit often people voice their true opinions on current events. An influx of “immigrants” is noted at intervals, and that’s about it. Look no further. Breaking up the chronology also in the subchapters exacerbates this issue. Start by marking “A History of Thailand” as Want to Read: Error rating book. It is wholly within the tropics and encompasses diverse ecosystems. Minus on star because some parts become list-like in the retelling and I lost the sense of its importance. This book explores how a world of mandarin nobles and unfree peasants was transformed and examines how the monarchy managed the foundation of a new nation-state at the turn of the twentieth century. You can also check out Thailand timeline – a chronology of key events. The authors trace two main themes: 1) the strong nation state rising against exterior threats (colonialism, communism, etc) in which citizens serve the nation as obedient children and 2) a nation that is made to serve the wellbeing of the people who yearn for greater equality and participation. The between-world-wars transition from absolute monarchy to constitutional monarchy and the later competitions among royalists, the military, and rising civilian business and political interests are big parts of the story. Modern Thai politics is notorious for being incomprehensible to outsiders, since the patterns do not often line up with those we are used to seeing elsewhere in the world. box. Under his tenure, Thailand covered parts of Burma, all regions of present-day Laos, Kedah province in Malaysia and Cambodia. What tourism affects. When I picked up this book I was looking for a brief history of Thailand that might help explain somethings which fell into the "Well I'll be damned!" The word Siam (Thai: สยาม RTGS: Sayam) may have originated from Pali (suvaṇṇabhÅ«mi, "land of gold") or Sanskrit श्याम (śyāma, "dark") or Mon ရာမည (rhmañña, "stranger"), probably the same root as Shan and Ahom. Now in its third edition, this book explores how a world of man-darinnoblesandunfreepeasantswastransformedbycolonialism,the Like...nothing literally. At first the farmers used stone tools but about 3,000 BC bronze was discovered. This opacity makes this (text)book an important introduction to the Thai history. I liked the overviews provided at the end of each section. Look no further. The history of Thailand from 1932 to 1973 was dominated by military dictatorships which were in power for much of the period. This book is not yet featured on Listopia. This is a fine account of Thailand's dynamic evolution, conveyed with spare, action-oriented writing. Will give you a great sense of how Thailand became a nation and how it continues to be influenced by the legacies of the past. A history of military coups. He is now an independent writer, researcher, and translator. Historically there were many Szechwan influences in Thai cuisine, although over the centuries many … Later on there is a marked anti-American slant, and the authors also appear remarkably naive about the communist movement in Thailand, especially considering how things developed in some of its neighbouring countries, something that is hardly given any attention at all. A concise and surprisingly accessible history of Thailand, with the emphasis on the modern era. Dry, but serviceable, and I read it at the tail end of my trip and wish I'd done it at the beginning, because there was a lot of history I could have used to appreciate what I saw, especially the ruins! I really enjoyed this telling of Thai history. Enjoyed it far more than Wyatt's version, and I got a far more in-depth look at the early Rattanakosin Pe. After the country went through a peaceful transformation in 1932, sovereign power came to belong to the Thai people, with the King as the Head of State who is above partisan politics and discharges his role in accordance with the country’s Constitution. Its also the only up-to-date socio-economic history of Thailand I could find on international bookshelves so this makes it somewhat of a reference text for the layman. Beginning with the late Ayutthaya period the authors show how Bangkok rose from Ayutthaya’s destruction in 1767, became a cosmopolitan trade center, and center of regional economic and military might. Since then, there have been over 20 military coups in Thailand’s history. It is a content rich book. Unfortunately, readers seeking hints of "Bangkok 8" may find themselves a little disappointed. The competing visions of society reflect the whole world's struggles, and shed light on the issues before other countries. He moved the capital city to Bangkok, revived the country’s economy and restored what remained of the Ayutthaya artistic heritage. A solid history of modern Thailand, running from the 1700s to the present day ~2009. Chinese: 暹羅; pinyin: Xiānluó was the name for the northern kingdom centred on Sukhothai and Sawankhalok. The current monarch, Maha Vajiralongkorn, is the tenth in the Chakri dynasty to take the throne. This is a great improvement over Wyatt's tome, which is more widely read as "the" introductory book, but is really sub-par in its representations of historical realities. I will have a look at another take on Thai history soon. A Brief History of Thailand Explained in 5 minutes. A history that spans the early regional kingdoms (briefly) through the early unified kingdoms of Ayutthaya and Thonburi and the 200-plus-years-old Bangkok Chakri dynasty up to King Bhumipol's late 20th-century reign and the 2001 election of Thaksin Shinawatra as prime minister. Thailand, country located in the center of mainland Southeast Asia. I can’t agree with what it says in the blurb, that this is a “a lively and accessible account of Thailand's political, economic, social and cultural history.” - I found the writing rather dry, and by dividing the book into chapters like e.g. Certainly could have been more in-depth on recent developments (since the 1950s), but in a short book it provided a great overview. Along the way, we are given glimpses of some truly interesting elements of Thai society that could be explored in depth (the revolution of the 1930s, the mysterious death of a king in the 1940s), but aside from the role. Good history textbooks so often make for poor casual reading. The areas collected within the borders had very different histories, languages, religious cultures, and traditions. A solid account, and a real step towards a people's history of one of the world's most interesting nations. All in all a solid book to learn about the history of the region if you plan to travel there and want some context of the history of the region. The earliest inhabitants of what is now Thailand were hunter-gatherers. Their tendency to place chapters on socio-cultural changes for each era before corresponding chapters on the politico-economic events of the age also tends to break the historic narrative. A concise and surprisingly accessible history of Thailand, with the emphasis on the modern era. Surprisingly, after having read it for years, I can't remember anything. Just a moment while we sign you in to your Goodreads account. I enjoyed the book and found it useful to me. A History of Thailand offers a lively and accessible account of Thailand's political, economic, social and cultural history. Thip Samai Pad Thai Restaurant in Phra Nakorn, Thailand. My favorite passages explained how “Thainess” came into being and how language, culture, and race were used to form a new Thai identity for the new state. They grew rice. A History of Thailand offers a lively and accessible account of Thailand's political, economic, social and cultural history. A HISTORY OF THAILAND Third Edition A History of Thailand offers a lively and accessible account of Thailand’s political, economic, social and cultural history, from the early settlements in the Chao Phraya basin to today. I was hoping for an even-handed treatment, but found that mainly in the first half of the book. Baker and his co-author give a 35,000 foot view of Thai history, focusing on the 1500s as a rough starting point, and continuing through the modern era when Yinglak served as Prime Minister. It also only really covers the last 150 years of Thailand, so it is most certainly not a history of Thailand. It is a serviceable history book. Does a good job weaving in aspects of geography (rural-urban), economics, social classes and relations, religion, culture, and international affairs, including Chinese migrations, European imperialism, and post-World War II US influence. Limited because of what one can say and write in Thailand. Chris Baker andPasuk Phongpaichit reveal … Its also the only up-to-date socio-economic history of Thailand I could find on international bookshelves so this makes it somewhat of a reference text for the layman.