Book Review: Thongchai Thongchai Winichakul, “Thailand’s Hyper-Royalism: Its Past Success and Pre... more Book Review: Thongchai Thongchai Winichakul, “Thailand’s Hyper-Royalism: Its Past Success and Present Predicament”. Trends in Southeast Asia, 2016, No. 7 (Singapore: ISEAS Yusof Ishak Institute, 2016, for Journal of the Malaysian Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society, (JMBRAS), December Vol. 90, Part 2, pp. 149-52.
From February to April 2018 Thailand was captivated by a historical- romantic soap opera screened... more From February to April 2018 Thailand was captivated by a historical- romantic soap opera screened on Channel 3 television, Bupphesanniwat. The series is set in the late seventeenth century at a time of Siam’s heightened commercial and political engagement with Western countries and with Westerners, especially the French. The series culminates with the 1688 “revolution”, when the pro-French faction led by King Narai was overthrown by forces loyal to Phra Phetracha, who proceeded to usurp the throne and establish a new dynasty at Ayutthaya. What are the reasons for — and possible implications of — the wild popularity of the series?
FOR THE LAST HUNDRED YEARS, THAI GOVERNMENTS have consistently stressed the homogeneity of the pe... more FOR THE LAST HUNDRED YEARS, THAI GOVERNMENTS have consistently stressed the homogeneity of the peoples of Thailand. Unlike its Southeast Asian neighbors, modern Thailand has never had an official discourse on multiculturalism. The predominant government policy towards cultural diversity has been one of assimilation. The result has been that both domestically and internationally, Thailand is perceived as Southeast Asia's most ethnically homogeneous nation. Yet Thailand has always been an ethnically diverse place, and in recent years has experienced a resurgence in expressions of ethnic culture and identity. What form is this resurgence taking, and why is it occurring?
... Peninsular Chinese as Agents, Creoles, and Mediators 8. Penang's... more ... Peninsular Chinese as Agents, Creoles, and Mediators 8. Penang's Big Five Families and Southern Siam During the Nineteenth Century 201 Wong Yee Tuan 9. Chinese-Malay-Thai Interactions and the Making of Kelantan Peranakan Chinese Ethnicity 214 Teo Kok Seong 10. ...
Gregory C. G. Moore, ed., The Open Society and Its Enemies in East Asia: The Relevance of the Popperian Framework (Oxon; New York: Routledge, 2014), pp. 49-66
Axel Schneider and Daniel Woolf, eds., The Oxford History of Historical Writing, Volume 5: Historical Writing Since 1945 (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2011), pp. 539-558., 2011
In 1998, 20th Century Fox approached the Thai government
asking permission to shoot on location ... more In 1998, 20th Century Fox approached the Thai government
asking permission to shoot on location in Thailand a film titled Anna and the King, a dramatized version of the famous 1950s musical The King and I. The latter film has long been banned in Thailand. Fox’s plans to produce a new version created a storm of controversy in Thailand, ending in the National Film Board’s decision not to allow the film to be made in Thailand. The completed film (shot in Malaysia) was also eventually banned from Thai movie screens. This article looks at why the story of Anna Leonowens and King Mongkut remains so controversial in Thailand, even in this era of greatly increased media freedom. The article also examines the continued importance of the idea of monarchy to the modern Thai state, and the endless flood of royal imagery that saturates the Thai media and public life generally.
Book Review: Thongchai Thongchai Winichakul, “Thailand’s Hyper-Royalism: Its Past Success and Pre... more Book Review: Thongchai Thongchai Winichakul, “Thailand’s Hyper-Royalism: Its Past Success and Present Predicament”. Trends in Southeast Asia, 2016, No. 7 (Singapore: ISEAS Yusof Ishak Institute, 2016, for Journal of the Malaysian Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society, (JMBRAS), December Vol. 90, Part 2, pp. 149-52.
From February to April 2018 Thailand was captivated by a historical- romantic soap opera screened... more From February to April 2018 Thailand was captivated by a historical- romantic soap opera screened on Channel 3 television, Bupphesanniwat. The series is set in the late seventeenth century at a time of Siam’s heightened commercial and political engagement with Western countries and with Westerners, especially the French. The series culminates with the 1688 “revolution”, when the pro-French faction led by King Narai was overthrown by forces loyal to Phra Phetracha, who proceeded to usurp the throne and establish a new dynasty at Ayutthaya. What are the reasons for — and possible implications of — the wild popularity of the series?
FOR THE LAST HUNDRED YEARS, THAI GOVERNMENTS have consistently stressed the homogeneity of the pe... more FOR THE LAST HUNDRED YEARS, THAI GOVERNMENTS have consistently stressed the homogeneity of the peoples of Thailand. Unlike its Southeast Asian neighbors, modern Thailand has never had an official discourse on multiculturalism. The predominant government policy towards cultural diversity has been one of assimilation. The result has been that both domestically and internationally, Thailand is perceived as Southeast Asia's most ethnically homogeneous nation. Yet Thailand has always been an ethnically diverse place, and in recent years has experienced a resurgence in expressions of ethnic culture and identity. What form is this resurgence taking, and why is it occurring?
... Peninsular Chinese as Agents, Creoles, and Mediators 8. Penang's... more ... Peninsular Chinese as Agents, Creoles, and Mediators 8. Penang's Big Five Families and Southern Siam During the Nineteenth Century 201 Wong Yee Tuan 9. Chinese-Malay-Thai Interactions and the Making of Kelantan Peranakan Chinese Ethnicity 214 Teo Kok Seong 10. ...
Gregory C. G. Moore, ed., The Open Society and Its Enemies in East Asia: The Relevance of the Popperian Framework (Oxon; New York: Routledge, 2014), pp. 49-66
Axel Schneider and Daniel Woolf, eds., The Oxford History of Historical Writing, Volume 5: Historical Writing Since 1945 (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2011), pp. 539-558., 2011
In 1998, 20th Century Fox approached the Thai government
asking permission to shoot on location ... more In 1998, 20th Century Fox approached the Thai government
asking permission to shoot on location in Thailand a film titled Anna and the King, a dramatized version of the famous 1950s musical The King and I. The latter film has long been banned in Thailand. Fox’s plans to produce a new version created a storm of controversy in Thailand, ending in the National Film Board’s decision not to allow the film to be made in Thailand. The completed film (shot in Malaysia) was also eventually banned from Thai movie screens. This article looks at why the story of Anna Leonowens and King Mongkut remains so controversial in Thailand, even in this era of greatly increased media freedom. The article also examines the continued importance of the idea of monarchy to the modern Thai state, and the endless flood of royal imagery that saturates the Thai media and public life generally.
Ten years ago Thailand had a popular elected government operating under a publically-endorsed dem... more Ten years ago Thailand had a popular elected government operating under a publically-endorsed democratic constitution, a thriving economic model dubbed “Thaksinomics” that was being held up as an example for the Southeast Asian region, and had begun to implement historic welfare reforms. Since then the country has seen two military coups, intense political polarization, killings of pro-democracy protesters in the streets, frequent judicial interventions in politics, leading to today’s full-blown military dictatorship which rules by decree.
What went wrong?
In this talk I explain the reasons for this tumultuous period in Thailand’s politics, assess the strength of the current regime, and consider prospects for the county’s immediate future.
The modern academic discipline of Thai history has developed more or less in step with the establ... more The modern academic discipline of Thai history has developed more or less in step with the establishment of the political and cultural hegemony that the monarchy now enjoys in Thailand. As a result, the monarchy’s central position within the Thai political system has until recently rarely been questioned by historians. This has changed following the coup of 19 September 2006. As political opposition to the monarchy has grown, some scholars are re-examining the past to highlight the origins of democratic and even republican ideas in Thailand. This paper will seek to trace the history of republicanism in Thailand.
Following a recent ASEAN Defence Ministers meeting in Vientiane, Thailand’s Deputy Prime Minister... more Following a recent ASEAN Defence Ministers meeting in Vientiane, Thailand’s Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwan remarked that the Laos government had responded to requests from the military regime to crack down on critics of Thailand’s monarchy residing across the border. This was followed by statements from Thailand’s police chief and foreign minister that extra efforts were being made to extradite these dissidents back to Thailand. How significant is this development?
Thailand’s crown prince has become King Maha Vajiralongkorn Bodindradebayavarangkun or Rama X, th... more Thailand’s crown prince has become King Maha Vajiralongkorn Bodindradebayavarangkun or Rama X, the tenth monarch of the Chakri dynasty, succeeding his father who died on October 13. But great uncertainly remains about Thailand’s future – and that of the monarchy – both within the country and among international observers.
The result of the Thailand’s recent referendum appeared to show an easy win to the ‘yes’ camp. 61... more The result of the Thailand’s recent referendum appeared to show an easy win to the ‘yes’ camp. 61 per cent of voters approved the draft constitution while 39 per cent voted ‘no’. Yet the result of the referendum is less conclusive than it would appear.
Despite the intense royalist indoctrination of the Bhumibol era it would be naïve not to imagine ... more Despite the intense royalist indoctrination of the Bhumibol era it would be naïve not to imagine that some Thais draw inspiration from the country’s long republican tradition.
Australian Journal of Politics and History, Sep 16, 2013
Books reviewed in this issue.Jews, Christians and the Abode of Islam: Modern Scholarship, Medieva... more Books reviewed in this issue.Jews, Christians and the Abode of Islam: Modern Scholarship, Medieval Realities. By Jacob LassnerFlood Country: An Environmental History of the Murray-Darling Basin. By Emily O'GormanRoving Mariners: Australian Aboriginal Whalers and Sealers in the Southern Ocean, 1790–1870. By Lynette RussellPhillip Parker King 1791– 1856: A Most Admirable Australian. By Brian Douglas Abbott, with a Foreword by Paul BruntonMen and Manliness on the Frontier: Queensland and British Columbia in the Mid-Nineteenth Century. By Robert HoggLarrikins: A History. By Melissa BellantaIn the Shadow of Gallipoli: The Hidden History of Australia in World War I. By Robert BollardKitty's War: The Remarkable Wartime Experiences of Kit McNaughton. By Janet ButlerAustralia and the World Crisis, 1914–1923: Volume 2: A History of Australian Defence and Foreign Policy. By Neville MeaneyLooking After One's Own: The Rise of Nationalism and the Politics of the Neuendettelsauer Mission in Australia, New Guinea and Germany (1921–1933). By Christine WinterW. Macmahon Ball: Politics for the People. By Ai KobayashiImmigrants Turned Activists: Italians in 1970s Melbourne. By Simone BattistonAustralia and the United Nations. Edited by James Cotton and David LeeTransforming a “White Australia”: Issues of Racism and Immigration. By Laksiri JayasuriyaAustralia's Asia: from Yellow Peril to Asian Century. Edited by David Walker and Agnieszka SobocinskaRoddy's Folly: R. P. Meagher QC – Art Lover and Lawyer. By Damien FreemanMiddle Power Dreaming: Australia in World Affairs, 2006–2010. Edited by James Cotton and John RavenhillInclusive Growth in Australia: Social Policy as Economic Investment. Edited by Paul Smyth and John BuchananViolent Victorians. Popular Entertainment in Nineteenth-Century London. By Rosalind CroneIndia and the British Empire: Oxford History of the British Empire Companion Series. Edited by Douglas M. Peers and Nandini GooptuThe Colonisation of Time: Ritual, Routine and Resistance in the British Empire. By Giordano NanniG.K. Chesterton: A Biography. By Ian KerThe Crisis of Theory. E.P. Thompson, the New Left and Postwar British Politics. By Scott HamiltonThe Oxford Handbook of Postwar European History. Edited by Dan StoneMoscow, 1937. By Karl Schlögel, translated by Rodney LivingstoneIt Was a Long Time Ago, and It Never Happened Anyway. Russia and the Communist Past. By David SatterThe Wind from the East: French Intellectuals, The Cultural Revolution, and the Legacy of the 1960s. By Richard WolinWood: A History. By Joachim Radkau, trans. Patrick CamillerThe Verdict of Battle: The Law of Victory and the Making of Modern War. By James Q. WhitmanEgypt and the Origin of Civilization: The British School of Culture Diffusion, 1890s–1940s. By Joshua Smith
Australian Journal of Politics and History, Vol. 59, Issue 1, Mar 14, 2013
Books reviewed in this issueTasmanian Aborigines: A History Since 1803. By Lyndall RyanAbandoned ... more Books reviewed in this issueTasmanian Aborigines: A History Since 1803. By Lyndall RyanAbandoned Women: Scottish Convicts Exiled Beyond the Seas. By Lucy FrostCrime over Time: Temporal Perspectives on Crime and Punishment in Australia. Edited by Robyn Lincoln and Shirleene RobinsonA Different Kind of “Subject”: Colonial Law in Aboriginal-European Relations in Nineteenth Century Western Australia 1829–61. By Ann HunterHeroes and Villains: The Rise and Fall Of The Early Australian Labor Party. By Nick DyrenfurthIndifferent Inclusion. Aboriginal People and the Australian Nation. By Russell McGregorNazi Dreamtime. Australian Enthusiasts for Hitler's Germany. By David BirdScholars at War: Australasian Social Scientists, 1939–1945. Edited by Geoffrey Gray, Doug Munro and Christine WinterBorn in Hope: The Early Years of the Family Court of Australia. By Shurlee SwainFrom Carr to Keneally: Labor in Office in NSW 1995–2011. Edited by David Clune and Rodney SmithMine-Field: The Dark Side of Australia's Resources Rush. By Paul ClearyHow Australia Decides: Election Reporting and The Media. By Sally YoungThe Influence Seekers: Political Lobbying in Australia. Edited by Mark Sheehan and Peter SekulessElectoral Democracy: Australian Prospects. Edited by Joo-Cheong Tham, Brian Costar and Graeme OrrClimate Politics and the Climate Movement in Australia. By Verity Burgmann and Hans A. BaerThe Sex Lives of Australians: A History. By Frank BongiornoPrime Ministers in Power: Political Leadership in Britain and Australia. By Mark BennisterWilliam Gladstone: New Studies and Perspectives. Edited by Roland Quinault, Roger Swift and Ruth Clayton WindscheffelLiberal Imperialism in Europe. Edited by Matthew P. FitzpatrickFamily Punishment in Nazi Germany: Sippenhaft, Terror and Myth. By Robert Loeffel. With a Foreword by Ingrid von Seydlitz-KurzbachSoldaten. Killing, Fighting and Dying. The Secret WWII Transcripts of German POWs. By Sönke Neitzel and Harald WelzerFrom Enemy to Brother – The Revolution in Catholic Teaching on the Jews 1933–1965. By John ConnollyIn the Shadow of the General: Modern France and the Myth of de Gaulle. By Sudhir HazareesinghModern Italy in Historical Perspective. By Nick CarterSoviet Women on the Frontline in the Second World War. By Roger D. Markwick and Euridice Charon CardonaThe Story of America: Essays on Origins. By Jill LeporeThe Authority of Influence: Women and Power in Burmese History. By Jessica HarridenThe Making of Modern Liberalism. By Alan RyanDefending Politics: Why Democracy Matters in the Twenty-First Century. By Matthew FlindersThe Colours of Our Memories. By Michel Pastoureau, translated by Janet LloydThe Oxford History of Historical Writing, Volume 4: 1800–1945. Edited by Stuart Macintyre, Juan Maiguashca, and Attila Pók
The first few chapters in the volume have overlapping historical narratives of the Sikhs in the r... more The first few chapters in the volume have overlapping historical narratives of the Sikhs in the region, and the editors should have tackled the repetition. A thematic organisation of the chapters could have also made the publication more connected and interesting. However, in spite of its limitations, this volume makes an important contribution to the discourse of sub-ethnic transnational identities in Southeast Asia. Once upon a time the modern academic study of Asian religions meant primarily the collection and close textual examination of the major scriptures in order to uncover the underlying tenets of the religion. Religion was held to be principally about the next world, rather than the material world. This view gained influence during the colonial period when scholars of religion under the influence of Weber saw Asian religions, unlike their Protestant counterparts in Christian Europe, as incompatible with modern-ity as exemplified by the 'secular' colonial powers. Following decolonisation and independence, attention shifted to religious practice — in particular, how religion was an obstacle to economic modernisation and rational gov-ernance. The expectation was that religion would steadily become confined to the private realm, if it did not die out altogether. More recently, however, scholars are discovering the importance of religion to economic prosperity. Why has this happened? Put simply, the capitalist transformation of Asia over the last three to four decades, and the improved material well-being of many Asian citizens, has led to the stubborn persistence, if not flourishing , of religion in this region. As a result the material aspects of modern religious life in Asia are increasingly drawing the attention of scholars. It is this phenomenon that is the subject of this timely publication, The spirit of things: Materiality and religious diversity in Southeast Asia. The spirit of things is an ambitious attempt to study the religiosity of a range of material objects associated with the various religious traditions throughout contemporary Southeast Asia. The volume tries to do justice
"Charismatic monks have long held a fascination for scholars of religion in Thailand. The devotio... more "Charismatic monks have long held a fascination for scholars of religion in Thailand. The devotion they inspire in their followers, sometimes numbering into the millions, seems to run counter to the process of “disenchantment” caused by economic and social development. The implicit resistance such figures often pose to the centralizing modern Thai state also makes them of interest. But perhaps what most attracts modern sch0lars is the otherworldly nature of their charismatic authority, the product of ascetic endeavours including prolonged periods of deep meditation, renunciation of the world, and living a life according to a religious rule. They are different from us, and what is different demands explanation...."
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asking permission to shoot on location in Thailand a film titled Anna and the King, a dramatized version of the famous 1950s musical The King and I. The latter film has long been banned in Thailand. Fox’s plans to produce a new version created a storm of controversy in Thailand, ending in the National Film Board’s decision not to allow the film to be made in Thailand. The completed film (shot in Malaysia) was also eventually banned from Thai movie screens. This article looks at why the story of Anna Leonowens and King Mongkut remains so controversial in Thailand, even in this era of greatly increased media freedom. The article also examines the continued importance of the idea of monarchy to the modern Thai state, and the endless flood of royal imagery that saturates the Thai media and public life generally.
asking permission to shoot on location in Thailand a film titled Anna and the King, a dramatized version of the famous 1950s musical The King and I. The latter film has long been banned in Thailand. Fox’s plans to produce a new version created a storm of controversy in Thailand, ending in the National Film Board’s decision not to allow the film to be made in Thailand. The completed film (shot in Malaysia) was also eventually banned from Thai movie screens. This article looks at why the story of Anna Leonowens and King Mongkut remains so controversial in Thailand, even in this era of greatly increased media freedom. The article also examines the continued importance of the idea of monarchy to the modern Thai state, and the endless flood of royal imagery that saturates the Thai media and public life generally.
What went wrong?
In this talk I explain the reasons for this tumultuous period in Thailand’s politics, assess the strength of the current regime, and consider prospects for the county’s immediate future.