Thailand
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.
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
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
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
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
“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
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
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
Vietnam War Fashion in 1960s Thailand
Richard A. Ruth’s In Buddha’s Company: Thai Soldiers in the Vietnam War is a fascinating study of Thailand’s involvement in Second Indochina War. There is
Tobralco-Clad Siamese in the 1930s
The post below (from yesterday) contains images of “modern women” in Burma in the 1960s. They are wearing synthetic-fiber clothes made by the Toyo Rayon
The Thai-ification of an Ovaltine Ad
Sometimes when I look at old newspapers I come across the same advertisement in newspapers from different places and in different languages. I think this
Drinking Bovril in 1930s Siam
“A pleasing welcome after a day’s work. When a day’s work is done we feel really tired and fatigued. Just having a single cup of
A Thai Beauty Queen and the Blood of Her Soldiers
I was looking at a Thai newspaper from the 1930s called the Siam Rashdra Daily News. The front page for April 24, 1935 had an
The Traumatic Origins of Modern Thai and Vietnamese Historical Writing
River Books in Bangkok has just published a new volume entitled, Southeast Asian Historiography, Unravelling the Myths: Essays in Honour of Barend Jan Terwiel. The
The Siamese Sore in Late Imperial Vietnam
I was reading a manuscript today called Random Accounts from a Mountain Residence (Sơn cư tạp thuật). It is supposed to date from the late
Chicken-Brand Western Fish Sauce in 1930s Thailand
I found these advertisements from Thailand in the 1930s for Worcestershire sauce. Worcestershire sauce is a condiment which was created in Great Britain in the
Whiskey Dancing in Thailand
I found this advertisement for Johnny Walker whiskey in the Thai newspaper, Lak Mueang (10/16/1940, page 6). It says: “No matter how fun the dancing
The Shared Worldview of the Siamese and Vietnamese
I came across a reference in Alexander Woodside’s Vietnam and the Chinese Model to some documents which were exchanged between the Nguyễn and Chakri courts.
Lion Toothpaste in 1939 Thailand
Lion Toothpaste is from Japan. It’s still around today, and it’s still sold in Thailand, although it’s come in a lot more varieties than it
