Reinventing Siam

Abstract Reinventing Siam: Ideas and Culture in Thailand, 1920-1944 by Arjun Subrahmanyan Doctor of Philosophy in History University of California, Berkeley Professor Peter Zinoman, Chair In 1932, a small group of civilian and military bureaucrats staged a coup that deposed the Thai absolute monarchy and introduced a constitutional democracy. The dominant historiography of this event has focused on elite politics, and identified the coup as a "revolution" that fundamentally changed Thai history. My thesis, however, argues that an authoritarian political culture persisted despite the introduction of a democratic system and hence there was strong continuity between the old and new regimes. I argue that the real "revolution" of the period was intellectual and took place among middle-class society. Two more fundamental processes preceded and accompanied the irregular transition to a constitutional political system in interwar Siam, and both would be of much more profound social importance than 1932's tangled politics. "Outsiders" to the political and bureaucratic elite "insiders" developed two new discourses that challenged authoritarian politics. The first was a new conception of social integration and community that sought to end the starkly uneven development between the country and the city. Second, outsiders sought the creation of a modern self - critical, autonomous and cosmopolitan - as an agent of social welfare and enlightenment. I explain the discursive battle between insiders and outsiders and the central role of foreign ideas. Even as elite conservatism limited the new democracy, the social discourse challenged state orthodoxy and showed the young generation's assimilation and adaptation of Western ideas to push for social reform and a more inclusive society.

From 2001 to 2006, Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra transformed Thailand's international role from one of obscurity into a kind of regional hegemon. Thaksin's diplomatic ambitions were reflected in his myriad of grandiose foreign policy initiatives, designed to locate Thailand at the forefront of regional politics and reinstall the Thai sphere of influence over weaker neighbouring states. He abolished the traditional bending-with-the-wind foreign policy, revamped the Thai Foreign Ministry, and empowered Thai envoys through the CEO Ambassadors programme. But in this process, Thaksin was accused of exploiting foreign policy to enrich his business empire. Thaksin's reinvention of Thailand as an up-and-coming regional power was therefore tainted by conflicts of interest and the absence of ethical principles in the country's foreign policy.

The book presents an informative and well-sourced look at Siam in the 1800s. It provides a historical background of the country, its tradition, religion, beliefs, and daily life.