Thailand
A to H
(sorted by author)
We also have rare and out-of-print books on Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, and Southeast Asia.
THE SIAM DIRECTORY 1912
US$ 17.50
Book order code : E 22 472
This is a source book for the study of many aspects of Thailand of that period, There are over 80 entries from Administration of the Law, Army, Bangkok Revenue Department, Calendar and Memoranda, Clubs, Queen Mother Household, Extradition Treaty, Finance Department, Foreign Trade, Foreign Missions, Forest Department, Hackney Carriage Regulations, Hotels, Ladie's List, Legations and Consulates, Measures, Mint, Naturalization Law, Official Directory, Opium and Spirit Department, Privy Purse, Population of Siam, Provincial Gendarmerie, Rice, Royal Family, Siamese Titles, Siamese Currency to Weights and Measures.
(Bangkok, 2005) ISBN 974-4800-59-3
251 pp., 3 pp. illus., 150 x 210 mm, pbk
SIAM IN 1930
: General and Medical Features
Executive Committee of the Eight Congress of the Far Eastern Association of Tropical MedicineUS$ 17.50
Book order code : E 22 197
Siam in 1930 was written as an introduction to Siam for delegates attending the Eight Congres of the Far Eastern Association of Tropical Medicine, held in Bangkok. The publication was compiled by a committee comprising several Thai and foreign experts in various fields of society and especially in medicine. The general information provided consisted of a wide variety of subjects: a brief introduction to the history, government, administration, arts and crafts of Siam; Siamese theatre and noteworthy buildings in Bangkok, Bang Pa-In, Ayuthia and Lopburi - and the railway lines to travel to them - are described, many with photographic material. Developments in the public health sector have, of course, recieved special attention. Thus all aspects of medical care, nursing, and health administration in Thailand are described, with sections on medicine in the army, veterinary services, school health, missionary work in the medical services, and the Siamese Red Cross Society. Thus we are able to obtain a rare glimpse of a field of development that is often not readily accessible to visitors, or even not widely known among professionals.
Bangkok, 2000 (reprint from 1930)
352 pp., 12 pp. illus, 4 pp. in color, 1 map, 150 x 210 mm
THE 1904 TRAVELLER’S GUIDE TO BANGKOK AND SIAM
by Antonio, J.
US$ 19.50
Book order code : E 21 954
First published by J. Antonio, one of the prominent photographers of King Chulalongkorn’s Reign, as a reliable guidebook suitable for the use of travelers. It contains a wealth of information not available in other guidebooks of the time. In particular it gives practical information for the traveler which reveals to the modern reader intimate aspects of the everyday living conditions of the time. J. Antonio’s keen interest in ordinary people is reflected both in the text and in the photographs in this book, giving us an insight into how the man in the street went about making a living and enjoying himself. Unlike other guidebooks of the time, J. Antonio also discusses a number of provinces that are within easy reach of Bangkok. Services available at the time contrast dramatically with present-day Bangkok, as do the prices they commanded.
(Bangkok 1997, reprint from 1904) ISBN 974-8496-84-8
214 pp., 46 pp. illus., 150 x 210 mm, pbk.
ISAN TRAVELS
: Northeast Thailand's Economy in 1883-1884by Aymonier, Etienne
US$ 25.00
Book order code : E 22 185
A book with more detailed reports on Northeast Thailand than have ever been collected by a nineteenth-century explorer. ?tienne Aymonier was a specialist in Cambodian studies and traveled together with trained Cambodian assistants through Isan from south to north and from east to west, visiting many of the region's districts. He reports on the political situation, dependency relationships among districts and provinces and their relations with the Court in Bangkok, agricultural and forestry commodities, usage and value of various local and national currencies, ethnic and language groups living in all villages he passed through, superstitions and religion, betel and opium use and other vices, population data and numbers of registered taxable men, taxes paid to Bangkok, and "corruption money" paid to various authorities including the Siamese Court and ministry officials. Most of all, Aymonier accurately describes the accessibility overland and by water of many extremely remote areas of the interior and their trading relations. There are also detailed descriptions of important crafts such as salt production, basket weaving, iron forgery and casting, and various non-agricultural occupations and sidelines of farmers. Naturalists will find that the varieties of vegetation the author and his assistants encounter are accurately described, with special attention to various tree species, including those that produce timber and dyes, and to the availability of water, that life-bringing commodity still so scarce in today's Isan.
(Bangkok 2000; First English translation of 1895, 1897) ISBN 974-7534-44-4
348 pp., 55 pp. of maps, 210 x 290 mm, pbk.
KHMER HERITAGE IN THE OLD SIAMESE PROVINCES OF CAMBODIA
: With Special Emphasis on Temples, Inspections and Etymologyby Aymonier, Etienne
US$ 19.50
Book order code : E 22 054
This book contains information on all the Khmer edifices in the present-day Cambodian provinces that were formerly under Siamese control. They comprise Melou Prey, Sisophon, Battambang and Siem Reap. The record ephasizes the Khmer inheritance in the fields of archeology, inscriptions and etymology of place names. Numerous descriptions and floor plans of temples and temple ruins are included. The author deals extensively with the significance and provenance of various texts found on these edifices. If not a tourist guide in the traditional sense of the word, this book, as an exhaustive and detailed record of Khmer edifices, many of which are in much a poorer, or even plundered state today, is intrinsically a call for urgent action to save what still remains.
(Bangkok 1999; First English trans. from 1901)ISBN 974-8434-58-3
318 pp., illus., 5 maps, 150 x 210 mm, pbk.
KHMER HERITAGE IN THAILAND
: With Special Emphasis on Temples, Inscriptions and Etymologyby Aymonier, Etienne
US$ 18.50
Book order code : E 22 053
Khmer Heritage in Thailand is a reference book on all Khmer edifices in present-day Thailand and the Laotian provinces that were formerly under Siamese control. They are located in the Menam Valley cities, Bassac and the region between the Moon River and the Dangrek Mountains, as well as the old Isan provinces. The inventory emphasizes the Khmer inheritance in the fields of archaeology, inscriptions and etymology of present-day place names. Numerous descriptions and floor plans of temples and temple ruins as well as translations of important inscriptions are included. The author, who was a French authority on Khmer inscriptions, treats extensively the significance and lineage of various texts found on these edifices, e.g. the inscriptions on the Ramkamhaeng stone. This book is a detailed record of Khmer edifices and inscriptions, many of which are in much poorer state today or have disappeared altogether. Hence, it serves as a valuable reminder of our duty to protect a rich and unique inheritance.
(Bangkok 1999; First English trans. from 1901) ISBN 974-8434-57-5
282 pp., illus. & drawings, 5 maps, 150 x 210 mm, pbk.
THE 1894 DIRECTORY FOR BANGKOK AND SIAM
by Bangkok Times
US$ 14.50
Book order code : E 21 871
This directory was published by the semi-official Bangkok Times newspaper. According to its own glowing title page it was “a handy and reliable book of reference for all classes, with a calendar and every information about weights and measures, Siamese festivals, postage and telegraph tariffs, notes on the ancient and modern history of Siam, and including official and general directories.” The wide coverage of information that is elsewhere unavailable or hard to find, not least that on businesses operating at the time, makes this directory an effective research tool. The directory is also a treasure trove for general readers interested in the daily life and in the official and foreign personalities, important or otherwise, of this crucial period of King Chulalongkorn’s Reign.
(Bangkok 1996, reprint from 1894) ISBN 974-8496-77-5
202 pp., 150 x 210 mm, pbk.
A JOURNEY IN SIAM (1863)
Adolf Bastian’s Travels in South-East Asia
: Volume. 2 of Adolf Bastian's Travels in South-East Asiaby Bastian, Adolf
US$ 25.00
Book order code : E 22 436
A Journey in Siam contains the travelogue written by Dr Adolf Bastian during his travels in Thailand. Bastian was a renowned ethnographer, who founded both Berlin's Museum für Vö1kerkunde (Ethnological Museum) and the Berlin Anthropological Society, and his work contains valuable observations and interpretations made by one of the pioneers of ethnography. He observes, describes and records the later period of King Mongkut's reign, which ended in 1868, which is not well covered by published sources, only Monsignor Jean-Baptiste Pallegoix's writings dealing extensively with the early years of that reign. While staying in Bangkok, this thorough and tireless German scholar insisted on learning Siamese, and he covers almost every aspect of the spiritual life of the various groups of people he met in the capital. Bastian's interests also extend to Siam's administrative and legal systems as well as to the particularities of the lives of the various types of slave in the country. Celebrations, games, gambling, diseases and medicine, taxes and their implications for economic life all command his attention. Bastian also takes an interest in the theater and literature of the time, in Siamese wit, and in the songs that people use to express their feelings during various activities. He provides details about the animals living alongside people either as pets, or in the wild, or as working animals. Life is described here in its manifold expressions and interactions with nature, analyzed by a profound mind that had studied law at the University of Heidelberg and natural science as well as medicine in Berlin, Jena, and Würzburg. The book includes some rare descriptions not found anywhere else, not even in Pallegoix's largely complementary work, relating, for example, to the spirit world as perceived by the Siamese.
(Bangkok, 2005) ISBN 974-4800-60-7
273 pp., 150 x 210 mm, pbk.
MOKEN AND SEMANG
: 1936-2004 Persistence and Changeby Bernatzik, Hugo Adolf
US$ 28.00
Book order code : E 22 440
Moken and Semang is a new edition of the first part of the Austrian ethnographer and photographer Hugo A. Bernatzik's work The Spirits of the Yellow Leaves. Bematzik's famous book on minorities in Thailand and beyond was originally published in 1938 and appeared in English translation in 1958. This first part was titled Mergui and South Thailand.
Jacques Ivanoff, a CNRS scholar, who has been studying the Moken for a number of years and written several books on these so-called "sea-gypsies", introduces the present volume with an analysis of Bernatzik's work. He also deals extensively with the situation of the Moken today, sixty years after Bernatzik did his study. Ivanoff describes how the Moken survived the Tsunami of December 2004, explaining how their preservation of traditional knowledge and culture enabled them to understand what happened at sea, before the disaster struck. The second part of Bematzik's work is published separately under its original title, with an introduction about the author and his work by Prof. Jørgen Rischel, who also analyzes Bernatzik's data on the Mlabri language. The two most extensively documented ethnic groups in Bematzik's work, the sea-based Moken and the jungle dwellers Mlabri, are of Malay and Mon-Khmer affiliation, respectively. Each group occupies a niche away from the mainstream societies, and they have done so for a long time, most likely on their own will.
(Bangkok, 2005) ISBN 974-4800-82-8
358 pp., illus., 40 pp. in col., 150 x 210 mm, pbk.
THE SPIRITS OF THE YELLOW LEAVES
: The Enigmatic Hunter-Gatherers of Northern Thailandby Bernatzik, Hugo Adolf
US$ 22.50
Book order code : E 22 465
The Spirits of the Yellow Leaves-The Enigmatic Hunter-Gatherers of Northern Thailand is a colourful travel account and documentary work by the Austrian ethnographer and photographer Hugo A. Bernatzlk. First published in German in 1938 under the title Die Geister der gelben Blätter it is long since out of print. This is an important work for several reasons and it is certainly worth publishing again. In the years 1936-37 Bernatzik travelled in both Southern and Northern Thailand and the southern fringe of the Shan State, with a final excursion into Vietnam. In his book he gave interesting accounts of the ethnic groups he visited, Moken, Akha, Lisu, Biet and others, all documented with outstanding photographs of lasting historical value. In the present edition additional photos from Bernatzik's collection have been added. The work now appears in two volumes. The core of the present volume is a large section on an enigmatic and notoriously shy hunter-gatherer tribe called "the Spirits of the Yellow Leaves". This ethnic group still exists both in Thailand and Laos, though it numbers only some 300 people. It is nowadays referred to as the "Yellow-Leaf People" or as Mtabri (Mla' Bri', literally: "forest people"). In his Introduction to the volume Jørgen Rischel places Bernatzlk's intriguing account in the context of earlier and recent research. For decades there was controversy over the authenticity of his data; Rischel shows that the criticism was beside the point. Bernatzik took down a short word list in imperfect notation, which has vexed linguists ever since. Rischel has identified almost all words on the list as belonging to the language still spoken by the Mlabri. The complete analysis presented here has not been published elsewhere. It will be of particular relevance to comparative Mon-Khmer research, but it is also of general interest since the vocabulary reflects culture and gives evidence of how this ethnic group traditionally viewed the world. Jørgen Rischel is professor emeritus in general linguistics and phonetics, University of Copenhagen, and is currently a guest researcher at Mahidol University. Since 1982 he has been doing fieldwork in Thailand and Laos. His monograph Minor Mlabri appeared in 1995.
(Bangkok, 2005) ISBN 974-4800-72-2
272 pp., 56 pp. illus., 2 pp. maps, 150 x 210 mm, pbk.
THE CARS THAT ATE BANGKOK
by Blenkinsop, Philip
US$ 50.00
Book order code : E 21 843
Being the true and terrifying pictorial account of the Thai people’s struggle for survival in the age of the automobile, this book takes you on a death-defying foot-to-the-floor ride through the streets of Bangkok and spits you out, nerves shattered and palms sweating amidst the fumes and dying breaths of those who lost track of their lives along the way. It is an unashamedly shocking and thought provoking volume that bravely tackles the horror of automobile induced waste in today’s society. Not for the faint-hearted, The Cars that Ate Bangkok will forever change the way you view the automobile. Pick it up and take to the streets again if you dare.
(Bangkok 1996, limited numbered edition of 1,000 copies on 157g art paper) ISBN 974-8496-64-3
104 pp., fully illus., 210 x 300 mm
THE CICADAS OF THAILAND
: General and Particular Characteristics Vol.1by Boulard, Michel
US$ 25.00
Book order code : E 22 487
This book is the first of two volumes on Thai cicadas, the most fascinating and also least known representatives of a family of sonorous insects. Cicadas neither sing, nor stridulate, but tymbolize. The volume reveals the existence and the double life, larval and imaginal, of cicadas encountered during six years of research in Thailand's sub-mountainous forests. The body of the text includes two chapters discussing general characteristics, acoustic and procreative ethnology, and exceptional or enigmatic aspects and behaviour. The text in enriched by drawings and photographs, mostly of living insects. It is accompanied by a CD comprising forty cicada sound productions (or tymbalizations), the acoustics made visual in ID and ethological cards, which form an original feature of pioneering study.
(Bangkok, 2006) Bar Code 978-974-4800-80-0
142 pp., illus. 22 pp. in col. 2 pp. folded. 150 x 210 mm, pbk.
SIAMESE SKETCHES
by Buls, Charles
US$ 17.50
Book order code : E 21 721
This book is the very personal, sometimes controversial, account of the journey the world traveler and former mayor of Brussels, Charles Buls, made to Siam in 1900. Spanning the wide variety of Buls’s interests, from the urban Chinese to early agricultural developments in the countryside, this account always surprises by its insightful comments and sharp, often visionary, observations. Having been involved with the development of a world city himself, he was better placed than any other contemporary observer to speculate on Siam’s political, economic and social future. He shuns neither highly controversial viewpoints, nor topics, such as the comparative value of religions for a country like Siam, that were bound to bring him into trouble. This book, in which Buls’s original account is supplemented by material from his hitherto unpublished diary notes, letters and numerous photographs from Belgian archives, such as those of the inauguration of Dusit Park and the Ayutthaya elephant round-up, is a must for lovers of Fifth Reign history, and of Siam.
(Bangkok 1994, first English trans. from 1901) ISBN 974-8496-23-6
176 pp., fully illus., 145 x 210 mm
THE RISE AND FALL OF THE THAI ABSOLUTE MONARCHY
: Foundations of the MOdern Thai State from Feudalism to Peripheral Capitalism
Studies in Contemporary Thailand No. 2by Chaiyan Rajchagool
US$ 17.50
Book order code : E 21 712
This is no ordinary study of nation building. It differs markedly in its theoretical approach from existing studies of Thailand. In the mid-nineteenth century, Siam was no more than a loose grouping of petty states and principalities, lacking well-defined borders and a centralized power structure. Yet within a period of forty years a unified state had emerged. How and why had this happened? Those are the questions addressed by this penetrating study. It is central to the author’s argument that the form of the new state was the absolute monarchy. He analyzes the socioeconomic conditions that existed at the time of Siam’s early contact with Western economic and colonial forces and examines the ways in which political and administrative control gradually came to be held by the Bangkok-based monarchy. The author also addresses the question of why, within another forty years, the absolute monarchy had been replaced by a constitutional monarchy.
(Bangkok 1994) ISBN 974-8495-10-4
229 pp.,150 x 210 mm
THAI TOURISM
: Hill Tribes, Islands and Open-Ended Prostitution
Studies in Contemporary Thailand No. 4by Cohen, Erik
US$ 20.00
Book order code : E 21 857
This book brings together almost two decades of Erik Cohen’s studies on different aspects of tourism in Thailand. A broad introductory review of the principal recent trends and transformations in Thai tourism is followed by in-depth studies of three tourist domains: ethnic tourism in the hill tribe area of northern Thailand, vacationing tourism on the islands of southern Thailand and sex tourism in Bangkok. These studies are based on extensive field work and set within the theoretical framework of contemporary sociology of tourism, on which the author is a leading expert.
(Bangkok 2001, 2nd printing) ISBN974-8496-67-8
409 pp., 150 x 215 mm, pbk.
THE CHINESE VEGETARIAN FESTIVAL IN PHUKET
: Religion, Ethnicity and Tourism on a southern Thai Islandby Cohen, Erik
US$ 25.00
Book order code : E 22 244
This vegetarian festival is the most popular and complex religious event in southern Thailand. In this richly illustrated work, Erik Cohen presents a detailed ethnography of the festival based on extended fieldwork conducted in the course of the 1990s. The focus of Cohen's analysis is the interrelationship between the dynamics of the festival, Chinese ethnicity in contemporary Thailand and the development of tourism on the island of Phuket. The study shows that, though the festival expanded considerably in recent times and became increasingly spectacular, its fundamental structure manifests a surprising degree of continuity, even as its meaning increasingly changes from a devotional ritual to a public spectacle. Surprisingly, however, the growing popularity of the festival is due less to foreign tourism on the island, and more to a growing attraction of the festival for the Thai and foreign Chinese believers and visitors, in quest of an "authentic" Chinese festival which cannot be seen anymore even in contemporary China.
(Bangkok 2001) ISBN 974-7534-89-4
299 pp. 64 pp. color illus., 150 x 210 mm, pbk.
WHOSE PLACE IS THIS?
: Malay Rubber Producers and Thai Government Officials in Yala
Studies in Contemporary Thailand No. 5by Cornish, Andrew
US$ 15.00
Book order code : E 21 938
A detailed case study of ethnic conflict in a development scheme in southern Thailand. The book describes the interactions between Malay rubber producers in Yala province and local Thai government officials who sought to establish and promote a co-operative rubber marketing project. Using the results of ethnographic fieldwork carried out near Thailand’s southern border, the author outlines the historical background to the region’s cultural diversity. After an investigation of the operations of the local bureaucracy, the focus shifts to two Malay communities to show how they participated in the government’s marketing scheme. One group enjoyed profits and success, while the other’s efforts ended in failure, yet the author argues that both display common elements in the struggle for control of material and cultural resources at the local level. The results provide a broader hypothesis about the nature of Malay resistance to Thai rule, and the place of minorities in modern Thailand.
(Bangkok 1997) ISBN 974-8496-70-8
146 pp., 150 x 210 mm, pbk.
THE SNAKES OF THAILAND AND THEIR HUSBANDRY
by Cox, Merel J.
US$ 45.00
Book order code : E 22 271
This book is the definitive guide to the multitude of snake species known from Thailand. This book is the seminal resource for those interested in identifying snakes found in any of the environments of the country. Indeed, identification is made easy by clear descriptions, Thai language designations, and drawings of important characteristics. The indications for the distribution of all species in Asia, and in Thailand in particular, was meticulously researched. More than 160 color photos also help recognizing species. For the herpetologist interested in keeping or breeding snakes at home this hands-on guide will be useful.
(Malabar 1991) ISBN 0-89464-437-8
564 pp., 56 pp. color illus.
OUR WARS WITH THE BURMESE
: Thai-Burmese Conflict 1539-1767by Damrong Rajanubhab, Prince
US$ 19.50
Book order code : E 22 183
This may be Thailand's most famous history book. Known familiarly as Thai Rop Phama, it was first published in 1917 and quickly became very popular. The author had just retired from a career building the institutions of the new Siamese nation-state. Here he gave that state a new national history by recounting 24 wars between Siam and Burma from 1539 to 1767. The book was later translated into English by a Burmese who had worked for Siam's forestry department, and who had helped Prince Damrong with Burmese source materials. The tales which Prince Damrong selected from the chronicles have since entered school textbooks and popular culture. It was this book which first made famous the heroism of Queen Suriyothai, the elephant duel at Nong Sarai, King Naresuan's "declaration of independence," the guerilla resistance of Bang Rachan, and the darma of Ayutthaya's fall.
(Bangkok 2000) ISBN 974-7534-58-4
424 pp., 3 pp. illus., 150 x 210 mm, pbk.
SIAM'S RURAL ECONOMY UNDER KING CHULALONGKORN
by Dilok Nabarath, Prince
US$ 17.50
Book order code : E 22 173
Based on the dissertation by Prince Dilok Nabarath, Prince of Sarn, son of HM King Chulalongkorn by Chao Chom Manda Dibakesorn of Chiang Mai, submitted for the degree of Doktor der Staats-wissenschaften at the University of Tuebingen, Germany, the book covers virtually every aspect of the agricultural base of Thailand's economy at the turn of the previous century. The reforms in the legal status of various classes of slaves, serfs, free people, nobles and others are sketched against the background of a farmers' class producing ever more agricultural produce for export. These exports are discussed in great detail too. The various farming systems to produce the entire gamut of exports from rice to livestock are explained. The efficiency and impediments to production increases are placed in the historical context of the widening communications network of the country. Special attention is paid to supplementary sources of income, many of which are still used today. The geographical framework of farm products is also presented. Prince Dilok concludes his dissertation with enlightened recommendations, some of which have successfully overcome the onslaught, in modern times, of misguided development projects, in-appropriate donor-enforced macro-economic policies, application of capital-intensive technology damaging the agricultural production base, and, last but not least, corrupt ministers and government officials, to remain more than ever relevant in Thailand's rural economy.
(Bangkok 2000; First English translation of 1908) ISBN 974-7534-25-8
354 pp., 24 pp. illus., 150 x 210 mm, pbk.
THE TAI RACE
: Elder Brother of the Chineseby Dodd, William Clifton
US$ 27.50
Book order code : E 21 866
This book was of great importance for the intellectual and political history of Thailand during the first part of the century. Its traces can still be found in those chapters of Thai schoolbooks that deal with the original homeland of the Thais. The account of Dodd’s explorations in the southern part of China, Laos, and the northern part of Vietnam is of interest from an ethnographic point of view. The book contains details of the whereabouts, habits, and customs, as well as a smattering of the linguistic heritage of a variety of ethnic minorities; some of them are identified here for the first time in a printed account. Knowledge about these ethnic groups and their identity has always been scarce and this book is of great value not only to the scholar, but to all who are interested in the history of the various branches of the Tai-speaking peoples.
(Bangkok 1996, repr. from 1923) ISBN 974-8496-62-7
388 pp., fully illus. 150 x 210 mm, pbk.
BUDDHIST STUPA (PHRA CHEDI) ARCHITECTURE OF THAILAND
by Doehring, Karl
US$ 17.50
Book order code : E 22 167
Karl Doehring has carried out the most exhaustive study ever done by a Western researcher on the Buddhist edifices known in Thailand as phra chedi. The author, who worked in Siam during the early decades of the twentieth century, personally visited phra chedi or stupa edifices in various Bangkok temples. He traces the origins of this peculiar building, discusses its uses, and examines its place in Thai Buddhist temple complexes. A complete classification of all the architectural forms these buildings take is presented, along with architectonic details, and the decorative elements of the round and square stupa types are analyzed. This study is enhanced by a unique collection of photographs and the author's own sketches and drawings.
(Bangkok 2000; First English translation of 1912) ISBN974-7534-39-8
168 pp., fully illus., 150 x 210 mm, pbk.
BUDDHIST TEMPLES OF THAILAND
: An Architectonic Introductionby Doehring, Karl
US$ 35.00
Book order code : E 22 168
This is the first English translation of Karl Doehring's seminal three-volume photographic study Buddhistische Tempelanlagen in Siam, published in German in 1920. This in-depth architectonic and socio-cultural analysis of temple building complexes is accompanied by 180 pages of technically perfect photographs and 116 floor plans and refined line drawings. Karl Doehring, an architect who lived and worked in Siam during the reigns of King Chulalongkorn and King Vajiravudh, presented part of this work toward his doctoral degree. As a practicing architect of larger constructions, many of which were realized in Siam, Doehring was deeply interested in the technical aspects of Thai temples and in the use of decorative elements worked out to perfection to create both harmony and eye-catching contrasts. The book presents an architectonic analysis, discusses the historico-cultural and religious meanings of the various edifices composing a Thai temple complex, and details the specific decorations used to project the atmosphere of religious piety and rest so often impressively present in these places of worship. Sample floor plans, many of which have been long lost and photographs of many Bangkok temples as well as some famous upcountry complexes make this book a masterfully conceived guide for the layman who has more than a superficial interest in this fascinating topic.
(Bangkok 2000; First English translation of 1920) ISBN 974-7534-40-1
370 pp., 266 pp. illus., 210 x 290 mm, pbk.
THE COUNTRY AND PEOPLE OF SIAM
by Doehring, Karl
US$ 23.50
Book order code : 22 071
The Country and People of Siam is the first English translation of Siam, Land und Volk, accompanied by 142 pages of original photos. The architect Karl Doehring lived and worked in Siam during King Chulalongkorn’s Reign. He was involved in many different projects for the king as well as for government departments and institutions. His professional training enabled him to observe with a sharp eye. His introductory text of 36 pages is brief but profound. He deals with the following topics: the country, waterways, population, character of the Thais, family life, agriculture, the legal system, cremations, court life and festivities, music and theater.
(Bangkok 1999) ISBN 974-8434-87-7
206 pp., 142 pp. illus., 210 x 290 mm, pbk.
ON HORSEBACK THROUGH INDOCHINA VOL.3
: Vietnam, Singapore, and Central Thailandby Ehlers, Otto E.
US$ 15.00
Book order code : E 22 235
The third volume of this trilogy provides an account of the adventurous journey German traveler Otto Ehlers undertook in 1892-1893. This volume reports on the journey starting in Poofang on the border between the Sipsong Pana, now Yunnan, and French Tonkin, where the Nam Ma is crossed with a small caravan of three mules and the author's Kashmir pony. Ehlers travels an unusual route between the Black and the Red River and through the tea districts on the Vietnamese-Chinese border, passing through all major settlements of the time: Phong Tho, Barat, Laichau, Lao Kai, Trai Hut, Hong Hoa, Sontay, Hanoi, and Haiphong. Considered a spy by the French officers in Tonkin, Ehlers was forced to continue part of his journey by junk on the Red River down to Hanoi. He then sailed to Da Nang, Saigon, and Singapore, from where he visited the Sultanate of Johore, and onwards to Siam as the guest of H.M. King Chulalongkorn at Koh Si Chang. He also visited Bangkok, Bang Pa In, and Ayuthaya. In passing, Ehlers insightfully, mercilessly, and humorously dissects all that meets his inquiring eyes: the deplorable situation of French personnel in Tonkin in respect to life style, living quarters, and hygiene, the German mercenaries in the French Foreign Legion, basically fighting France's war against the rebels in Tonkin, the true state of the Black Thai irregular troops guarding the country between the Black River and the Red River against Black Flag pirates, the colorful costumes and customs of various tribesmen, trade on the Red River and across the Yunnanese borders, Polish Clara of Cafe Oriental in Sontay, the felt need for railway lines in the Shan States and Tonkin, the coal mines of Hongai, the steamers and sailing ships of Rickmers in the Orient, excessive French taxation in Cochinchina, foreign government advisers traveling to idleness in Siam, the livelihood of the Bangkok Siamese, the comings and goings in Sampeng, Bangkok's Chinese district, Siamese theater, the cremation grounds for the poor at Wat Saket, and many other colorful descriptions cast in Ehler's own brand of travelogue writing.
(Bangkok 2002; First English translation of 1894) ISBN 974-7534-98-3
232 pp., 20 pp. illus., 150 x 210 mm, pbk.
THAI AGRICULTURE
: Golden Cradle of Millenniaby Falvey, Lindsay
US$ 26.50
Book order code : E 22 206
Thai agriculture is traced through prehistory, agro-cities, and religious empires with immigrant Tai, to a sustainable wet glutinous rice culture which shaped institutions for an exporting society. Agriculture's provision of security and wealth increased with population and Chinese and European agribusiness, until accessible land was expended. Employment, crisis resilience, self-sufficiency, rural social support, and culture were maintained through agriculture, although hampered by institutional orientations to taxation more than research and education. By the 1960s, agribusiness contrasted with small-holders, setting the stage for today's social dilemmas. Thailand is now one of the world's few major agricultural exporters. It feeds some four times its population. Issues remain in poverty, education, research, governance, national debt, and sensitive alternatives for small-holders. The past suggests that Thailand should remain a major agricultural country as environmental and religious concerns contribute to its unique agriculture.
(Bangkok 2000)
476 pp., 150 x 210 mm, pbk.
EARLY MISSIONARIES IN BANGKOK
: The Journals of Tomlin, Gutzlaff and Abeel, 1828-1832by Farrington, A. (ed.)
US$ 14.50
Book order code : E 22 272
Early Missionaries in Bangkok brings together the journals of Tomlin, of the London Missionary Society at that time; Gutzlaff, a German with some medical training and connected with the Netherlands Missionary Society; and Abeel, appointed by the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions. Their experiences and observations are among the very few glimpses of Bangkok and its Chinese community in the early nineteenth century during the reign of King Rama III, as seen through "Western" eyes-as recorded in the more enduring part of their journals. The extensive passages devoted purely to biblical quotations and Christian moralizing have been omitted. Anthony Farrington provides an introduction to set the journals in historical context.
(Bangkok 2001) ISBN 974-7534-83-5
182 pp., 150 x 210 mm, pbk.
DR. RICHARDSON'S MISSIONS TO SIAM 1829-1839
by Farrington, Anthony
US$ 21.50
Book order code : E 22 406
Survive in manuscripts in the East India Company’s archives and in the contemporary Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal, Anthony Farrington has now brought them together for the first time. They contain a wealth of information on Chiang Mai, Lamphun and Lampang, parts of the country, which were completely unknown to Europeans, as well as fascinating encounters in Bangkok at a crucial period in the history of early modern Siam. David Richardson (1796–1846), a surgeon. in the English East India Company’s Madras Army, was posted to Moulmein when the Company seized the Tenasserim Provinces at the end of the First Burmese War. One of the first British officers to become fluent in Burmese, his skills were diverted into various diplomatic missions. Between 1829 and 1839 he made four remarkable pioneering journeys overland into Siam.
(Bangkok, 2004) ISBN 974-4800-48-8
292 pp., 150 x 210 mm, pbk.
THAI AND CAMBODIAN SCULTURE
by Felten, Wolfgang and Martin Lerner
US$ 87.00
Book order code : I 6621
This book brings together previously unpublished Cambodian, Thai and Vietnamese stone and bronze sculptures from nine centuries—from the style of Phnom Da, the mysterious mountain temple in the Mekong Delta, to the style of the Bayon, the apogee of Cambodian architecture. Selected from well-established private collections and museums all over the world, these forty-one sculptures, all of extra-ordinary quality, demonstrate how the highly developed civilization in Southeast Asia generated a power and aesthetic of its own.
(Stuttgart, 1988) Bar Code 978-360-8762-64-8
253 pp., illus. in color 235 x 320 mm.
TURBULENCE ON KO PHRA TONG
(Phang Nga Province, Thailand)by Ferrari, Olivier & Kunlasab Utpuay & Narumon Hinshiranan & Jacques Ivanoff
US$ 35.00
Book order code : N 2884
What have become of the Moken, the Sea-Gypsies of the Mergui Archipelago that stretches from Surin Island in Thailand to Elphinstone Island in Burma, and the Moklen, littoral nomads living along the coast of the provinces of of Phang Nga and Phuket, after the Tsunami? The Moklen, as we know now, were very well able to resist the shock of the three tidal waves since they had been forewarned by their innate knowledge of sudden changes in the movements of the sea. Though the Moklen were able to survive amidst the devastation they were unable to continue with their schooling, which is the only means they have to integrate into Thai society, since the village school has been totally destroyed. The school was rebuilt in Thung Dap. Reconstruction should be considered as a chance for integrated development: schooling, health care and nationality offered to them by the Princess Mother had been a chance for the Moklen; new schools, a new clinic and the regulation of land tenure served as a guide in the reconstruction efforts. This book presents the ethnic, social and cultural dynamic of Ko Phra Thong.
(Paris, 2006) Bar Code 978-295-1545-92-2
193 pp., illus. in col. 1 map, 1 folded, 180 x 240 mm., pbk.
LAOS FOLKLORE OF NORTHERN SIAM
by Fleeson, Katherine Nelson
US$ 13.50
Book order code : E 22 165
This book was originally published in 1899 when the northern and northeastern parts of present-day Thailand were still called Laos. This changed when Prince Damrong created the Thai nation state as well as a Thai identity. Hence, the French were only able to lay claim to the territory on the left bank of the Mekong. These folktales were part of the oral cultural tradition before the author, a missionary, undertook to preserve this cultural heritage, by recording many aspects of rural life in northern Siam.
(Bangkok 2000) ISBN 974-7534-31-2
153 pp., 13 pp. illus., 150 x 210 mm, pbk.
BANGKOK IN 1892
by Fournereau, LucienUS$ 15.00
Book order code : E 22 055
This overview covers a great number of aspects of Siamese life, of the common people as well as of royalty and high officialdom. Bangkok’s great celebration and the sordid details of its pollution and body disposal problems as well as politically tainted descriptions of the state of feudalism and slavery in the kingdom are discussed by a French colonialist. The great buidlings and the significance of the main state ceremonies held in them are discussed and illustrated with colorful details. The book’s descriptions are greatly enhanced by more than fifty engravings, each a masterpiece of a craft that was about to disappear though it rivaled photography in the richness of its details and refinement.
(Bangkok 1999; First English trans. from 1894) ISBN 974-8434-42-7
172 pp., 150 x 210 mm, pbk.
THE LORD OF THE GOLDEN TOWER
: King Prasat Thong and the Building of Wat Chaiwatthanaramby Fouser, Beth
US$ 15.00
Book order code : E 21 867
This book is a study of symbols of power and legitimacy. King Prasat Thong, a usurper, attempted to justify his claim to the throne of Ayutthaya by reviving at Wat Chaiwatthanaram the Khmer-influenced prang in a form that had not been used for two hundred years. The author explores the cultural, historic, political and religious context from which Wat Chaiwatthanaram emerged. She describes its functions on religious and political levels and the interrelationships between Buddhism and kingship and related conceptions of legitimacy. Prasat Thong followed King Ramathibodhi, the venerated founder of Ayutthaya, who had used the prang in his architecture. At Wat Chaiwatthanaram the prang, along with other unusual features, such as the eight conical men (meru), the large crowned Buddha images, and the twelve stucco relief panels, together created a unified visual statement designed to proclaim his ultimate right to reign as King.
(Bangkok 1996) ISBN 974-8496-59-7
152 pp., 20 pp. color illus., 150 x 210 mm, pbk.
SIAM AND ITS PRODUCTIONS, ARTS, AND MANUFACTURES (1911)
by Gerini, G. E.
US$ 22.50
Book order code : E 22 121
This is the descriptive catalog of the Siamese Section at the International Exhibition of Industry and Labor held in Turin in 1911. Under King Chulalongkorn Siam promoted modernization and trade, and in 1904 had already participated in the Louisiana Purchase Exposition in St. Louis. The aim was to show the world that Siam was a worthy modern trading partner. Compiled by different experts, this book provides a wealth of information, not readily available to the public, and covering trade products and manufactures as well as selected services in the entertainment sector, such as theater, sports, and, horse-racing, and even educational services in commerce. There is also a section on Siamese-Italian relations. The English edition of 1912, reprinted here, is a revised and updated version of the original Italian exhibition catalog. It also contains the results of the exhibition: prizes awarded to the exhibitors in the Siamese Pavilion, for example A. Berli & Co. for benzoin and gutta-percha, G. Pappayanopulos for cigarettes, and the East Asiatic Co., Ltd. for timber wood, pepper, and gutta-percha. Various statistical tables, lists of awardees, Siamese plant names and, especially, its elaborate index make this book a very valuable research tool.
(Bangkok 1999, repr. from 1912) ISBN 974-7534-14-2
440 pp., illus., 1 folded map, 150 x 210 mm, pbk.
TRADITIONAL FESTIVALS IN THAILAND
by Gerson, Ruth
US$ 13.50
Book order code : I 8 390
Thailand's cultural heritage is rich with holidays and festivals. Religious holidays commemorating important events in the life of the Buddha, royal holidays celebrating dynastic and personal events, agricultural holidays seeking bountiful harvests, and cultural festivities portraying prominent periods in Thai cultural history all contribute to a kaleidoscope of colourful activities that have long captured the hearts of the local people as well as the interest of visitors. In this book, the author discusses the reasons for observing the various festivals, the origins and legends that surround them, and the location and time of year they take place, and shows how, in Thailand, religion and culture are intertwined.
(Kuala Lumpur 1996)
118 pp., illus., 16 pp. in color, 135 x 200 mm
THE NATURAL AND POLITICAL HISTORY OF THE KINGDOM OF SIAM
by Gervaise, Nicolas
US$ 30.00
Book order code : E 21 359
This new edition of the most exhaustive seventeenth century description of Thailand is illustrated with rare prints and maps. It is the result of the establishment of diplomatic relations during the reign of King Narai and is a much more detailed work than any of the score of French accounts of Siam produced by the members of the embassies of the 1680s to that country. Gervaise’s work has been used by Simon de La Loubère to prepare his own account.
(Bangkok 1997, English translation from 1688) ISBN 974-8496-61-9
240 pp., illus., 150 x 210 mm, pbk
EARLY METALLURGY, TRADE AND URBAN CENTRES IN THAILAND AND SOUTHEAST ASIA
by Glover, Ian, Pornchai Suchitta & John Villiers
US$ 25.00
Book order code : E 21 587
This collection of thirteen archeological essays is based on papers originally presented to a research conference on early Southeast Asia held in Bangkok and Nakorn Pathom in April 1985. The papers have been revised and brought up-to-date by the authors. The 1985 Bangkok Conference was a continuation of the 1973 London Colloquy which resulted in the volume Early Southeast Asia (Smith & Watson, eds.).(Bangkok 1992) ISBN 974-8495-76-1
231 pp., illus., 150 x 210 mm
THAI ARTISTS AND THE GOETHE
: Forty Years of Cultural Interactionby Goethe-Institut Bangkok
US$ 30.00
Book order code : E 22 187
This book celebrates the Goethe-Institut Bangkok's 40th year of a firm, enduring and fruitful Thai-German cultural relationship. Contributions from artists, both in visual and performing arts, and musicians highlight the role played by the Goethe-Institut in furthering their careers and benefits provided by the Institute to Thai artistic and cultural life. Following the Goethe-Institut and its environs over these forty years provides an impression of changing architecture, life, culture and society in Bangkok, amply illustrated with numerous photographs, and also including artists' works highlighting today's art scene. Extracts from the archives of Thai-German relations provide fascinating details of the mutual impact and benefit of this relationship.
(Bangkok December 2000) ISBN 974-7534-54-1
160 pp., fully illus., 32 pp. color illus., 210 x 290 mm, pbk.
THAI KÜNSTLER UM GOETHE
: 40 Jahre kultureller Austauschby Goethe-Institut Bangkok
US$ 30.00
Book order code : E 22 205
A German edition of the above title limited to 200 copies.
160 pp., fully illus., 32 pp. color illus., 210 x 290 mm, pbk.
AROUND LAN-NA
: A Guide to Thailand's Northern Border Region, from Chiang Mai to Nanby Goodden, Christian
US$ 25.00
Book order code : E 22 047
This book is a narrative and cultural guide describing an arc around Thailand’s north-western and north-eastern borders with Burma and Laos. It maps out an exciting frontier journey from Chiang Mai to Nan, taking in the KMT Chinese outposts of Nong Ook and Mae Salong, the recently vacated opium warlord territories of Hin Taek and Doi Larng, Mae Sai and the “Golden Triangle,” the ancient Mekong riverfront towns of Chiang Saen and Chiang Khong, the Tai Lue weaving village of Huai Khon, and a swathe of remote mountainous jungle extending down the Lao border as far as Bo Bia. On the way, the text features separate exemplary in-depth cultural-historical accounts of the KMT, the Communist insurgency, the demise of opium baron Khun Sa, the weaving of the Tai Lue people, Nan’s temple murals, salt extraction at Bo Glua, Thailand’s recent economic crash, and the history of Lan-Na, of Chiang Mai, and Chiang Saen, as well as accounts of several minority peoples, including the Wa, Akha, Hmong, Yao, Tai Lue, Palaung, Lua (Htin), and the “Stone Age” Mrabri or “Spirits of the Yellow Leaves.” The book is the most comprehensive and authoritative overview of this whole fascinating region available.
(Halesworth 1999)
434 pp., illus., 36 pp. illus., partly in color, 32 maps, 148 x 210 mm, pbk.
TREK IT YOURSELF
: Twenty-Five Solo Jungle Treks on Foot and by Motorcycleby Goodden, Christian
US$ 22.00
Book order code : E 22 130
This is the first and only thoroughgoing guide to do-it-yourself trekking in northern Thailand. The book provides detailed accounts and 50 maps of 25 treks in the provinces of Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Nan, and Mae Hong Son. Indeed, if all the suggested variations on the trips are included, it outlines up to 100 expeditions. The treks range from a 2-hour picnic stroll to a waterfall to extreme jungle adventure lasting 4 to 5 days. Most are undertaken on foot, but, where appropriate, some are better carried out by motorbike or even mountain bike. The book guides the reader up Doi Pahom Pok and Doi Chiang Dao, tells how to scale Doi Pu Wae and trek in Nan’s Doi Phu Kha National Park, and describes walking the old “Old Elephant Trail” between Mae Hong Son and Chiang Mai. It advises how to hire Lua, Karen, and Wa guides on the spot and suggests what equipment and food to take. There are thumbnail sketches of the various hill-tribe peoples met. This unique book will appeal to independent eco-conscious travellers seeking to explore solo Lan-Na’s mountains and forests, as well as to aspiring Rambos or Tarzans wanting to strike out into the jungle on their own.
(Bangkok 1999)
416 pp., illus., 36 pp. illus., mostly color, 50 maps,148 x 210 mm, pbk.
MEET THE AKHAS
by Goodman, Jim
US$ 17.50
Book order code : E 21 831
This book provides a comprehensive introduction to the Akha hill tribals of northern Thailand and their way of life. A language section is included to enable travelers to talk to their hosts.
(Bangkok 1996) ISBN 974-8496-56-2
218 pp., 33 pp. illus. in color, 145 x 210 mm, pbk.
ABSOLUTE DREAMS
: Thai Government Under Rama VI, 1910-1925by Greene, Stephen L. W.
US$ 16.50
Book order code : E 22 063
This monograph examines the troubled reign of the nation’s first Western-educated monarch. King Vajiravudh had great expectations of power when he ascended the throne because his father had reorganized the government along more Western, functional lines. The new King wanted to bring to Thailand many of those institutions and practices he had observed in Britain. Accordingly, he created associations, started social clubs and promoted Western forms of literature while urging the Thais to rally around nation, king and religion. It soon became evident that the King’s efforts were not creating the desired unity. Members of the royal family began quarreling with him soon after his coronation and a coup d’état among junior military officers was uncovered two years into his reign. The King also tried to wrestle with other chronic problems in his government. The Ministry of the Interior’s predominant position in the bureaucracy was a constant source of conflict that led to numerous department reshuffles. No matter how creative these efforts, the essential problem always came back to the bureaucrats, not their structures. Thai government was, more than anything else, an exercise in personal aggrandizement.
(Bangkok 1999) ISBN 974-8434-69-9
240 pp., 1 p. color illus., 150 x 210 mm, pbk.
THE BLUE BOOK OF COASTAL VESSELS-THAILAND
by Holbrook, R. D. & Manob Suriya
US$ 39.50
Book order code : E 22 158
This reprint presents an exhaustive study of the wooden-hulled fishing boats in the Gulf of Thailand and in the Andaman Sea. It was originally designed as an identification aid for military personnel to locate suspicious boats during the Vietnam War period (1967). But this book is much wider in scope. It gives researchers in marine studies a wealth of information: boat types, technical data, fish species available in the gulf, etc. Many things may have changed with the decline of fish stocks due to over-fishing, destruction of mangroves, or pollution. The first part of the book gives the history and religious influences on boat operations, fishing areas and techniques. The second part describes the classes and types of wooden-hulled coastal vessels. This book is an indispensable tool for anyone who wants to make comparative studies of the coastal fishing industry or boat building in the region.
(Bangkok 2000, repr. of 1967) ISBN 974-7534-34-7
454 pp. fully illus., 280 x 220 mm
WORKING WITH THE THAIS
by Holmes, H.
US$ 13.75
Book order code : E 21 808
Of course we’re the same. We see. We hear. We enjoy. We hate. We fight. We love. We want the best for our families. We may not all speak the same language, but when it gets down to the crunch, we can all communicate and cooperate. You want to be happy? Fine, do so! You need my help to be happy? Good, let’s see what we can do. People are the same wherever you go-from Pretoria to Paris, from Mexico City to Bangkok. Well, if we are so similar, why do foreigners complain so often about working with the Thais? And why do Thais frequently find foreigners so arrogant and exasperating? All people may see and hear and fear and enjoy, but it’s very possible that we aren’t seeing and hearing and fearing and enjoying in the same way as they are. I can bow, but I refuse to demean myself. I can restrain my anger, but I refuse to idly watch injustice being done. I can physically consume that food, but it is not what civilized people eat. In the end, our fundamental goals in life must be remarkably similar. But it is in the means we use to reach these goals that the differences emerge. And it is at this level, more importantly than at the superficial level of social do’s and don’ts, where the opportunities lie for us to develop understanding, respect, and the effective relationships we seek between ourselves and our Thai colleagues.
(Bangkok 1995; 5th printing 1998) ISBN 974-8496-50-3
158 pp., 130 x 200 mm, pbk.
THROUGH KING CHULALONGKORN'S
KINGDOM (1904-1906)
: The First Botanical Exploration of Northern Thailandby Hosseus, Carl Curt
US$ 23.50
Book order code : E 22 236
This is the report of a German expedition conducted by Dr. Carl Curt Hosseus to northern Siam in 1904-1906. The author was a professional botanist and aimed to explore then still virgin forest stands and jungles in such mountainous regions as the Wang Chao area and the Khao Phra Dang mountains of Tak province, the Mae Ping river valley, Doi Suthep, Doi Inthanon, and Doi Chiang Dao in Chiang Mai province, Muang Fang, Chiang Sen and its ancient temples, the road from Chiang Sen to Chiang Rai, and the Huay Sai-Chiang Kong region on the Mekong. There are numerous discoveries of new plant species, as could be expected, and extensive commentary on local environments of vegetation associations. The author does not stop there but offers insights into the local situation of various tribes such as the Shan and Mussoer and the former's insurrections against central rule, the waning power of local rulers, the old chaos, and the operations of large logging companies, such as the East Asiatic Company, the destruction of the environment by forest fires, the operations of American missionaries in the north, budding French administration in French Laos, the development of a modern up-country corps of gendarmes under Danish leadership, and the growing trade interests of Britain and Germany. This straightforward and detailed report shows us the problems associated with mounting an expedition, even one with limited objectives and with only one foreigner. The local flavor of villages and towns is colorfully described and illustrated with more than ninety period photographs.
(Bangkok 2001; First English translation of 1912) ISBN 974-7534-56-8
388 pp., 64 pp. illus., 1 map, 150 x 210 mm, pbk.
TRADITIONAL T’AI ARTS IN CONTEMPORARY PERSPECTIVE
by Howard, Michael C., Wattana Wattanapun & Alec Gordon (Eds)
US$ 27.50
Book order code : E 22 026
The papers contained in this book examine a variety of forms of artistic expression, including weaving and fashion, carving, painting, and dancing, as well as boxing. The chapters are written by academics and artists and the volume as a whole reflects a blending of the perspectives of those who study the arts and those who practice them. While the focus is on the arts of T’ai peoples in Thailand, attention is also paid to T’ais in the neighboring countries of Laos, Burma, China, and Vietnam. Such a geographical spread reflects a growing interest in the comparative study of T’ai-speaking peoples living in different political and social settings in an effort to better understand common themes in T’ai culture and how it has evolved throughout the region. The chapters are accompanied by ninety-three color photos that provide a pictorial survey of the forms of artistic expression among T’ai peoples.
(Bangkok 1998) ISBN 974-8434-28-1
251 pp., 72 pp. color illus., 150 x 210 mm, pbk.
1688 REVOLUTION IN SIAM
by Hutchinson, E. W.
US$ 15.50
Book order code : I 2 638
This book describes the 1688 revolution which ended the first European attempts to penetrate the kingdom. King Narai of Siam, a sick man even before the outbreak, died two months later a prisoner in this own palace at Lopburi - displaced but nominally "King". The revolution was followed by the reversal of an unpopular foreign policy - dependence upon France, and at the same time, a severe rebuff was administered to King Louis XIV's advisers who aspired to subvert the national religion in Siam by attempting to convert the King to Roman Catholicism.
(Bangkok 2002, reprint 1968)
194 pp., 51 pp. illus., 135 x 210 mm, pbk.
SIAM AND THE SIAMESE
: Travels in Siam and Burma in 1904by Lajonquiere, Lunet de
US$ 17.50
Book order code : E 22 204
A remarkably vivid account of a journey by steamboat and canoe, on horseback and elephant back, in the urban centers and border areas of early twentieth-century Thailand and Burma. The spare-time work of a professional archaeologist, this volume would alone merit attention for its kaleidoscopic and richly detailed account of Bangkok. The descriptions of Siam's ruined former capitals are, however, no less thorough, and the sojourn in Moulmein and Rangoon valuably comments on Britain's thriving colony. Lajonquiere's trained eye misses little, taking in religion, architecture, history, daily habits, administrative institutions, and even the life of Bangkok's European community. Indispensable for the specialist, the general reader will find this highly readable travelogue a candid snapshot of the Thai and Burmese at a crucial transitional moment in their movement toward modernity.
(Bangkok 2000; First English translation of 1906) ISBN 974-7534-51-7
256 pp. 24 pp. illus., 145 x 205 mm, pbk.
THE LAOS OF NORTH SIAM
Seen Through the Eyes of a Missionaryby Lillian Johnson
US$ 19.50
Book order code : E 22 016
Here is an insightful description of the people of northern Thailand around the turn of the century. The book contains the narrative of an American missionary’s journey from Bangkok to Lakon, where she spent four years in the local mission of the Northern Presbyterian Board, and descriptions of other journeys in the north-between Lakon and Chiang Mai, Nan, Prae and Chiang Rai. Her colorful writings encompass almost all physical and social features of the land and its people: geography, natural products and agriculture, wildlife, forests and fruit trees, customs such as betel use, food preferences, house-building and ceremonies such as marriage and burials, language, the life of children and, of course, religion. In the last of these as well as in her treatment of local politics, the author’s missionary biases are obvious, particularly in a description of the mission’s development and the persecutions endured by early Christians.
(Bangkok 1998, repr. from 1903) ISBN 974-8434-14-1
360 pp., 150 x 210 mm, pbk.
ENDANGERED RELATIONS
: Negotiating Sex and AIDS in Thailandby Lyttleton, Chris
US$ 19.50
Book order code : E 22 181
This book is about sexuality, disease and culture. It tells the story of HIV/AIDS in Thailand and the social and cultural forces shaping its impact. AIDS has become an increasingly prominent symbol of modernity in Thailand, yet ways of dealing with it draw on time-honoured understandings of fate and misfortune, disease and contagion, gender and pollution. Endangered Relations describes how over the past ten years public health manoeuvres to control the threat of HIV infection have meshed with local understandings of identity and sexuality. It is a study of the way in which Thai social relations, in particular Thai sexualities, shape the history of AIDS in Thailand and it offers a unique perspective on the complicated ways that sexuality and disease are negotiated in cultural, political and human terms.
(Bangkok 2000) ISBN 974-7534-42-8
368 pp., illus., 150 x 210 mm, pbk.
A HALF CENTURY AMONG THE SIAMESE AND THE LAO
by McGilvary, Daniel
US$ 22.50
Book order code : E 22 248
This is the autobiography of Daniel McGilvary (1828-1911) who looms large in the history of Protestant Christianity in Thailand. His main field of activity was in Chiang Mai, setting up the Lao Mission in 1867, from where he played a leading part in the major political, economic and socio-cultural changes in the North, in education, medicine, role of women and incorporation of the northern principalities into the nation state of Siam. From 1870 he traveled extensively, laying the foundations for Christian communities and future missions. Herbert R. Swanson provides a comprehensive introduction, which includes McGilvary's background within the centuries long tradtion of religious thought which he accepted as his own: American Presbyterian coupled with Scottish common sense and a warm hearted engagement in Protestant evangelism and revivalism.
(Bangkok 2001) ISBN 974-7534-79-2
518 pp., 24 pp. illus., 150 x 210 mm, pbk.
PETER FLORIS
His Voyage to the East Indies in the Globe, 1611-1615
: Siam, Pattani, Bantamby Moorland, W.H. (ed.)
US$ 22.50
Book order code : E 22 274
Peter Floris: His Voyage to the East Indies in the Globe, 1611-1615 is an account of a trading mission on behalf of the British East India Company, the Globe being the first English vessel to take part in trade with the Bay of Bengal, and to sail through the Straits of Malacca and of Singapore. The events described predate the later, well-known accounts of the French travelers Tachard and de La Loub?re and differ in observations made. Trade being the sole objective, events and local conditions are described in terms of the market, and in parts in a modern way. For example, both the English and Dutch had local factories producing cotton cloths because markets to be visited demanded cloth with meticulous reproductions of cheap stereotyped designs. Skins and hides were purchased in Siam, the competition having taken the Japanese market for other goods. The port of Siam was then the entrepot for goods brought by Chinese junks. The impact of the arrival of Dutch traders on the Portuguese interests, events in Siam itself, and local wars, including those with Burma, provide a fascinating backdrop to the risks and successes of trade, as described by the author. The Globe returned home after four and a half years with an added cargo of pepper and achieved a successful three for one profit, as is explained in the very informative introduction to the book.
(Bangkok 2002; reprint from 1934) ISBN 974-7534-87-8
234 pp., 2 maps, 1 folded, 150 x 210 mm, pbk.
NAKHON SRI THAMMARAT
: The Archeology, History, and Legends of a Southern Thai Townby Munro-Hay, Stuart
US$ 27.50
Book order code : E 22 237
This monograph on Nakhon Sri Thammarat, previously known by its Malay name of Ligor, is one of the very few books about this neglected part of the country. The book chronicles inscriptions dating back to the arrival of the Europeans in the thirteenth century. The author collates valuable data, including most recent research, from the period of the Mon Kingdom of Dvaravati, relations with the Khmer Empire, the Kingdoms of Sukhothai, Ayutthaya, and also Bangkok. The city and its environs, inscriptions, temples, chedis, and shrines, and the great reliquary of Wat Phra Mahathat Woromaha Vihan are described, as are other ancient sites, religious images, and antiquities in the province. Details on the tin trade in southern Thailand, the coinage of the town, and Dutch traders' correspondence from the seventeenth century are also included.
(Bangkok 2001) ISBN 974-7534-73-8
525 pp., 48 pp. illus, 150 x 210 mm, pbk.
THE POLITICS OF RUINS AND THE BUSINESS OF NOSTALGIA
by Peleggi, Maurizio
US$ 13.50
Book order code : E 22 273
This book investigates the theory and practice of heritage conservation in Thailand, focusing in particular on the period from the mid-1970s to the late 1990s. Although the trend towards historic preservation first appeared in Thailand at the end of the nineteenth century and was further promoted by the nationalist regime of the 1940s and 1950s, it has become a major governmental undertaking since 1977, when the first historical park projects were launched. National pride and international awareness of Thailand's cultural heritage have increased considerably in recent times. This monograph questions the commonplace glorification of historic sites as tangible signs of the past glory of the Thai nation. The state-sponsored material and discursive practices that have led to the institutionalization of Thailand's national heritage are examined, along with their contestation by elements of civil society, vis-a-vis the process of political and social change. The book also analyzes the commodification and consumption of heritage sites as tourist attractions, as well as the linkage between the promotional narratives of tourism advertising and the official historical narrative of the Thai nation.
(Bangkok 2001) ISBN 974-7534-95-9
110 pp., 150 x 210 mm, pbk.
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