Status Updates From A History of Thailand

And I want to read something about Damrong now. He has such a sexy brain. I am looking forward to buying some biographies of King Chulalongkorn and Prince Damrong, as well as history books describing the lives of early Chinese elites in Thailand and how their descendants eventually came to identify themselves as Thai.

Mongkut’s claim that attributing kingship to divine power in the past neglected the merit and capability of the real man made me rethink the relationship between humanity as a whole and the individual self.

The fact that I knew nothing about King Chulalongkorn before is such a pity. His success in uniting various ethnic groups into a Thai race, modernizing Thailand while refusing to give in to European colonialism is truly fascinating.

I would love to learn more about how Chinese immigrants blended into Siamese society. How did their national identity change across different generations?
Last but not least, I’m happy to have learned the words Hokkien and Hakka.

I never expected to learn that the Chinese had such a big influence in ancient Thailand. They escaped from poverty and social disorder in China, initially working as coolie laborers, and eventually ended up controlling the royal trade with China. This is truly legendary.

Now I know why there are similar architectural structures in Ayutthaya and Angkor Wat! Things happen for a reason.

I fell in love with this book from its very first sentence: “History was invented for the nation-state. As I know nothing about Thai history, it’s easy for me to read. Wish me a fun and unforgettable trip to Bangkok, Thailand!