Luk Kreung and the Construction of Thainess

Cultural studies have explored the relationship between farang and Thai national identities or Thainess. These studies put forward that since the 1950s and the beginning of the 21st century, foreign influences have intensified to intimate levels of cultural and physical hybridization. Thus, in the form of Thai-farang or luk kreung, foreign otherness seems to have become an object of cultural intimacy in .

Luk kreung & Thainess

We may say that as a post-Vietnam War era phenomenon, cultural intimacy between Thai andfarang have increased, hence exceeding the forms of cultural contact in previous generations. Thus, interracial marriages have become a widespread social phenomenon since then, although these kind of unions, and hence luk kreung people, have been known since the Ayutthaya period.

The half-Thai Prince Chula Chakrabongse & his English wife Elizabeth Hunter (photo credit: viola.bz)

In earlier times, i.e. prior to the later decades of the 20th century, interracial marriages were generally limited to small groups of people. These were persons who were in the main cultural contact zones (e.g. Christians, Chinese) and who worked closely with Europeans.

Ekaterina Desnitskaya, Prince Chakrabongse Bhuvanath and son Chula (photo credit: commons.wikimedia.org)

Nevertheless, there were some rare cases in which Thai and European unions occurred among royals or the elite. For instance, think of Prince Chakrabongse Bhuvanath (Prince of Bisnulok) and his Ukranian wife Ekaterina ‘Katya’ Desnitskaya and their half-Thai son Prince Chula Chakrabongse. Prince Rangsit, his wife Elisabeth and their three children (photo credit: songkran.eu)

Another prominent example is the racially mixed marriage between Prince Rangsit Prayurasakdi and the German lady Elisabeth Scharnberger. They had three children, two sons and a daughter called Princess Charulaksana Kalyani Rangsit.

Princess Charulaksana Kalyani Rangsit (born 7 August 1924) (photo credit: Seissenshi, wikimedia.org)

In fact, there were a few Thai men of royal descent who married Western women at the beginning of the 20th century. For instance, there was Lady Ludmilla Ivanovna Barsukova from Russia who was married to General Mhomjao Thongtekhayu Thongyai. They had four children together and stayed in Hua Hin. Lady Ludmilla, who is probably of Russian royal lineage, lived in Thailand until she died in 1980 at the age of 90. Her Thai name was Mhom Mali.

Lady Ludmilla & Mhomjao Thongtekhayu Thongyai with their four children in Hua Hin, 1921 (photo credit: returnthai.com)

Thai-farang relationships first became a common social practice since the 1960s when American GIs were stationed at the US military bases in upcountry Thailand. Hence, some of them formed relationships to Thai women who mostly stemmed from the countryside. As a consequence, a remarkable numer of half-Thai people were born who also became a prominent topic in novels, movies and TV series during the 1960s and 70s.

The most significant novels dealing with Thai attitudes to luk kreung were Sifa’s ‘Khao nork na’ (1976, Wild Rice or literally translated ‘Rice Outside the Paddy Field’) and Botan’s ‘Phuying khon nan cheu Bunrort’ (‘That Woman’s Name Is Bunrort’) which was published in 1981. You might recall my previous article about ‘Luk kreung and Concepts of Mixed Race in Thailand’, then you know that the luk kreung from the Vietnam War era were not regarded as desirable.

The Siam Renaissance – luk kreung as representatives of Thainess (photo credit: viki.com)

However, this perception has changed since the 1980s. Generally, it seems that Thailand has discovered Thai-farang as representatives of a modern form of Thainess. For example, the movie ‘The Siam Renaissance’, starring Thai-French actress Florence Faivre, deals with this subject. The movie reveals how the concept of the powerful West is stripped of its foreignness in order to become part of modern Thai identity. The Thai-ization of the farang in the Siam Renaissance (photo credit: 2g.pantip.com)

What is more, cultural anthropologist Jan R. Weisman argues that the luk kreung boom reveals the Thai fascination with half-Thai people, a phenomenon related to issues of modernity, sexuality and race. In this way, Thai-farang is presented as being cosmopolitan, thus being able to act on a global stage. Hence, the general popularity of Eurasian luk kreung have also strengthened the allure of farang in popular culture that manifested first in the late 19th century with the Siamese strive for ‘siwalai‘ or ‘civilized’ things.

Summing up, we may claim that the present popular cult of the European-Thai luk kreung shows that they are very important in constructing a modern Thai identity which is also referred to as Thainess.

Yours, Sirinya

(Reference: Rachel V. Harrison & Peter Jackson eds. The Ambiguous Allure of the West. Traces of the Colonial in Thailand, 2010) Ekaterina ‘Katya’ Desnitskaya – The Russian Princess of Siam

Ekaterina ‘Katya’ Desnitskaya was born 1886 in Lutsk, Ukraine. The story of her marriage to the Siamese Prince Chakrabongse Bhuvanath has intrigued many people over different generations, since a marriage between a Russian lady and a Prince of the Siamese Royal Family was considered impossible and unimaginable at that time. Hence, the couple and in particular Katya, who is also called the Russian Princess of Siam, had to face a lot of opposition and also undisguised anger of the Siamese Royal Family. In fact, their marriage was regarded as a “a national dynastic catastrophe” quoting Chakrabongse’s full brother Prince Pradjadhipok.

‘Katya’ – Russian Princess of Siam

Ekaterina Desnitskaya who became the Russian Princess of Siam (photo credit: viola.bz) Thus, who was the young Ukrainian lady who made such a bold step? Since Katya’s parents died relatively early in her life, she went to St. Petersburg in 1903 where her older brother Ivan studied. Thus, as young teenager, she already graduated as a nurse from the Sisters of mercy courses.

Ekaterina met Prince Chakrabongse around 1905 when he had already been living seven years in Russia and had even become Colonel of the Russian Army. As a matter of fact, the Prince spent most of his youth in Russia because his father King sent him there. The King was concerned with modernizing Siam, for this reason he sent some of his sons abroad.

Ekaterina Desnitskaya and Prince Chakrabongse Bhuvanath (photo credit: viola.bz)

Prince Chakrabongse immediately fell in love with Katya. However they were separated for a while because of the Russian-Japanese war where Katya served as a nurse. Finally in 1906 the couple married in an Orthodox church in Constantinople. This was very unconventional since the Prince was a Buddhist. Nonetheless, the Prince had not asked his parents’ permission to marry the young Russian lady because he knew that they would be vehemently against their alliance. Certainly, you remember my recent article about Prince Chula Chakrabongse – well, then you know that he is the only son of Prince Chakrabongse and Ekaterina who was born 1908 in Bangkok.

Ekaterina Desnitskaya and her small son Prince Chula (photo credit: songkran.eu)

However, Katya was not acknowledged by Prince Chakrabongse’s parents and hence, she became a kind of outcast of the Siamese Royal Family. Nevertheless, Katya was able to ‘build bridges’. She began to wear Siamese dresses, mastered Thai language and after all, the King grew fond of his grandson Prince Chula and accepted him as ‘flesh and blood’. This was because the King felt that the little Prince looked more Thai than European. Prince Chula and his mother Katya (photo credit: blog.i.ua)

After King Chulalongkorn’s death Katya was awarded official status and became Mom Catherina Na Phitsanlunok, named after the province that her husband was responsible for. About ten years Katya lived happily in Bangkok with her husband Prince Chakrabongse. However, finally the Prince had a love affair with his young cousin Princess Chavalit. Thus, Katya decided to get divorced and go to Shanghai in China where she helped refugees from the Soviets- it was the time of the Russian revolution.

A short while later in 1920 Prince Chakrabongse died at the age of 37 and Katya returned to Thailand to attend the funeral. Nevertheless, it was also a tragic situation because she was not allowed to take her son, Prince Chula, with her. Mother and son were separated and both were very unhappy and sorrowful about this. Prince Chula did not become King but was sent to Britain where he spend his youth and studied while his mother married again and moved with her new husband, engineer Harry Clinton Stone, to the USA. Mother and son remained in contact by constantly writing each other letters. Summing up, we may say that it was a tragic love and marriage between Katya and Prince Chakrabongse. Their granddaughter, Narisa Chakrabongse, wrote their story down and the result was the novel ‘Katya & the Prince of Siam’ published in 2013 by River Books Press.

What is more, there is also a ballet version of their story. Here is a short clip to give you an impression

Finally we may say that Katya, the Russian Princess of Siam, certainly was a courageous and strong woman. For her time, she, a European lady, made a daring decision to marry a Siamese Prince and to move to Thailand where she was a stranger. In addition, Katya, who is also the great- grandmother of Thai ‘royal rocker’Hugo Chakrabongse Levy, proved to be very flexible and adapted herself to the ways in Siam.

Yours, Sirinya Thai ‘Royal Rocker’ Hugo Chakrabongse Levy

Last time I was in Thailand, I went to the house of my grand cousin and that was the first time I saw a music video of the Thai singer and songwriter Hugo Chakrabongse Levy who is an internationally acclaimed musician. The wife of my grand cousin asked my if I knew Hugo and she told me that he is related to the Thai royal family. Hence, I became curious to know more about this artist because he is part-Thai and proficient in both English and Thai. Thus, he sings songs both in English and Thai language as well.

Royal Rocker Hugo*

Hugo Chakrabongse Levy’s Story

Hugo Chakrabongse Levy, born 1981 in England, is the great great grandson of King Rama V (Chulalongkorn). Hugo was raised in Thailand and his Thai name is Chulachak Chakrabongse. His artist name is the mononym ‘Hugo’. Hugo Chakrabongse Levy*

In fact, Hugo’s mother is M.R. Narisa Chakrabongse, the daughter of Prince Chula Chakrabongse and granddaughter of ‘Katya – The Russian Princess of Siam’. Hugo’s father is the British-Jewish songwriter Allen Levy. When Hugo’s parents divorced, he moved with his mother to Thailand. In his adolescence, he became a singer in different bands and also worked as an actor in various Thai soap operas. As a matter of fact, Hugo’s music was not very popular in Thailand at first when he started his career with the band Siplor in 2001. However, he was recognized in the USA and became famous. Today, the CNN even calls him the ‘royal rocker of Thailand’!

Making independent music at first in Thailand, Hugo later turned more to mainstream music, claiming “take The Doors, The Beatles or even our very own Carabao. They are all popular mainstream bands and no one would ever doubt their credibility. That’s what I want to do.”(Hugo quoted from CNN)

Hugo became particularly recognized when his song ‘Disappear’ was featured on Beyoncé’s album “I Am…Sasha Fierce”. Hugo also featured the song ‘Disappear’ beautifully with Thai-Belgian singer Palmy. Hence, Jay-Z signed Hugo to his labelRoc Nation. Thus, Hugo became very popular with his cover of Jay-Z song “99 Problems”. It was Hugo’s first single and it became a great blues song because it was additionally featured in the romantic comedy ‘No Strings Attached’ with Natalie Portman and Ashton Kutcher. What is more, Hugo has been in some commercials like for instance this one for JASPAL.

In 2013, Hugo had the starring role in Young Bao the Movie which is about the life and times of Thailands most famous Rock band Carabao. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pjQsuEoDXh0

Today Hugo lives both in the USA (New York) and in Thailand. In fact, he feels very much attached to Thailand. He says that he wants to come home and enjoy an early retirement with his family and friends in Thailand.

One might be justified in saying that Hugo is not a typical Thai singer. However, do you like his music and do you accept him as a Thai musician?

Hugo – example of a distinctively mixed heritage (photo credit: img.kapook.com)

I think Hugo Chakrabongse Levy is kind of special because he is recognized in the Western world and also in Asia. Hence, he is one of the Thai celebrities with mixed origin. In my opinion, this is a great and special achievement He seems to feel home in both worlds.

Yours, Sirinya

*photo credit: Hugo, FB page