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The King's Nation: a Study of the Emergence and Development of Nation and Nationalism in Thailand

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The King's Nation: a Study of the Emergence and Development of Nation and Nationalism in Thailand THE KING’S NATION: A STUDY OF THE EMERGENCE AND DEVELOPMENT OF NATION AND NATIONALISM IN THAILAND Andreas Sturm Presented for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy of the University of London (London School of Economics and Political Science) 2006 UMI Number: U215429 All rights reserved INFORMATION TO ALL USERS The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. In the unlikely event that the author did not send a complete manuscript and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if material had to be removed, a note will indicate the deletion. Dissertation Publishing UMI U215429 Published by ProQuest LLC 2014. Copyright in the Dissertation held by the Author. Microform Edition © ProQuest LLC. All rights reserved. This work is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States Code. ProQuest LLC 789 East Eisenhower Parkway P.O. Box 1346 Ann Arbor, Ml 48106-1346 I Declaration I hereby declare that the thesis, submitted in partial fulfillment o f the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy and entitled ‘The King’s Nation: A Study of the Emergence and Development of Nation and Nationalism in Thailand’, represents my own work and has not been previously submitted to this or any other institution for any degree, diploma or other qualification. Andreas Sturm 2 VV Abstract This thesis presents an overview over the history of the concepts ofnation and nationalism in Thailand. Based on the ethno-symbolist approach to the study of nationalism, this thesis proposes to see the Thai nation as a result of a long process, reflecting the three-phases-model (ethnie , pre-modem and modem nation) for the potential development of a nation as outlined by Anthony Smith. The four main points put forward by this thesis are as follows: First, the Thai nation is the result of a long process with roots within several cultural cores. When the modem nation came into being in the early Bangkok period, it was characterised by an indigenous interpretation different from the western understanding of a nation. Second, Thai nationalism as an ideology originated in the mid-nineteenth century. It was a consequence of an intra-elite struggle between the nobility and the monarchy. The kings actively used nationalism to strengthen their position and to bind the loyalty of the people to their institution. As a result, Thai nationalism at the very beginning was ‘monarchical’ with the monarch himself embedding the nation and lacking a popular component. Third, Thai nationalism in the twentieth century was characterised by alternate interpretations of the nations by different ruling elite groups. This resulted in three competing nationalisms, namely monarchical, statist, and royal nationalism. Fourth, the period since 1980 saw a revival of monarchical nationalism. The current ruler, King Bhumibol, adapted monarchical nationalism to a modem and democratic political system. He interprets the modem nation as a self-sufficient, trans-ethnic and moral community and disseminates the ideals with the help of the state via monuments, art, stamps, ceremonies, legends and festivals. 3 Table of Contents Page Note 6 Acknowledgements 7 Chapter 1 Introduction 9 1.1. Theoretical Views on the Thai Nation and Nationalism in 11 Existing Studies 1.2. A Different Approach to the Study of the Thai Nation and 23 Nationalism Chapter 2 Tracking the Roots: The Pre-Modern Thai Nation 39 2.1. Early Aspects 3 9 2.2. The First Cultural Core: the Kingdom of Sukhothai (ca. 1220- 41 16th Century) 2.3. The Second Cultural Core: The Early Kingdom of Ayutthaya 49 (14th-15th Century) 2.4. The Third Cultural Core: The Unified Kingdom of 52 Ayutthaya/Sukhothai (15th-16th Century) 2.5. The Pre-modem Thai Nation as the Fourth Cultural Core: The 57 Later Period of the Kingdom of Ayutthaya (16th-18th Century) Chapter 3 The Dawn o f the Modern Nation (1782-1851) 65 3.1. The Transformation from the Pre-modem to the Modem Nation 65 3.2. The Emergence of the Modem Nation 79 Chapter 4 The Emergence o f Monarchical Nationalism (1851-1868) 89 4.1. King Mongkut and Nationalism 89 4.2. Elements of Thai Nationalism under King Mongkut 93 4.3. Supportive Elements 104 4.4. Royal or Monarchical Nationalism? 107 Chapter 5 The Peak o f the Monarchical Nation (1868-1910) 112 5.1. King Chulalongkom and the Nation 112 5.2. Means of Dissemination of Monarchical Nationalism 122 Chapter 6 The Decline o f Monarchical Nationalism (1910-1932) 137 6.1. King Vajiravudh and Nationalism 137 6.2. Writing the Nation- King Vaj iravudh and His Literature 144 6.3. King Vajiravudh and Other Means to Promote Nationalism 149 6.4. Challenging Monarchical Nationalism 152 6.5. King Prajadhipok and the End of the Monarchical Nation 157 Chapter 7 Dominance o f the State: Statist Nationalism (1930s-1950s) 161 7.1. A Period of Transition (1932-1938) 162 7.2. Statist Nationalism in Full Swing (1938-1950) 164 7.3. A New Version of Statist Nationalism (1950-1957) 176 4 Chapter 8 The Rise and Decline o f Royal Nationalism (1950s-1980) 184 8.1. The Dominant Era of Royal Nationalism (1950s-1960s) 184 8.2. Times of Turmoil: Royal Nationalism in Crisis (1963-1979) 194 Chapter 9 The Revival o f Monarchical Nationalism since 1980 207 9.1. The Reasons for the Revival of Monarchical Nationalism 208 9.2. King Bhumibol’s Vision of the Nation 214 9.3. The Dissemination of Monarchical Nationalism 228 9.4. Influences of the Monarchical Nationalism on State and Society 239 Conclusion 255 Bibliography 259 Glossary 293 Map 294 5 Note 1. The romanisation of Thai words in this thesis follows the “General System of Phonetic Transcription” of the Royal Academy of Thailand. 2. Thai names are given with the names first. Names of royals, politicians, academics and writers are romanised following their personal styles of spelling or they are spelt in the way by which they are usually known. In other cases, the transcription of names follows the system of the Royal Academy. 3. For place names, I follow the spellings commonly found in newspapers or other books on Thailand. The term ‘Thailand’ is used throughout this thesis for a better understanding while her older name, Siam, appears only in quotations, titles or at relevant locations. 4. All translations from Thai language sources are my own. These translations were made to support my arguments and do not, as in the case of poems, claim any representation of the artistic value of the works. Translations found in English language sources are marked as such. My translations of book titles are mostly done directly from the Thai title. There are exceptions where the translation was given by the authors themselves and, in rare cases, deviate from the original title given in Thai. 6 Acknowledgements In writing this thesis, I am deeply indebted to my supervisor, Dr John Hutchinson, whose gentle guidance brought this work in shape. I give him my sincere thanks for his academic contribution and encouragement. I also owe special gratitude to my advisor, Professor Anthony Smith, whose interests in this topic opened the way to LSE for me and who kindly agreed to take me on as one of his students. My graduate study was partly supported by the LSE’s PhD Research Scholarship. The German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) also provided a one- year scholarship to conduct in-depth research in Thailand. I would like to thank these two institutions for their financial support. At LSE, I have benefited greatly from all participants, both academics and fellow students, of the research workshop on nationalism who brought me weekly food for thought. My heartfelt thanks go to my friends from the PhD class of 2002 whose multiplicity of backgrounds expanded my knowledge of the world and made my stay in London a happy one. I also wish to thank Professor Rodney Barker, Professor John Breuilly, Professor Steven Grosby and Dr Eric Ringmar for their comments and support. This thesis would not have been completed without the help of library staffs of LSE, SOAS, Passau University (Germany), Thammasat University, the Public Relations Department (Bangkok), and the National Library of Thailand. Special thanks are due to the staff of the Thailand Information Centre of Chulalongkom University for their kindness and generosity. In Thailand, I owe my greatest debt to Bhikku Robert Lloyd and Bhikku John Inglis of Wat Bawonnivet who took time and trouble to read my draft. I was much stimulated by the conversations with Associate Professor Giles Ji Ungphakom and Assistant Professor Dr Suthachai Yimprasert of Chulalongkom University. Dr Suthachai also helped facilitate my field research in Thailand. My heartfelt thanks to Kittipod Hongsombat and Kajom Thanapase who gave valuable data and mental support. In Europe, I am greatly indebted to my friend, Dr Dusadee Swangviboonpong, who allowed me to share his flat in London. I would also like to acknowledge the contribution of many other friends, namely Dr Martin GroBheim, Stephan Peter and Mitchell Young. 7 This thesis is dedicated to four persons without whom I would not be where I am today. First, Professor Bernhard Dahm whose academic influence on me cannot be overrated. His constant help and support far beyond a normal student-professor relationship was invaluable. Second, my deepest love and gratitude to my totally supportive and understanding parents who have been with me at every stage of my academic success. Last but not least, my wife whom I cannot thank enough for her support and help. My heartfelt affection and love go to her. 8 Chapter 1 Introduction “Wenn mich ein Hochasiate firuge, was Europa sei, so miXsste ich ihm antworten: Es ist der Erdteil, der ganzlich von dem unerhdrten und unglaublichen Wahn besessen ist, das die Geburt des Menschen sein absoluter Anfang und er aus dem Nichts hervorgegangen sei.
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