DOCSLIB.ORG

1. the First Thai Novels and the Thai Literary Canon

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
1. the First Thai Novels and the Thai Literary Canon 1 The first Thai novels and the Thai literary canon Modernity in Thailand is commonly associated with the reign of King Chulalongkorn (r. 1868–1910), who modernised Thailand by appropriating many advancements made in the West. The general discourse on ‘modernity’, khwam than samai or samai mai in Thai, which mean ‘being in step with the present era, or the new age’, is closely related to the Thai obsession with khwam jaroen or ‘prosperity and progress’.1 This prosperity can be manifested by material wellbeing or intellectual prowess. For the state, prosperity is reflected in the material things—buildings, transportation, public works, etc.—that were more highly developed in 1 Siwilai resounds of the English ‘civilised’, which the Thai appropriated to represent high international culture mostly based on English aristocratic culture. Khwam jaroen has connotations of industrial artefacts of modernity—good roads and transportation, running water, electricity, brick buildings, radio and television, etc. Khwam than samai includes both cultural, behavioural and material artefacts of modernity based on a model of a secular and industrialised society. To the Thai, there is a khwam than samai sakon, or universal modernity that is not necessarily tied to the West. Japan by the turn of the 20th century, for example, is an example of a modern society for Thailand to emulate. And so is colonial India—the official dress code for males appearing in state ceremonies in Thailand today can either be thechut ratcha pataen uniform based on the ‘Raj Pattern of British colonial India’ or sut sakon, which is the ‘universal Western suit’. Thai identity is not compromised when it is clothed in a universal form of modernity. Also see Thongchai Winichakul, ‘The quest for siwilai: A geographical discourse of civilizational thinking in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century Siam’, The journal of Asian studies, 59(3) (August 2000): 528–54. 11 READ TILL IT SHattERS the West after its industrial revolution. Modern Thai literature is also dated to this period, and, as the National Identity Board has recognised, Thai literature also partakes of this modernisation process.2 In the West, following Cervantes’ Don Quixote (1615), the novel came to reflect socio-historical reality that represented a clear departure from the symbolism and allegory found in literature of the Middle Ages. As a new way of writing/thinking, the plot of the novel became grounded in a specific historical context, with a real geographical location. In fact, the historical rise of the novel is a history derived from, and directed to, the rise of the middle class. And in contrast to the long tradition of the novel in the West, the novel in Thailand was altogether new. The first novel introduced to an emerging literate middle class was a translation of Marie Corelli’s Vendetta (1886), which was published in 1902. It is clear that, by the reign of King Mongkut, the Thai court had concluded that the centre of the civilised world had shifted from China and India to Europe. But, unlike the influence or allure of India and China, the two major hegemonic powers that flanked Thailand, the allure of the West was more dangerous, ambiguous and problematic. India and China never exercised direct political or military control of states in Southeast Asia, except perhaps in the case of Vietnam.3 But European imperialism threatened to impose political, economic, intellectual and military domination of Thailand as indeed had happened elsewhere. 2 The National Identity Board, Treasury of Thai literature: The modern period (Bangkok: Prime Minister’s Office, 1988), 5. Literary scholars also endorse this idea, see Suphanni Warathorn, Prawat kan praphan nawaniyai thai [History of the Thai novel] (Bangkok: Thai Textbook Project Foundation, 1976), 24–39. 3 The Thai court participated in the Tribute Economic Regime from the Sukhothai period up to the early Bangkok period (13th–19th centuries). The Thai courts sent tribute missions to China, symbolically accepting the superiority of the Chinese court. Thai tribute gifts of local raw material, such as aromatic woods, deer hide, antlers and spices, were exchanged for silk, jewellery and precious ceramics. In this unequal exchange, the Thai court came out richer. Parenthetically, it should also be noted that the Thai also replicated this system locally and demanded ‘tribute’ from its vassal states such as Pattani. One should view the new European economic regime of laissez faire and free trade as replacing the Tribute Economic Regime. But, in the case of the new regime, it came hand in hand with military and political threats. What was mostly cultural hegemony on the part of China was replaced by Western imperialism that had already imposed direct economic, political and military control over Thailand’s neighbours. The Thai court had to find ways to participate in this new trade regime without falling prey to direct colonialism. David Wyatt, Thailand: A short history (New Haven: Yale University Press, 1982), 56. For a detailed account of Thai trade with China, see Sarasin Viraphol, Tribute and profit: Sino-Siamese trade, 1652–1853(Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1977), doi.org/ 10.2307/j.ctt1tfjb0r. 12 1 . THE FIRST THAI NOVELS AND THE THAI LITERARY CANON To understand fully the adoption and adaptation of the novel in Thailand as part of a larger survival strategy, it is also necessary to understand the political forces faced by Thailand and the defensive strategies that its leaders took. The Bowring Treaty of 1855 with Britain, which opened Thailand to the new free trade economy, is quite problematic. On the one hand, one can view the treaty regime as a humiliating imposition on Thailand’s sovereignty. But from the Thai perspective, the acceptance of extraterritoriality that was part of this treaty can be seen as a price to be paid for participation in the new trade regime, as well as the cost for maintaining control over its own citizens.4 The court’s strategy also included social engineering and intellectual improvement. The court believed Thai society should look modern/civilised to the West, so there would be no excuse for the West to colonise it. At the same time, it should 4 In fact, the opening up of the Thai market and the trade in rice in large quantities to feed the British colonies enriched the coffers of the Thai court. In addition, adopting the new political paradigm provided by the West allowed the Central Thai court in Bangkok under Rama V to consolidate its power over its provincial rivals. As a pragmatic strategy for maximising local power and survival, acceptance/submission to Western demands was logical and unavoidable. The Thai court was also careful in portraying itself as an ‘equal’ of European royalty. In dealing with outsiders, the court made sure that, for domestic consumption, the royals were to appear as ‘royals’ in their interaction with the West. After the turn of the 20th century, Thai kings did their best to make themselves appear as members of the international family of royalty. For example, Queen Saowapha, Rama V’s consort, made it a point to show foreign visitors her intimate knowledge of her distant ‘relatives’ in Europe. See Maurizio Peleggi, Lords of things: The fashioning of the Siamese monarchy’s modern image (Honolulu: University of Hawai‘i Press, 2002), 32. Kannikar Sartraproong’s excellent study of Chulalongkorn’s visit (pai thiaw) to Singapore and Java tells us that the Thai officials wanted to make sure that the British and Dutch authorities treated the Thai king (and therefore Thailand) as a monarch and not as one of the ‘local princes’. The colonial authorities did their best to put the Thai monarch in his place, but the local Malay papers used his visit to criticise the colonial authorities (especially in Batavia) for not inviting local leaders to some of the activities, and for not whitewashing government buildings to prepare for the king’s visit. To assert his position as equal to Queen Victoria, Chulalongkorn, who was still a teenager, sent her the following telegram: We have left Bangkok on the 9th or 10th to see Our Provinces, and we have arrived at our most gracious Majesty’s colony at Singapore, the first time that aKing of Siam has landed on an English Country. His Excellency the Administrator has received us with the highest honors, and made us most comfortable at Government House. We are delighted to see the Country and people prospering so well under Your Most Gracious Majesty’s rule. We repeat Our grateful thanks to Your Majesty for your friendly reception of Us, and we wish you long life, health, and prosperity in every respect. Telegram from the King of Siam to Her Majesty, Dispatches from the Secretary of the Straits Settlements, COD/12, 01-06-1871 (emphasis added), quoted in Kannikar Sartraproong, A true hero: King Chulalongkorn of Siam’s visit to Singapore and Java in 1871 (Bangkok: Tana Press and Graphic Co. Ltd, 2004), 218. Kannikar’s meticulous study uses English, Dutch, Malay and Thai sources to compare and contrast the various accounts of the visit. This excellent study shows the intent of the Thai court, and the stakes involved. For another account, see Imtip Pttajoti Suharto, Journeys to Java by a Siamese king (Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Thailand, 2001). Also see Lysa Hong, ‘Extraterritoriality in Bangkok in the reign of King Chulalongkorn, 1868–1910: The cacophonies of semi-colonial cosmopolitanism’, Intinerario: European journal of overseas history, 27(2) (2003): 25–46. 13 READ TILL IT SHattERS learn about Western culture and language in order to understand better the people they had to deal with. This policy can either be seen as a pragmatic strategy of the weak, or as what others have called auto-colonialism, self-colonisation or crypto-colonialism.5 Coming to terms with Western culture by appropriating what is seen as helpful to national survival, Thailand did its best to maintain some control over its own affairs, and to find ways to maximise profit from trade.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • THE ROUGH GUIDE to Bangkok BANGKOK
    ROUGH GUIDES THE ROUGH GUIDE to Bangkok BANGKOK N I H T O DUSIT AY EXP Y THANON L RE O SSWA H PHR 5 A H A PINKL P Y N A PRESSW O O N A EX H T Thonburi Democracy Station Monument 2 THAN BANGLAMPHU ON PHE 1 TC BAMRUNG MU HABURI C ANG h AI H 4 a T o HANO CHAROEN KRUNG N RA (N Hualamphong MA I EW RAYAT P R YA OAD) Station T h PAHURAT OW HANON A PL r RA OENCHI THA a T T SU 3 SIAM NON NON PH KH y a SQUARE U CHINATOWN C M HA H VIT R T i v A E e R r X O P E N R 6 K E R U S N S G THAN DOWNTOWN W A ( ON RAMABANGKOK IV N Y E W M R LO O N SI A ANO D TH ) 0 1 km TAKSIN BRI DGE 1 Ratanakosin 3 Chinatown and Pahurat 5 Dusit 2 Banglamphu and the 4 Thonburi 6 Downtown Bangkok Democracy Monument area About this book Rough Guides are designed to be good to read and easy to use. The book is divided into the following sections and you should be able to find whatever you need in one of them. The colour section is designed to give you a feel for Bangkok, suggesting when to go and what not to miss, and includes a full list of contents. Then comes basics, for pre-departure information and other practicalities. The city chapters cover each area of Bangkok in depth, giving comprehensive accounts of all the attractions plus excursions further afield, while the listings section gives you the lowdown on accommodation, eating, shopping and more.
    [Show full text]
  • Disciplinary Gestures in Charles Kingsley´S at Last : a Christmas in the West Indies (1871) Revista Mexicana Del Caribe, Vol
    Revista Mexicana del Caribe ISSN: 1405-2962 [email protected] Universidad de Quintana Roo México Wahab, Amar Re-writing colonized subjects: disciplinary gestures in Charles Kingsley´s at last : a christmas in the west Indies (1871) Revista Mexicana del Caribe, vol. VIII, núm. 16, 2003, pp. 133-178 Universidad de Quintana Roo Chetumal, México Disponible en: http://www.redalyc.org/articulo.oa?id=12801605 Cómo citar el artículo Número completo Sistema de Información Científica Más información del artículo Red de Revistas Científicas de América Latina, el Caribe, España y Portugal Página de la revista en redalyc.org Proyecto académico sin fines de lucro, desarrollado bajo la iniciativa de acceso abierto RE-WRITING COLONIZED SUBJECTS: DISCIPLINARY GESTURES IN CHARLES KINGSLEY’S AT LAST: A CHRISTMAS IN THE WEST INDIES (1871) AMAR WAHAB* University of Toronto Abstract The Victorian period of British travel writing in the “tropicalized” world distinguished itself from early nineteenth-century travel due partic- ularly to changing demands for re-inventing British control in the post-emancipation period. This article unpacks the textual and visual representations of Negroes and Coolies in nineteenth-century Trinidad in the travelogue of British natural historian, Charles Kingsley, high- lighting the discursive powers of these representations in re-stabilizing British rule and order in the colony. Kingsley’s re-writing of colonized subjects cannot be disconnected from the re-definition and re-deploy- ment of ideas of race and rule across the British Empire, especially in the context of post-emancipation labour shortages, the rise of the black subject and colonial anxieties about the “Negro character”.
    [Show full text]
  • The Negro Is Paid to Dance
    Diálogo Volume 8 Number 1 Article 17 2004 The Negro is Paid to Dance Matilde E. López Karin Killian Follow this and additional works at: https://via.library.depaul.edu/dialogo Part of the Latin American Languages and Societies Commons Recommended Citation López, Matilde E. and Killian, Karin (2004) "The Negro is Paid to Dance," Diálogo: Vol. 8 : No. 1 , Article 17. Available at: https://via.library.depaul.edu/dialogo/vol8/iss1/17 This Rincón Creativo is brought to you for free and open access by the Center for Latino Research at Via Sapientiae. It has been accepted for inclusion in Diálogo by an authorized editor of Via Sapientiae. For more information, please contact [email protected]. The Negro is Paid to Dance Cover Page Footnote This article is from an earlier iteration of Diálogo which had the subtitle "A Bilingual Journal." The publication is now titled "Diálogo: An Interdisciplinary Studies Journal." This rincón creativo is available in Diálogo: https://via.library.depaul.edu/dialogo/vol8/iss1/17 Art by Fernando Llort. isThePaid Negro to Dance Image from stationary, provided by Claudia Morales Haro A Short Story by Matilde Elena Lopez Translated by Karin Killian Lima, Peru This is the history of a sad man, or better put, the history of a The only thing I remember about my father is a strong tail sad Negro who is now sadder still. I feel in my heart as though Jamaican who spoke only English. "British, British. Panama is I have been painted with pitch. I am drowning in a cesspool. I of no importance to me," he used to say.
    [Show full text]
  • Introduction
    Introduction R. J. Ellis One of the most influential books ever written, Uncle Tom’s Cabin; or, Life Among the Lowly was also one of the most popular in the nineteenth century. Stowe wrote her novel in order to advance the anti-slavery cause in the ante-bellum USA, and rooted her attempt to do this in a ‘moral suasionist’ approach — one designed to persuade her US American compatriots by appealing to their God-given sense of morality. This led to some criticism from immediate abolitionists — who wished to see slavery abolished immediately rather than rely upon [per]suasion. Uncle Tom's Cabin was first published in 1852 as a serial in the abolitionist newspaper National Era . It was then printed in two volumes in Boston by John P. Jewett and Company later in 1852 (with illustrations by Hammatt Billings). The first printing of five thousand copies was exhausted in a few days. Title page, with illustration by Hammatt Billings, Uncle Tom’s Cabin Vol. 1, Boston, John P. Jewett and Co., 1852 During 1852 several reissues were printed from the plates of the first edition; each reprinting also appearing in two volumes, with the addition of the words ‘Tenth’ to ‘One Hundred and Twentieth Thousand’ on the title page, to distinguish between each successive re-issue. Later reprintings of the two-volume original carried even higher numbers. These reprints appeared in various bindings — some editions being quite lavishly bound. One-volume versions also appeared that same year — most of these being pirated editions. From the start the book attracted enormous attention.
    [Show full text]
  • The Life of the Negro Slave in Alabama
    Jacksonville State University JSU Digital Commons Theses Theses, Dissertations & Graduate Projects 1971 The Life of the Negro Slave in Alabama Daniel B. Austin Jacksonville State University Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.jsu.edu/etds_theses Part of the Labor History Commons, and the United States History Commons Recommended Citation Austin, Daniel B., "The Life of the Negro Slave in Alabama" (1971). Theses. 3. https://digitalcommons.jsu.edu/etds_theses/3 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Theses, Dissertations & Graduate Projects at JSU Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Theses by an authorized administrator of JSU Digital Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. THE LIFE OF THE NEGRO SLAVE IN ALABAMA by Daniel B. Austin Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in education at the Jacksonville State University Jacksonville, Alabama 1971 THE LIFE OF THE NEGRO SLAVE IN ALABAMA Daniel B. Austin CERTIFICATE OF APPROVAL ' ·.1 (,) ,() / •: ,,,//f/\'.~<-2,.)< ~ J/1, U~l/(j.kV' Lucile Chapman, Ph.D. Roland A. Thorn Professor of History Professor of Ed Sponsor ACKNOWLEDGEMENT The author wishes to express his sincere appreciation to Dr. Lucile Chapman, Sponsor of this study, for her in­ terests, comments, and helpful counsel during the course of this study; to Dr. Alta Millican and Mrs. Margaret P. Williams of Ramona Wood Library for their invaluable assis­ tance in the procurement of the many reference materials used in this study; and to Mrs. Render Otwell of Carnegie Library. iii TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF TABLES.
    [Show full text]
  • Resistance, Language and the Politics of Freedom in the Antebellum North
    Masthead Logo Smith ScholarWorks History: Faculty Publications History Summer 2016 The tE ymology of Nigger: Resistance, Language, and the Politics of Freedom in the Antebellum North Elizabeth Stordeur Pryor Smith College Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.smith.edu/hst_facpubs Part of the History Commons Recommended Citation Pryor, Elizabeth Stordeur, "The tE ymology of Nigger: Resistance, Language, and the Politics of Freedom in the Antebellum North" (2016). History: Faculty Publications, Smith College, Northampton, MA. https://scholarworks.smith.edu/hst_facpubs/4 This Article has been accepted for inclusion in History: Faculty Publications by an authorized administrator of Smith ScholarWorks. For more information, please contact [email protected] The Etymology of Nigger: Resistance, Language, and the Politics of Freedom in the Antebellum North Elizabeth Stordeur Pryor Journal of the Early Republic, Volume 36, Number 2, Summer 2016, pp. 203-245 (Article) Published by University of Pennsylvania Press DOI: https://doi.org/10.1353/jer.2016.0028 For additional information about this article https://muse.jhu.edu/article/620987 Access provided by Smith College Libraries (5 May 2017 18:29 GMT) The Etymology of Nigger Resistance, Language, and the Politics of Freedom in the Antebellum North ELIZABETH STORDEUR PRYOR In 1837, Hosea Easton, a black minister from Hartford, Connecticut, was one of the earliest black intellectuals to write about the word ‘‘nigger.’’ In several pages, he documented how it was an omni- present refrain in the streets of the antebellum North, used by whites to terrorize ‘‘colored travelers,’’ a term that elite African Americans with the financial ability and personal inclination to travel used to describe themselves.
    [Show full text]
  • © Brian Casserly, 2020 Bellevue College HIST 205: History of World
    1 Bellevue College HIST 205: History of World War II Spring 2020 Please see the class Canvas site for details of how HIST 205 will be taught remotely to meet Covid-19 social distancing requirements for Spring Quarter of 2020. www.phdcomics.com This syllabus contains essential information about class policies, structure, etc. that are intended to help further your learning in the class. It is your responsibility to be familiar with it. There will be a quiz on the syllabus Instructor: Dr. Brian Casserly Office Hours: Virtual – see Canvas for details. Contact Information: E-mail (best way to contact me): Use Canvas e-mail or [email protected] Phone: (425) 564-3140 “I hate war as only a soldier who has lived it can, only as one who has seen its brutality, its stupidity.” Dwight Eisenhower “Rule 1, on page 1 of the book of war, is: 'Do not march on Moscow'... Rule 2 is: Do not go fighting with your land armies in China.” Bernard Law Montgomery “Great Britain provided time; the United States provided money and Soviet Russia provided blood.” Joseph Stalin © Brian Casserly, 2020 2 INTRODUCTION AND TEACHING PHILOSOPHY: Welcome to HIST 205! Fundamentally, history involves the study of change and seeks to explain why these changes occur and how they have influenced human societies and cultures. History helps us understand ourselves, our world, and how and why it is the way it is. For the rest of the quarter I look forward to working with you as we examine some of the major developments and experiences of World War II and explore its consequences for a variety of societies around the world.
    [Show full text]
  • Ayutthaya Wat Phra Si Sanphet Saraburi • Ang Thong • Suphan Buri Pathum Thani • Nonthaburi Contents Ayutthaya 8 Pathum Thani 44
    Ayutthaya Wat Phra Si Sanphet Saraburi • Ang Thong • Suphan Buri Pathum Thani • Nonthaburi Contents Ayutthaya 8 Pathum Thani 44 Saraburi 24 Nonthaburi 50 Ang Thong 32 Suphan Buri 38 8 Wat Mahathat Ayutthaya The ancient city of Ayutthaya, formally designated Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya was the Thai capital for 417 years, and is one of Thailand’s major tourist attractions. 8 9 Ayutthaya province is relatively small at 2,557 sq. km. and is easily accessible due to good road, rail and river connections and its proximity to Bangkok. Straddling the Chao Phraya River, the nation’s principal waterway, the province is extremely important, as it was the Siamese capital for four centuries. The city of Ayutthaya is 76 km. north of Bangkok and boasts numerous magnificent ruins from its days as the capital. Just to the south, in perfect condition, stands the royal palace of Bang Pa-in set in splendid gardens. The province is also noted for H.M. the Queen’s Bang Sai Arts and Crafts Centre. The ancient city of Ayutthaya, formally designated Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya was the Thai capital for 417 years, and is one of Thailand’s major tourist attractions. Many ancient ruins and art works can be seen in a city that was founded in 1350 by King U-Thong when the Thais were forced southwards by northern neighbours. During the period when Ayutthaya was capital, 33 kings and several dynasties ruled the kingdom, until the glittering city was sacked by the Burmese in 1767, ruined and abandoned. The extensive ruins and the historical records demonstrate that Ayutthaya was one of Southeast Asia’s most prosperous cities.
    [Show full text]
  • The Significance of Salahoen and Kaikaeo in Lilit Phra Lo1
    THE SIGNIFICANCE OF ordinary wild rooster whose significance SALAHOEN AND KAIKAEO lies in its roles in King Lo’s life and 1 destiny. As this paper reveals, King Lo IN LILIT PHRA LO wants to have the “kaikaeo” to relieve his anxiety and despair after receiving a bad 2 Cholada Ruengruglikit prediction from the guardian of the Kalong River. The belief that a fowl may be used to take away one’s misfortune and Abstract to foretell human fate exists in Thai and other Tai societies. Having unveiled the This paper examines the underlying significance of the flying betel nut and the meanings of salahoen, flying betel nut, and beautiful wild rooster in “the Tale of King kaikaeo, the beautiful wild rooster, in Lo” from a cultural/anthropological “Lilit Phra Lo” or “The Tale of King Lo”. perspective, this study then demonstrates “Salahoen” and “kaikaeo” are usually that King Lo is fully aware of his actions– considered magical items sent by Pu Chao a factor that enables him to be a great Saming Phrai, the Green Mountain tragic hero. Guardian, to aid Princess Phuean and Princess Phaeng in fulfilling their desire Introduction of acquiring King Lo’s love. By using an anthropological approach, this study Different interpretations lead to different suggests that the “salahoen” might be an understandings while studying the same ordinary betel nut. It is a symbol of the object. This paper attempts to present a princesses’ love for King Lo, their new and different interpretation of the invitation and gestures of warm welcome. salahoen, the flying betel nut, and of the As soon as King Lo receives these kaikaeo, the surpassing wild rooster, in messages from the two princesses, whom Lilit Phra Lo ‘The Tale of King Lo’ by he also desires romantically, he decides employing a cultural/anthoropological without any hesitation to leave his city to perspective in order to bring readers to a pursue his love.
    [Show full text]
  • June 2013 St
    JUNE 2013 St. Andrews International School Sathorn • Sukhumvit 107• Green Valley Nurture St. Andrews International School Early Years curriculum provides a rich experience combining play, culture and the roots of structured learning. Challenge Our Primary School curriculum challenges students to think independently, helping them develop into adaptive, thoughtful and active global citizens. Excel Graduating our Secondary School with IGSCE’s and the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme, students achieve their absolute best academically and socially. Accepting applications now! AD Safecoms (designed2) Size: 210 x 297 MM www.standrews-schools.com [email protected] AD Safecoms (designed2) Size: 210 x 297 MM St. Andrews International School Sathorn • Sukhumvit 107• Green Valley WAITING AD Nurture St. Andrews International School Early Years curriculum provides a rich experience combining play, culture and the roots of structured learning. Challenge Our Primary School curriculum challenges students to think independently, helping them develop into adaptive, thoughtful and active global citizens. Excel Graduating our Secondary School with IGSCE’s and the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme, students achieve their absolute best academically and socially. Our Free Breakfast Offer Is Too Good to Pass Up! Accepting applications now! Every Friday at 9:30 AM - at SafeComs offices, near Asoke Skytrain Station (P.S.Tower, 36/31 Sukhumvit 21 Road, 11th Floor) AD Safecoms (designed2)Enjoy fresh croissants, coffee, orange
    [Show full text]
  • Cover Page the Handle Holds The
    Cover Page The handle http://hdl.handle.net/1887/28849 holds the collection of TXT in the Leiden University Repository. This document has been released under the following Creative Commons license Using Listening to Encourage Reading in Thailand By Kesaree Prakumthong Student of Books and Digital Media Studies at Leiden University Introduction n 2013, Bangkok was chosen to be the a habit. There have been many efforts to IWorld’s book capital of the year. The encourage reading in Thailand for a long announcement amazed many people time, but most attempts have proven to because, at the same time, there was a be ineffective and little progress has been shocking statistic released by UNESCO on made. Every year, the funds for promoting the latest International Literacy Day stating reading are wasted on temporary superfi- that: ‘Thais only read eight lines per year’.1 cial events such as the Thai national book This statement caused an uproar among fairs which take place twice per year and Thai book lovers, since it was a flawed merely last two weeks. It would be no calculation based on the ratio of the total exaggeration to say that these book fairs Thai population and the number of books are the only substantial form of read- sold ‘legally’ per year. Nonetheless, ing promotion that takes place. The Thai during the past few years there has been government has never spent funding on a wide concern that there is a reading sustainable projects which could benefit crisis in Thailand and something needs to the country’s reading in the long term.
    [Show full text]
  • A Poem by Sunthorn Phu Author: Sunthorn Phu Translated By: Sawanee Nivasabutr Petchpoom Printing Co
    BOOK REVIEW The Journey to Petchburi: A Poem by Sunthorn Phu Author: Sunthorn Phu Translated By: Sawanee Nivasabutr Petchpoom Printing Co. Ltd., Petchburi, Thailand: 2013 Paperback, 216 pages; ISBN: 978-616-335-347-4 By Absorn Meesing* Overview This work is an English translation from the Thai of the poem titled “Nirat Muang Phet”, or The Journey to Petchburi, written by Sunthorn Phu (1786-1855). Sunthorn Phu is Thailand’s best known royal poet, the People’s Poet of Thailand. For his bicentennial in 1986, he was honored by UNESCO as a great world poet(Tourism Authority of Thailand, Sunthon Phu Monument, retrieved Jan 2016). Critics equate him to Shakespeare and Chaucer in the range, quality, and national importance of his works (Chanpeon, Kenneth, 2003). In schools, Thai students study and recite Sunthorn Phu’s poems, including Phra Abhai mani, which is one of his masterpieces. Despite his honoured literary status among Thais, Sunthorn Phu is virtually unknown outside Thailand because his works have not been translated. Sawanee Nivasabutr started her translation career at the age of 70 after retirement from many years of work at the World Bank in Washington D.C. Her works include translation from English to Thai and from Thai to English in a wide range of genres: novels, short stories, documentaries, academic articles, legal documents (laws), government contracts, poems, and literary works of well-known and/or award-winning authors. She received an outstanding translator award in 2014 from the Translators and Interpreters Association of Thailand (www.thaitiat.org). Sawanee picked “Nirat Muang Phet” (The Journey to Petchburi) with two purposes in mind and two groups of readers, local and international.
    [Show full text]