Good example! I, for one, cannot swim.Quote:
Originally Posted by lom
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Good example! I, for one, cannot swim.Quote:
Originally Posted by lom
Raj Pattern
Raj pattern (called in Thai as “ratcha patan”) refers either to Thai men's costume consisting of a white Nehru-style jacket with five buttons, a 'chong kraben' (a wrap worn with part of the fabric folded back between the legs and tucked behind the waist), knee-length socks and dress shoes, or to the specific form of the jacket itself. It was worn chiefly during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries by government officials and the upper class in Bangkok. Nowadays, it is used in selected circumstances as a national costume.
Previously in 1870 during his visit to Singapore and Java, King Chulalongkorn (King Rama V) had his entourage dress in a combination of official Thai costume, chong kraben, not Western pants, and Western styled suit jackets, socks, shoes and neck/bow ties.
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(India, 1871)
This same pattern had been carried on to 1871 when they officially paid a visit to India. There, a tailor in Calcutta made him a suit jacket with a standing collar and buttoned vertical opening. With this pattern, there was no need to wear a tie and that pleased the King so much that he ordered it to replace the old suit jacket, alleviating the need for a separate layer of shirt in the hot climate.
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Soon, the dress became the civil uniform. It was worn both officially and privately and remained popular until the Field Marshal Poh Piboonsongkram era when the chong kraben was banned by cultural mandate.
The term “raj pattern” comes from a combination of Bali and English which means royal pattern. It was coined by Chao Praya Passakornwong who was acting as royal secretary during the King's journey.
Because the term is in English which was difficult for normal Thai people to pronounce so, in the end, they called it “ratcha patan” which was more comfortable to their tongue.
Nowadays, the full raj pattern costume is worn only on select occasions as a national costume and is employed regularly only in the tourism industry. The jacket, however, has found continued use in the dress uniforms of the civil and military services as well as the formal clothing worn with the 'suea krui' as the academic dress of certain universities where it is worn with pants in the Western style.
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Aerial photography of some areas in Bangkok shot during late 1940s – early 1950s.
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(Chakrawat area – Wat Sum Pluem)
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(The intersection between Bumroong Muang Road and Fueng Nakorn Road (See Kak Sao Chingcha) - red circle is nonsignificant)
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(The future Wang Burapa shopping center area; Wang Burapa, before demolished, is seen including the Memorial Bridge)
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(Bumroong Mueng Road)
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(Democracy Monument seen from afar)
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(Grand Palace complex, Sanam Luang seen on the upper right)
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(Victory Monument)
A tale from little birds
Before electric light was introduced to the people in the capital in 1891 in the reign of King Rama V, Siamese in Bangkok had lighting created from a gas station that was established in the reign of King Rama IV.
And before that, the light from oil lamps had struggled to illuminate the night. That, later, only improved slightly when the gaslight was initially introduced.
American physician Dan Beach Bradley recorded in the 1868 Bangkok Calendar annual that "RS Scott, Esquire" had given the city its first glow of gaslight on October 26 that year.
The record says that “On the 26th at around 8pm, "Mr. Scott & Company performed gaslight at their new rice mill (little birds forget where; they are oldddd!). The lighted lamps at night were made of gas, not oil, and it was very good. Mr. Scott & Company invited anybody in Bangkok who wanted to see the light to go to his company. He believed that it would be a new tradition in Bangkok soon and every Siamese should see it.
The gaslight proved to be good and beautiful and the witnesses appreciated it. There was no need to use oil. Mr. Scott & Company placed a gas lamp in a form of elephant at a window that was decorated with alphabets to form the King’s (Rama IV’s) name."
A few months later, King Rama IV agreed to install a small gas plant, called Rong Klan (common name = distillery?) Lom Pratheep, in the Royal Palace.
The glowing gas lamp in the window soon evolved into the gas lamp on a pole, and by the time King Rama V was on the throne, every major street in Bangkok was lined with lampposts, another giant step toward a brighter future.
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Assumption Cathedral at Bangrak, Bangkok around early 1800s founded by Bishop Pascal. It was later seriously damaged by the consequence of WWII in 1942. Along with the vast area around on which the catholic people’s houses were located were also burned down. Illustrations from the book titled ‘Bangkok in 1892’ by Lucien Fournereau.
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Karl Friedrich August Gützlaff (1803, Prussia – 1851, British Hong Kong), anglicized as Charles Gutzlaff, was a German Lutheran missionary to the Far East.
He was notable as one of the first Protestant missionaries in Siam (1828 – King Rama III). Here with Jacob Tomlin of the London Missionary Society, he worked on a translation of the English Bible into Thai.
In China, Gützlaff was one of the first Protestant missionaries to wear Chinese clothing.
This is the sketch of his house in Bangkok.
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How successful was he/were they in converting?
The bigger question, however, is how did the royals feel about foreigners converting their people considering they are representatives of the faith?
Think I read something like this somewhere. Not sure if I can find it. I read a lot.Quote:
Originally Posted by panama hat
By the way, such people, can they be called 'stereotype'? (Ours is the best, yours is not)
Wat Pra Sri Sanpet was the holiest temple within the site of the old Royal Palace in Ayutthaya Kingdom. It was the Wat of the royal family so no monks lived there. The Wat was used exclusively for royal ceremonies.
It was the grandest and most beautiful Wat and it served as a model for Wat Pra Kaew in Ratanakosin Kingdom.
The Wat was built in 1492 and had been renovated through time until 1767 when the city of Ayutthaya including the Wat compounds were completely destroyed by the Burmese, thus ended the Ayutthaya Kingdom (1350-1767).
For the remaining of Wat Pra Sri Sanpet, only three Chedi can be seen today.
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(Copied from a book: Ancient Capitals of Thailand; Asiabooks 1996; date unknown)
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(King Rama V exploring the site)
After King Rama I had established the new kingdom, Ratanakosin Kingdom, he had an idea of collecting all the important Buddha’s images from the old kingdom to be kept in the Grand Palace.
The 16 meters standing Buddha’s image from Wat Pra Sri Sanpet which was named after the Wat’s was one of those that was collected though it was damaged beyond repaired.
So, King Rama I decided not to renovate the image but ordered to put the image in the foundation of the great Chedi at Wat Pra Chetupon (aka Wat Poh).
That was long time ago (1782-1809). Time went by, one day the historians found this head of Buddha’s at the historic site of Ayutthaya and did some research and found that the head belonged to the standing Buddha’s image that King Rama I collected from Wat Pra Sri Sanpet.
Since there is no old record describing the detail of the appearance of that image that was put in the foundation of the great Chedi at Wat Pra Chetupon except that the image was ‘damaged beyond repaired’, so, no one knew how damaged the image was and that image had the head attached or not.
It might be possible that the image originally collected from Wat Pra Sri Sanpet had no head, hence ‘beyond repaired’ was described, and the head (this one) was found later on.
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Moh Budlay (Doctor Bradley)
Dan Beach Bradley was born on July 18, 1804 in Marcellus, NY. He was a deeply religious individual but because of a lack of funds he was unable to attend seminary, instead deciding to pursue the study of medicine.
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In 1832, after applying for a missionary appointment in Asia, he was accepted by the American Board of Commissioners of Foreign Missions. After receiving his Doctor of Medicine in 1833 he courted and married Emilie Royce so that he could have a helpmate on his mission. Soon after their marriage in 1834, they set sail from Boston on July 2 and arrived in Bangkok, Siam.
At the time of the Bradley’s arrival Siam was under the rule of King Nungklao (King Rama III; 1824-1851). Unlike his predecessors, who had implemented an isolationist policy with the West, King Rama III allowed a limited increase of trade and other interactions with European powers.
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The Bradley’s took up residence with another Presbyterian minister who was already residing in Bangkok and Dr. Bradley almost immediately set up a dispensary to treat the people of Siam.
While treating 75 to 100 patients a day, Bradley slowly acquired the Siamese language by working very hard with a teacher. Despite a slight speech impediment he had in both languages he gave sermons in both English and Siamese.
In 1845 Emilie Royce Bradley died of tuberculosis leaving Bradley to care for their three remaining children.
Bradley traveled with his children back to America in 1847 after a break with the Board of Commissioners over the idea of Christian perfectionism.
While in America he became associated with the American Missionary Association and while raising funds he met his second wife, Sarah Blachly, at the Oberlin College. They waited a year and then traveled back to Bangkok in 1850 with Bradley’s two remaining children.
In 1857 the AMA cut its ties to the mission in Bangkok donating the printing press to Bradley so he could continue to support himself and he did so until his death in 1873. The printing plant was given to his wife, Sarah Bradley, who continued to print tracts and teach women of the royal court English until her death in 1893.
Dan and Sarah Bradley had five children. Some of them stayed their lives in Siam including Irene Bell, their youngest child, who remained in Siam her entire life. The compound was passed to her after Sarah, her mother, death and then, at Irene’s death in 1939, it passed back into the hands of the Siamese government.
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(Family Photo of the Bradley's in Siam. Pictured from left to right: Dan Beach Bradley, Dwight Blachly Bradley, Sarah Blachly Bradley, Mary Adele Bradley, Irene Bell Bradley, Cornelius Beach Bradley, Dan Freeman Bradley, Sarah Adorna Bradley, Dan McGilvary, Sophia Royce Bradley)
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(The Bradley home in Bangkok is very Western; the figures on the porch are dressed in full Western fashion as well, which would have been stiflingly hot in this climate)
While Dr. Dan Beach Bradley was in Siam, its rulers changed hands two times. When King Rama III died his younger half-brother, Prince Mongkut was named heir.
When Prince Mongkut took the throne as King Rama IV (1851-1868), he named his younger brother Prince Chutamani as vice-king officially named King Pinklao.
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(Some interesting information about these two Kings, Rama III and IV; King Mongkut had joined the Buddhist priesthood when he turned 20 and decided to remain a priest when his half-brother, who had less of a right to the throne than him, was named King (Nungklao aka Rama III) so as to prevent any court intrigue)
Both brothers, King Mongkut and King Pinklao, were interested in Western ideas and customs. King Mongkut enjoyed astronomy and printing while King Pinklao was interested in mechanics and shipbuilding.
Both Kings called upon Bradley mainly for medical reasons. King Pinklao called on Bradley to treat one of his young wives after childbirth and to treat King Mongkut when his facial nerves became paralyzed.
King Mongkut also called on the good doctor to help him gain a better mastery of English and to help tutor members of the royal household. This included Prince Chulalongkorn who, later, became King Rama V in 1868. This King Rama V who later was hailed as “the Great” implemented policies that modernized Siam and kept it uncolonized.
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(To be continued)
(continuing from yesterday...)
Dr. Dan Beach Bradley worked with other missionaries, the Baptist and Presbyterian and the Catholic, to create type set for the Thai script so that they could print religious parables and give them to the people. The missionaries would print tracts, small religious pamphlets, and go out in boats and on foot into the city of Bangkok and hand them out to people. At the same time as they did these missions, they worked together to translate the bible and print it for general consumption.
As Bradley began learning Siamese he decided it would be useful to create a dictionary of the language. In 1839, at royal request, Bradley printed the Opium Edict which marked the beginning of printing public documents in Siam.
King Rama IV took a strong interest in the printing press and after he took a visit to London, Bradley and the King made the first copyright transaction in the history of Siam in 1862, a travel journal of King Rama IV’s visit.
With royal approval, Bradley founded the first newspaper in Siam, the Bangkok Recorder which was published monthly from 1844-1845 and 1865-1867. He also printed the annual almanac, The Bangkok Calendar, from 1859 till his death.
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(Photograph of the printing plant which included a printing office, a book bindery and a type foundry. The native Siamese workers are seen lined up out front and the silhouette of the printing press can be seen through the door.)
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Despite enjoying printing, Bradley was a doctor first. He set up a dispensary soon after arriving in Bangkok and treated 75-100 patients a day. Here he prescribed medicine and performed the first surgery in Siam. He gained respect quickly by treating the general populace of Siam and the royal court.
He found the Siamese tradition of having women lay by a fire for a month after giving birth an unacceptable practice.
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He proceeded to print a pamphlet on midwifery and urged women not to continue with this custom. One of the first women he told to break custom was one of Prince Chutamani’s wives.
By treating members of the royal family he gained even more prestige and more people trusted his ability as their doctor.
Bradley is also credited with performing the first surgery in Siam, removing a cancerous tumor from the body of a slave. After this surgery, Bradley became highly sought after for medical advice from the royal court. The royal court gained trust in Bradley and called on him for medical advice for years. Bradley taught royal doctors how to perform the same practices as he did and he wrote numerous books for the purposes of the court.
Bradley's greatest medical challenge while in Siam was attempting to produce a vaccination for the smallpox virus which devastated the country and killed Bradley's eight-month-old daughter, Harriet, back when they were in America. Although never beat it, he did inoculate and vaccinate members of the royal family, which made treatment of the general populace easier.
On January 13, 1837, a cannon exploded at a temple fair at Wat Prayoonrawongsawat in Thonburi, the former capital of Siam, killing eight people and injuring many more. One of the wounded was sent to Bradley who amputated his right arm at the shoulder. That was the first time in Siam.
Perhaps one of the most overlooked outcomes from Bradley's relationship with royalty is the change that took place in the educational system. King Rama IV valued education highly and Bradley created boarding schools for native children to learn in a Western educational setting. The boarding schools, while unsuccessful, showed the emphasis put on education in Siam during this period. Bradley advised the royal court to pursue education until his death.
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As an advocate of education, Bradley had high regard for Anna Leonowens, the teacher of the King's children. Bradley admired the perseverance of Leonowens even though she was not treated with respect from the Siamese.
Bradley did admit, however, that Leonowens did not have a significant impact on Siam, an opinion at odds with hers which she recorded in her two volumes of memoirs beginning with The English Governess at the Siamese Court (1870), which were later fictionalized in Margaret Landon's novel Anna and the King of Siam (1944).
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Chinatown (Yaowarat) in the first half of 1900s
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(Old movie theaters are indicated)
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(Shot in late 60s-early 70s)
A documentary (photos not included) titled The Mighty Chao Praya River
Central Thailand’s primary waterway, the Chao Praya River, brings us ebbs and flows that are at the core of Bangkok culture. This “mother of waters” has provided the country not only with a major means of transportation, but also with rich mineral deposits that make its vast basin among the world’s most fertile farming regions.
Bangkok’s development over the centuries has moved in harmony with the Chao Praya’s cyclical breaths.
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In the early 14th century, the Chao Praya River didn’t exist as we know it now. The small waterways that remain its major tributaries – the Ping, Wang, Yom and Nan rivers – and many small streams originating in the mountains of the north, united at Pak Nam Pho, in present-day Nakhon Sawan.
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The, now, big river wound southward for more than 300 kilometers. It passed Ayutthaya and Bangkok before flowing into the Gulf of Thailand in what is now Samut Prakan’s Pak Nam district.
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Around that time, Bangkok (called ‘Bang-Kok’ not ‘Krung Thep’ as back then it was just a city) was the most important port for the Kingdom of Ayutthaya in the early 14th century.
Foreign traders were ordered to leave their ships at the mouth of the river and seek permission from the governor of Bangkok to visit Ayutthaya, the capital city.
It was King Chairachathirat, the 15th ruler of the Kingdom of Ayutthaya, who in 1542 ordered a canal to be dug through the port city, straightening the river to enable foreign traders to reach Ayutthaya, the capital, more easily.
The new canal divided Bangkok into a west and east bank, Thon Buri and Bangkok (now, Krung Thep) as they are known today. The river’s new route passes what is now Thammasat University, Siriraj Hospital and the Temple of Dawn has became the Chao Praya River. The old route is today called the Bangkok Yai (now called Klong Bang Luang) and Bangkok Noi canals.
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Nonetheless, in the Ayutthaya period, the Chao Praya River was known to foreigners as the Meinam (or maenam = river). The name “Chao Praya” seems to have first appeared during the Rattanakosin period.
King Rama IV explained in the Bangkok Recorder newspaper in 1850 that the Siamese in the old days had called every river “maenam”, adding the name of the most important settlement nearby, such as Maenam Bangkok and Maenam Tha Cheen. “The true name of Maenam Bangkok is Maenam Chao Praya”, the King said.
The Kingdom of Ayutthaya’s long and proud rule came to an end in 1767, when the king of Ava (now a part of Myanmar) ordered his army to invade Bangkok in order to approach Ayutthaya, the capital city, from the south.
The Siamese general Praya Tak aka Nai Sin soon reclaimed the land from the usurpers of Ava, and established the Kingdom of the new Siam. Crowned as King Taksin, he occupied the throne from 1767 to 1782.
As having told earlier, King Taksin built his capital on the west bank of the Chao Praya River, former part of Bangkok, and called it “Krung Thonburi Sri Mahasamut”. His residence and offices now belong to the Royal Navy. Around that time, the east bank of the River or Bangkok was occupied by Chinese settlers.
Thonburi was the capital of new Kingdom of Siam for 15 years. On April 6, 1782, King Taksin was assassinated at the Temple of Dawn, and Thonburi was demoted back to just a city like before. The Chakri Dynasty started and Bangkok on the east bank was promoted to the capital city of the Kingdom of newer Siam.
The Chao Praya River was no longer the chief route to the great capital of old Siam but the central artery itself of the capital of the new Siam. New palaces for the king and members of his family were built on the river, as were the raft-houses of his ordinary subjects.
The river now came into its own as the main means of transportation between the inland cities and farmlands to the outside world. Trading flourished along its course and boat-building and fishing along its banks. No wonder the Chao Phya is so revered: in the Rattanakosin era, it brought new life, hope and opportunity to the millions living along its shores.
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The Crying Bridge
Constructed in 1914, the bridge commemorates one of the most important figures in Thai history, King Chulalongkorn (King Rama V), who died in 1910.
Located a stone’s throw away from the Golden Mount, the bridge is officially known as Sapan Mahadthai Utit. The name is in recognition of the Thai civil servants from the Ministry of the Interior (Krasuang Mahadtai) who donated the funds for the construction.
However, it is the colloquial name, Sapan Ronghai (the ‘Crying Bridge’), that hints at the reason for the construction. The passing of the much-loved King Chulalongkorn in 1910 was a time of great sadness for the Siamese people. The emotion of the time is poignantly captured on the design of the bridge with elegant bas-reliefs portraying grieving woman and man holding their children.
(Note: the second picture shows the original models for the sculptures.)
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Computer colored versions of B&W photographs
Two ‘poo dee’ ladies in the reign of King Rama V (Note: Shoes were uncommon back then)
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Shot in the reign of King Rama VI. I think they did a very good job adding colors to this b&w photo, looks realistic like in present time.
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Young King Rama V during his early reign.
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King Rama VI with his favorite dog ‘Ya-leh’ and favorite junior chamberlain.
On 25th December 1919, Panee (his name) rode a motorcycle, Indian, on an errand and met a terrible accident. He died at the age of just 22.
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A shot of Motorcar show as a part of the Ceremonial Ratchamankala which was the royal ceremony to celebrate a king whose reign lasts longer than all the former kings’ (detail in page 20), here it’s King Rama V.
This car belonged to a Belgian doctor named Dr. Eugene Reytter. He was one of the team of the King’s personal doctors.
(Note: Around that time motorcars were new to Siamese. They did not have a local word for them so they called them as they sounded in English which in Thai tongue it pronounced as ‘moh-ter-ca’)
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The first greeting card ever recorded in Siam/Thailand history was made by King Mongkut (Rama IV) on January 1st, 1866, printed in his own hand-writing, sent to ambassadors from foreign lands including those foreigners and foreign friends who worked at the royal court.
The photo shown here found in an old book shop named “Maggs Bros.” in London is one of those sent to Captain John Bush (1819-1905), an English sea captain who served under the Siamese government during the reigns of King Mongkut and King Chulalongkorn (Rama V) and earned a noble Thai title.
He served as Bangkok's Harbor Master, captained royal vessels and managed the Bangkok Dock Company.
Soi Charoen Krung 30, the street where he used to live, is also known as Soi Captain Bush after him.
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Silom Road was said to be originally built in the reign of King Rama IV. It was built by digging a klong with the same name then bringing the soil up to make a road.
It was named after a (? Thai nouns don’t have singular/plural form so I have no idea how many) windmill (= silom) some farung had built on.
In the reign of King Rama VII, the road was just a small one with Klong Silom running along on one side. The owners of houses on this side of the road would build wooden bridges with wooden gates in the middle of the bridge… (I wonder if those bridges could support a car?)
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Thanks again for taking the time to keep this thread going!
The King had excellent writing skills.
Absolutely, greatly appreciated.Quote:
Originally Posted by CalEden
Hua Lumpong Station is an unofficial name for Bangkok railway station, the main railway station of Bangkok.
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In Thai, the Station is officially referred to as Sathani (= station) Rotfai (= train) Krung Tep (Krung Tep is the transliteration of the common Thai language name of Bangkok) and Bangkok Railway Station in English.
Anyway, the term 'Hua Lumpong' is the informal name of the station, generally used by both farung and locals and is often named in travel guide books and in the public press.
There are a number of suggestions for the origin of the name Hua Lumpong. A common explanation is that it came from the name Wua Lumpong which was shortened from a former name for the area Tung Wua Lumpong meaning "The Field (= tung) of Wild (= lumpong) Oxen (= wua)".
The station was opened on 25th June 1916 after six years of construction that started in 1910 in the reign of King Chulalongkorn (Rama V) and finished in the reign of King Wachirawut (Rama VI).
The shape of the station was built in an Italilan Neo-Renaissance-style, with decorated roofs and stained glass windows using the Frankfurt (Main) Hauptbahnhof in Germany as a prototype.
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The front of the building was designed by Italian born Mario Tamagno, who with his countryman Annibale Rigotti, were also responsible for the design of several other early 20th century public buildings in Bangkok. The pair designed Bang Khoon Prom Palace (1906), Ananta Samakhom Throne Hall in the Royal Place (1907–15) and Suan Kularb Residential Hall and Throne Hall in Dusit Garden, among other buildings.
The station is scheduled to be closed for being main railway station in 2021, when it will be converted into a museum. And will also change its official name to the most common name to our ears and mouths, Hua Lumpong Station. The State Railway of Thailand plans to move Bangkok's central railway station to Bang Sue Grand Station.
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(This one looks like an American gangster movie to me)
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(Bunker made during the WWII in front of the station)
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(The former train station called 'Royal Train Station', before Hua Lumpong Station being built which sited close by. It served for the Nakorn Ratchaseema line which was the first line ever in Siam. It officially opened partly on March 1896 for the train that ran between Bangkok - Ayuthaya covering 71 km.)
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(King Rama V on the line which was finally extended to the planned destination, Nakorn Ratchaseema.)
An interesting observation (pictures not included) made by Ernest Young, B.Sc., Head Master of the Lower School of John Lyon, Harrow, England published in 1908 (= the reign of King Rama V).
AMUSEMENTS
The Siamese have practically no games which, like football and hockey, involve a great deal of physical exertion. They like to take their pleasures quietly, on account of the great heat.
The chief amusement is gambling in some form or other. Little boys catch crickets, and bring them to school in match-boxes. In play-time they dig a little hole in the ground, put the crickets in the hole, and make them fight, meanwhile betting their knives, cigarettes, and other small possessions on the result of the combat.
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Sometimes there are cock-fights. As there are few or no watches with which to time the rounds, a time-measurer of another kind is used. This consists of a small bowl preferably a coconut shell that floats in water. There is a little hole in the bottom of the bowl, through which water slowly enters. When the bowl is filled to a certain point it sinks, and then the round is over.
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Perhaps the most curious of the contests that are employed as means of gambling is that between two fighting fish.
The fighting fish is a species of small carp about the size of a stickleback (called in Thai as 'pla (= fish) kad (= bite)). It has beautiful peacock-blue sides and ruby-colored fins. These fish are kept in glass bottles, and are trained to attack their own image as seen in a looking-glass.
When two of them meet each other in a big bowl of water, the way in which they maneuver to get hold of one another is most ridiculous, and the way they bite whenever they get the chance is perfectly atrocious. All the time the fight is going on the spectators lay wagers on the result.
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In March, when the winds are strong, kite-flying is indulged in by grown-up people as well as children.
There is always great excitement at a kite-flying contest. Two men stand close together. One man sends his kite up, and when it is well in the air the second man sends his aloft.
The kites have no tails, but they fly steadily. When the two kites are near each other, one man gives his string a peculiar jerk. This makes his kite jump over the other one, descend a little way, and then come up on the other side.
In this way the strings attached to the two kites get entangled. By alternately pulling in and releasing the strings they are made to saw one another. The man whose kite-string is first cut through loses the game. On many of the kites whistles are fastened, and as the kites sweep through the air shrill piercing sounds accompany their flight.
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Another popular amusement is "football," which is nothing like our game of the same name. The ball is only about six or seven inches in diameter. It is very light, as it is made of a few pieces of twisted cane.
Any number of people can play, from two upwards. The players stand in a ring facing each other. One of them sends the ball into the air, and the person nearest to it, when it descends, must send it up again. He may do this with his head, shoulder, knee, or foot, but he must not touch the ball with his hands.
If the ball falls just behind the player's back, he judges the distance without turning round, catches the ball on the back of his heel, and so brings it back into the circle and towards another player.
There are no goals, and, in fact, no scoring of any kind. The game ends when the players are tired.
Sometimes a weary one will drop out of the game, lie down for a while for a rest, and then rejoin the circle when he feels refreshed. New-comers may join the game at any moment.
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(Note: We call this ball "takraw" and call this game “tae (= kick) takraw”. I guess in his time, this name had (or has??) not been invented to call the ball yet. By the way, I don't know back then but all I know, the ball is made of some tropical plant called 'rattan' or in Thai, 'wai'.)
About the only amusement not associated with gambling is the theatre. There is only one fixed theatre in the capital. In the days when there was neither gas nor electric light it was only open on moonlit nights, for without the light of the moon the people would have had to go home in the dark. As a rule, theatrical performances take place at private houses at times of weddings, or funerals, or on other occasions of private rejoicing or sorrow.
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There are no men players except the clowns. The other parts are taken by women. The plays, if acted from beginning to end, would last for weeks; but, as everybody knows the whole of every drama, only small portions are acted at a time. The better the people know the selection that is played, the better they like it.
The actresses move about from one side of the stage to the other, twisting their heads, arms, and legs about in a slow and curious fashion, which is their way of dancing. They do not speak. The story is told by a chorus of people, who screech out the tale, to the accompaniment of the weirdest of bands. It sounds like a mixture of drums, brass trays, and bagpipes.
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As a fixed theatre is not necessary, the plays can be acted anywhere. A space for the stage is marked out on the ground with mats. Round the mats sit the band and the chorus. The spectators sit or stand quite near the players, and sometimes an odd baby gets loose, and wanders about amongst the feet of the angels and demons, who are strutting quaintly in the mat-encircled area.
When the man who beats the drums or bangs the brass trays has had enough, some little boy in the audience will come and take his place, and so allow the weary musician a little rest.
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There is of course, no scenery, and the audience has to draw very largely on its imagination as the performance proceeds.
Suppose that a Siamese company were going to play "Robinson Crusoe." This is the kind of thing that would happen.
One actress would come on the stage with a pole fastened to her chest. From the top of a pole a little flag would fly. The rest of the troupe would stand, two by two, behind the maiden with the pole. Last of all would come another actress, bearing another pole and flag, and with a rudder tied to her back. The long string of people gathered together in this way would represent a ship and its passengers.
The voyage would now begin by the company rolling round the edges of the mats in a very slow and measured manner. Presently the storm would arise. The drummers would bang, the brass-tray beaters would hammer, and the bagpipe-blowing gentlemen would nearly burst themselves. The chorus would howl, and all the little boys and girls in the audience would join in, and outdo the professional howlers easily, as you may imagine.
Everyone would fall flat down on the stage, and that would be a shipwreck. In a second or two the drowned sailors would get up and walk off the stage, and no one would think it at all funny.
Poor old Robinson, left to himself, would find the goat, and the goat would be one of the actresses, who would walk about on two legs, wearing a mask that would look just as much like a monkey as a goat, and with two horns on her head. The goat would circulate about the stage, dancing exactly like a human being, and the spectators would help the actress by believing that she really was a goat, and so everybody would be satisfied.
When Robinson wanted to hide himself in a wood, he would walk to the edge of the stage, and hold a branch of a tree in front of his face. This would mean that he was quite hidden.
If anyone pretended to see him, they would probably hear some very rude remarks from the rest of the audience, who would not wish to have their innocent amusement spoiled by a clever young critic.
(Good description to me!)
Wung Bang Koon Prom …
... was the Palace of Field Marshal Prince Boripat Sukhumpan (1881-1944). He was a son of King Chulalongkorn (King Rama V) and one of his Queen Consorts.
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(Left)
The Palace was built in 1901. Important buildings in the compound are Tumnak Yai (Main Pavilion) and Tumnak Somdet (Queen Mother Pavilion).
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Tumnak Yai is a 2-storey Neo Baroque style building designed by Mr. Mario Tamagno, an Italian architect. The middle porch comprises pillars an arch, above the arch are Palladian motif windows, with a distinguished pair of twisted columns, elaborately decorated with stucco. The left and right wing are asymmetrical, that is the left wing is a 3-storey tower whereas the right wing is a 2-storey with a curvilinear plan.
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Tumnak Somdet is Jugendstil, or German Art Nouveau style designed by Mr. Karl Doring, A German architect. The interior is decorated with moral painting by Mr.Rigoli, an Italian artist. It was built connecting to Tumnak Yai in 1913 as a residence for Queen Sukumanmarasi, the Prince’s mother.
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Field Marshal Prince Boripat Sukhumpan resided at this place for 30 years during 1902 – 1932. Those days were prime time of Wung Bang Koon Prom as it was a center of various fields of arts such as music, orchid culture, Thai dwarfed tree training, collections of art objects such as blue-and-white porcelain, mother of pearl inlay works and etc.
It was also a school for princesses and young ladies from noble families taught by foreign teachers. Thus, the Palace was also informally known as “Bang Koon Prom University”.
During the reign of King Rama VII who was his half-brother, the Prince was appointed as Minister of Interior and was made member of the Supreme Council of the State of Siam which was responsible for state affairs.
When the Siamese revolution of 1932 occurred, Khana Ratsadon (The People's Party) succeeded in seizing the Royal Plaza (known commonly as ‘Lan Pra Roop’). They also cut off all the telecommunication systems.
After announcing the first manifesto, some of the forces invaded Wung Bang Koon Prom in order to control Prince Boripat Sukhumpan who was deemed a threat for he was considerable influence in the Siamese government.
Did not believe that such people whom (or who?) the Prince was well accustomed to would perform such act, he was not prepared. Once the place was invaded, there was nothing much to be done except being forced into exile. At that time he and his wife along with a number of royal pages were about to flee by boats at the pier behind the Palace.
After being detained for a short period of time, the Prince and his family left Siam by a special train that ran nonstop to Penang, Malaysia. The Royal family moved on to settle the rest of their in Bandung, Indonesia.
Following the revolution, the palace served as the site of several government offices until it became the headquarters of the Bank of Thailand in 1945.
It now serves as a museum. It used to house the Bank of Thailand Museum until 2017 when its main exhibition was moved to the Bank of Thailand Learning Center housed in the opposite former bank note printing press building.
The Palace is a registered ancient monument, and received the ASA Architectural Conservation Award in 1993.
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(Translating from his quote to his personal secretary before leaving the country…
“… When the Party arrested me, I was in my nightgown. Before being moved away I asked if I could change to proper attire. They refused.
During the detention, the head of the Party told me that his ‘boys’ were exhausted from the operation. He asked if I had ‘anything’ for them.
I sarcastically told them that I had nothing with me. All were at my house (meaning the Palace). If you want, you can take them.
So, they took them all including my house and now I am homeless…”)
The old location of the British Embassy was on Charoen Krung Road (New Road). Record says that 2 small buildings (Record says ‘on the right’ but they are on the left of the photo (1st). The photo might be reversed, I say) were lockups for people who were under the British Flag doing wrong. There were 2 guards who were Irish brothers named “Lamberton”.
Later on, those who were under lockup donated money to build the statue of Queen Victoria that we see nowadays sitting in front of the Embassy.
(Note: I doubt if the donation should include the officials’ too?)
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(View from Charoen Krung Road)
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(View from Chao Praya River)
After the British Embassy was moved to the present location, the old building instead served for the Grand Post and Telegraph Office which was not the first one in Siam.
The first Post Office was materialized by King Rama V’s brother.
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In 1883, the business started by using the old building built in 1871 located by the banks of the Chao Praya River near the future Memorial Bridge. The building once belonged to a ruler of Muang Pracheen Buri (now, Pracheen Buri Province).
The ruler was convicted of a serious crime, killing and torturing a lot of Siamese residing in Krabin Buri District. He was sentenced to be executed in 1879. All of his property including his big house was seized to be the government’s asset. It later was renovated and used as the first Post Office (Not sure of the right English term. I saw various).
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In 1927, the part of the business focusing on post office was moved to the former location of the British Embassy on Charoen Krung Road (New Road).
Being merged with the telegraph business, it became the General Post Office.
This was a logical step to have Bangkok’s ‘all in one’ post and telegraph office in this area because the road had served for many decades as a settlement for farung traders, with goods being transported by boats on the river.
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The office used this original building until 1939, then it including all other buildings around was demolished and the new building with new space and new name "Post & Telegraph Department", as we see at present, was constructed on the same area.
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(A comparison between the British Embassy and the Post and Telegraph Department on the same area)
Today, the building remains functioning as one of Thailand’s post offices which provides postal services to the general public, and a portion of the building now houses the Thailand Creative & Design Center (TCDC).
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Can't see your posted photos, Nathaniel
Back to the first Postal Office, after some part of the business was moved to the new place, the former British Embassy, the building was still used to serve as the network of the other telecommunications.
When the Siamese revolution of 1932 occurred, the first thing that Khana Ratsadon (The People's Party) had to manage was seizing this first Post Office for it was the main hub of various kinds the telecommunication systems.
The operation had to be done soonest before the outsiders knew it however, someone did and hurriedly went to inform Field Marshal Prince Boripat Sukhumpan who was the head member of the Supreme Council of the State of Siam which was responsible for state affairs though it was too late (see my previous article).
Through time, the importance of the building was dwindled before finally deserted until later was regretfully demolished to give way to the construction of Prapokklao Bridge, the Memorial Bridge’s sister in 1981.
In 2009, the new building was rebuilt on the original area with the same original design but a little bit changed including size to fit the recent area and used as a museum of Thailand Post.
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Of which part (of three)?Quote:
Originally Posted by panama hat
Just checked, they all are posted here.
Yup, they seem to be all there now :smile:
Quote:
Originally Posted by panama hat
You probably visited me in the middle of the process..
I have learned that this website is like a skittish horse. Experience has taught me not to be unguarded otherwise you will get thrown off and have to ‘climb up’ all over again.
So, in order not to get ...
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... I have to create a safe process of posting each article.
1. I post my draft then hit ‘save changes’
2. I hit ‘edit post’ then edit my draft. When done, I do double ‘save’; first with the web’s ‘save changes’ and second, with my mouse (right clicking). Because in the past, this is where I always got kicked out. Getting kicked out after editing a long text always made me want to hang myself so, right clicking my mouse to save is precaution.
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(PS You might visit me while I was on this part of the process)
3. I hit ‘edit post’ for the second time. This time, I add photos. Then I hit ‘save changes’ on the web.
4. I hit ‘edit post’ for the third time. This time, I maximize the photos before hitting ‘save changes’ again on the web.
5. I hit ‘edit post’ for the fourth time, the last. This time, I check for completeness, though often, I still miss here and there.
Now that you know my secret, I will have to kill you. Ha.. ha..!
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Just shortly after the WWII, a tragic race riot happened in the history of Thailand.
The “Yaowarat Incident” occurred on September 20th , 1945, when ethnic Chinese in Bangkok’s Chinatown area, exuberant at China’s victorious emergence from years of war against Japan, rehearsed the upcoming celebration of the Republic of China’s National Day by displaying Republic of China flags.
When Thai police acted to remove the “foreign flags,” violence erupted. The police called in the military, and later that night shooting broke out between security forces and supposedly armed rioters.
The incident ended on September 23rd with a number of casualties.
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(That is an old styled movie theater named 'Nakorn Sanook' meaning 'fun city')
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Amidst the objection from the government, King Rama VIII and his brother (the future King Rama IX) arranged the royal visit to Sumpeng on 3rd June 1946 to help improving the relationship between Thai people and Chinese people to be tightened once again.
When this delightful news spread into Sumpeng, both Thai and Chinese had joined forces to clean up the messy garbage preparing the place to welcome the Royalties with highest reverence.
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A documentary (photos not included) titled the Arrival of Western influence
In the third reign of Rattanakosin, King Rama III's, the Kingdom of Siam extended its influence as far as Indochina and the Malay Peninsula. Hostilities with Burma and Vietnam had ended, and trade with other countries, including China, proceeded very successfully.
“Thai culture” was widely viewed as a civilized one, yet even in an era of proud and ancient tradition, that historic culture was both at its peak and slipping into decline.
The winds of change from the West that arrived in Siam while King Rama III was on the throne shook Siamese society to its core. So great was the political and economic power of the Western powers that Siam knew it had to accept occidental influence just to maintain its freedom.
The King and his officials were of course the first to recognize the depth of this influence, and the way they reacted would set the standard for future generations. This was the beginning of what some academics have called the era of “neo-traditionalism”.
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In “Journal of an Embassy from the Governor General of India to the Courts of Siam and Cochin-China”, British envoy John Crawfurd observed that the Siamese in King Rama II’s day – both court officials and commoners – believed themselves to be civilized people. “To them,” he wrote, “China is the great country, followed by Siam, Burma, Vietnam and the other countries in Asia. The West is uncivilized.”
By the mid-19th century, though, a change of attitude had become essential. The Siamese were forced to pay more attention to the West after Great Britain’s victory over Burma in 1825 and its subsequent forays into China. There were also formidable new technologies being brought from the West.
To Siam’s leaders, China had been omnipotent, Burma undefeatable, so Britain’s successes struck them deeply, clearly necessitating detente with a Western power that had previously been ignored.
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Captain Henry Burney, who in 1825 was the British Indian government’s emissary to Siam to deal with friendship and trading issues, wrote that Siam’s leaders were eager to know everything about Great Britain, especially its political institutions.
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Historians now believe some Siamese leaders might have had a chance to read John Crawfurd’s earlier chronicle, with its suggestion that Britain might seize Bangkok, and they abruptly awakened to the danger.
The Kingdom’s focus on the West intensified quickly after Protestant missionaries from America arrived on its shores.
Christian proselytizers had been coming since the Ayutthaya period, but most were Catholic and interested only in spreading their faith. They had met with little success because they lacked the support of the country’s rulers, who based their power on Buddhism and Hinduism.
Hinduism’s Devaraja (“god-king”) doctrine and Buddhism’s Dhammaraja (“king-dhamma”) teaching asserted that the King is God, and that if he behaves well, his authority is both guaranteed and protected by Buddhist dhamma. There was no need to seek out a new “God”.
In any event, the King’s subjects were uninterested in Christianity and couldn’t understand these utterly different foreigners. The Siamese practiced Buddhism and animism, as their ancestors had, and were happy.
But then the first group of Protestant missionaries arrived from America in 1833, led by John Taylor Jones. The Americans were different from earlier Western clergymen. They brought technology and knowledge about such matters as natural science, medicine, astronomy, geography and printing.
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With such a sea change evident in the way man looked at his universe, it was inevitable that Siam would soon yield to, and then embrace, the era of modernity.
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(King Napoleon III of France sent his ambassadors to the court of Siam in the reign of King Rama IV in 1867(illustrator unknown))
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(First appearance to the world outside of King Rama IV’s handwriting and his Royal Seal - THE ILLUSTRATED LONDON NEWS, November 1st, 1856)
Sapan (= bridge) Hun is located in the China Town area (Sumpeng), Bangkok. It is said to be built by a group of Chinese Thai in 1783 in the reign of King Praputtayodfa Chulalok (Rama I), the first King of the Chakri Dynasty.
Originally, it was just a small wooden bridge made across a klong named Oong Ang. At one end of the bridge was fixed on the ground while the other end could be moved in order to let the boats pass under. Hence came the name "hun" which means "to move sideways".
In the reign of King Rama II, the bridge was renovated. The structure was lifted higher from the ground so that boats could pass under without having to turn the bridge sideways like before.
Anyway, the name “Sapan Hun (a move-sideway bridge)” was still used as usual as it had already been struck on people’s lips.
In the reign of King Rama IV, the bridge was renovated again. This time, the structure was changed from wood to steel and the center could be hydraulically lifted up and expanded for bigger boats under to pass.
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(Not this one but the same shape like this one)
In the reign of King Rama V, after coming back from Royal visit to Europe, he had a new idea and the bridge was extremely renovated to roughly resemble the Ponte Vecchio Bridge in Florence and/or Rialto Bridge in Venice, Italy.
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Sadly, the decorations on the bridge were demolished in the early 60s.
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(Computer colored version of B&W photograph, another nice work, I say)
This rare photo (and I just found it! lucky me that I did not post this article earlier) shows what it looked like when you were heading toward Sapan Hun. The big gate was much derelict. It finally tumbled down one night in the early reign of King Rama VI. One dead and a few injured were reported.
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And this is what Sapan Hun looks like today, sigh...
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Suea Saming
Suea (= tiger) Saming is a shapeshifter (tiger=man) that preys on people in the remote countryside of Thailand. Local people believe that it is born from the work of black magic. Some also believe that it is caused by a vicious tiger that eats a lot of people for a long time. Too many that the spirits of those people haunt it and turn it into a Suea Saming.
At daytime, Suea Saming appears as normal people but it changes into a big tiger at night.
While out searching for preys which always at night, once seeing a victim, it will change form into a person who is close to the victim such as the victim's family member then tries to lure the victim to its lair. Some local people even told that they witnessed a Suea Saming as a monk on pilgrimage in disguise preying on a woman.
King Chulalongkorn (King Rama V) wrote in his memoir while visiting Chantaburi Province once that:
"Local people here seem to be afraid of Suea Saming so much. They told me that a Khmer necromancer had processed magic oil that could change people into Suea Saming. Three of his pupils stole it and tried applying it on their bodies and it worked.
Three Suea Saming went astray from Khmer crossing the borderline to Chantaburi. They preyed on people along the way. Their master followed them here and told the people what had happened and asked them to help finding those three Suea Saming.
The master said that if one was found just hit it with a wooden beam or used a coconut shell to cover its footprint. The magic will then be broken and that Suea Saming would turn back to be a man again. But those tricks would work only if those Suea Saming had not eaten anybody yet.
Anyway, it was so sad that those three Suea Saming had already eaten a lot of people so far so, these solutions didn't work. Those poor Suea Saming had to be on their own".
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A tale from little birds
The first 3 wives of King Rama V were sisters who shared the same parents (King Rama IV and one of his Royal Concubines). Thus they were also half-sisters to the King.
The first one (#1) is Queen Sunanta Kumarirat. The second one (#2) is Queen Sawang Watana and the third one (#3) is Queen Saowapa Pongsri.
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When #1 died in a boat accident along with her daughter and one stillborn baby which was said to be a son (page 5) thus, the future heir apparent to the throne, #2 was elevated to become the King's #1 because she had a son who was legitimated as an heir apparent to the throne after the loss.
Sadly her son died young (1st Crown Prince Maha Vajirunhit – page 23) so, #3 who also had a son was elevated to become the King's #1. This son of hers or the 2nd Crown Prince lived long enough to finally take the throne as King Rama VI.
In the end, the youngest or #3 was elevated to the Supreme Queen Consort of King Rama V. Her eldest (dead) and her elder sisters or #1 and #2 were Queen Consorts.
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Since he produced no heir, when King Rama VI died, his younger brother took the throne as King Rama VII.
King Rama VII also produced no heir and he was the youngest among his siblings. So, when he died, according to the law of succession, the line moved from the sons of the Supreme Queen Consort to Queen Consort #1’s.
As having known that the Queen Consort #1 was no more (boat accident). The line moved on the Queen Consort #2’s.
Queen Consort #2 whose first son used to be the 1st heir to the throne still had more sons but unfortunately they all died before time. The line of succession still worked on. It found that her 4th son (or 9th of 10) had children. Thus came King Rama VIII and then, King Rama IX.
Queen Consort #2 (or the middle one) whose name was Queen Sawang Wattana finally became Queen Grandmother.
Intermission – Get some air!
Now, Queen Sawang Wattana had lived a long life. Through those times, she had witnessed a lot of things. Things that went up and things that went down. Things that were good and things that were bad. But what that impacted her life was all bad.
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She had witnessed her life that used to be the Supreme Queen Consort but all of a sudden, she had to step down to become just Queen Consort.
She had witnessed the chaotic Siam Revolution that impacted the life of her niece, King Rama VII, and continued with the coup d’etat that made him finally exile from his home.
She had witnessed 2 horrific World Wars and the last one compelled her to move away to the countryside for her own safety.
She also had witnessed too many deaths. She attended the funerals of 5 Kings of Siam starting from her father’s, King Rama IV, her beloved husband’s, King Rama V, 2 of her nephews’, King Rama VI and VII (only witnessed for he died abroad) and her own grandson’s, King Rama VIII who died too soon.
Along the way, there were more such as her mother’s, her siblings’ (among them, her elder sister’s, Queen Consort #1 plus her niece’s (boat accident) and her youngest sister’s, the Supreme Queen Consort) to name but a few that were close to her life. There were still more and more as time went by.
But the most traumatic ones were she had had to attend all of her own children’s deaths, along with all (but one) of her adopted children’s (from King Rama V with other Royal Concubines) all of whom she had raised with her own hands.
In the end, she became an old woman who hardly smiled. Fate had been so cruel to her.
It was told among the little birds that in her final years, whenever she prayed, she always asked for the same thing “Let me be forgetful. I don’t want to remember anything anymore. I’ve had enough”.
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Queen Sawang Wattana (born in 1862), Queen Great Grandmother to the nowadays King Rama X, died at the age of 93 (1955) in the reign of her grandson, King Rama IX. She had lived through 6 reigns.
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(With her husband, King Rama V)
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(With her last offspring (the last of 10), Prince Mahidol Adulyadej (1892-1929), father of 2 Kings, Rama VIII and IX)
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(With her 2 grandsons, the future King Rama VIII and IX)
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(Giving blessing to King Rama IX and his wife, Queen Sirikit on their wedding day (1950))
<font size="4"><em>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SKvDZ0qnpV8
The correspondence between King Mongkut (Rama IV) and Abraham Lincoln
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During the reign of King Rama IV, there were a lot of letters sent from the King to the President (s) of America. Among those, there is one that was very renowned…
In his 1861 letter written in Thai language, King Rama IV addressed to President James Buchanan “or whoever would become the President” with elaborate paragraph-long salutations.
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(Below: The translation of the letter, first page and last page)
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The King offered the elephants after learning they were not native to America. He also sent along three gifts: a sword and scabbard, a photograph of himself, the King with one of his daughters, and an impressive pair of elephant tusks.
The offer of elephants did not neglect practical details. King Mongkut stated, “...On this account, we desire to procure and send elephants to be let loose to increase and multiply in the continent of America. But Siam did not have a large enough vessel to transport them..." part of the letter said.
It continued: “In reference to this opinion of ours if the President of the United States and Congress who conjointly with him rule the country see fit to approve, let them provide a large vessel loaded with hay and other food suitable for elephants on the voyage, with tanks holding a sufficiency of fresh water, and arranged with stalls so that the elephants can both stand and lie down in the ship — and send it to receive them. We on our part will procure young male and female elephants and forward them one or two pairs at a time.”
King Mongkut then, in his letter, directed that the elephants should be kept away from the cold and under the sun, and to also “let them with all haste be turned out to run wild in some jungle suitable for them not confining them at any length of time.”
“If these means can be done we trust that the elephants will propagate their species hereafter in the continent of America.”
By the time the letter arrived in America, a year later, Lincoln was already the President. He and the secretary of State, William Seward, replied with polite declination this offer from afar.
Lincoln penned a reply where he simply addressing the King as “Great and Good Friend.” with detail saying that the country “does not reach a latitude so low as to favor the multiplication of the elephant.” He also said in his 1862 letter that “steam on land, as well as on water, has been our best and most efficient agent of transportation in internal commerce. It had overtaken the need for heavy animal power of this kind”.
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(More detail's here: Lincoln Rejects the King of Siam's Offer of Elephants | American Battlefield Trust)
Thank you! Interesting.
Quote:
Originally Posted by CalEden
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Wat Ratchanatdaram…
is a Buddhist wat located in the heart of Bangkok. The name means the Temple of the Royal Niece. It was built in 1846 to the order of King Nungklao (King Rama III; 1788-1851) for his granddaughter, Princess Soamanat Wattanawadee who later on became King Mongkut's (King Rama IV; 1804-1868) first queen consort for 9 months. She died of a mysterious (at that time) illness at the age of 17. 'Wat Soam' as we normally know it, the name was taken after hers.
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The Loha Prasat seen high in the background of the ancient photo (taken in 1866 in the reign of King Mongkut) was modeled after the one in Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka. It is the only one of its kind that exists today. It was submitted to UNESCO to be a World Heritage Site in 2005. The place has been completely finished in the recent reign (King Rama X), the longest time of construction/renovation I might say.
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