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Buddhas for sale (early 1900s)
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New Road intersection (Sri Kak Praya Sri - early 1900s)
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Same place, same time
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Double decker passenger boat (early 1950s)
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Wat Poh (early 1950s)
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Wat Poh (1960s)
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Little birds tell a story...
The second reign of Chakri Dynasty was ruled by King Rama II (1767-1824).
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Traditionally, King Rama II has many wives. Historians categorize them into ‘wives born from royalties (which were not many because Chakri Dynasty was just established)’ and ‘wives born from commoners’.
King Rama II had 2 wives born from royalties. The first one named Princess Boon Rod (1767-1836) who was a daughter of his father, King Rama I,’s youngest sister and a male commoner. The second was Princess Kunton (1798-1838) who had King Rama I and a Princess from the Kingdom of Laos as her parents.
Conclusively, those 3 were all biologically related.
'Prestigiously', #2 or Princess Kunton was before #1 or Princess Boon Rod, but King Rama II had #1 long before #2, before he took the throne as King Rama II so, #1 was treated with higher respect.
The little birds said that Princess Boon Rod (#1) was the one and only love of King Rama II even though he had more along the way.
After courting for some time, the Princess #1 finally got pregnant. Knowing that if this news spread into his father (King Rama I)’s ears, he would be furious and had them both punished.
The young Prince then, approached Kum Waen (story on page 24) who was his father’s favorite concubine to help them.
Kam Waen did and the King was furious as expected because he knew that his son was a ladies’ man and had already had some. This Princess was his own sister’s and it would upset her mother.
However, in favor of his favorite wife (Kum Waen), the King did not punish the couple but only had the pregnant Princess move away from the Grand Palace to stay with her brother. And for his son, the King forbade him from doing any trading business with anyone.
Knowing his beloved one was taken away, the young Prince was sad but he set his plan to lay low for 3 months before approaching his uncle who was the heir to the throne to help him out.
With his brother, the heir to the throne, backup and the promise from the Prince, his son, that once came the time of him taking the throne as a king, he would never elevate other women equally to the Princess, King Rama I agreed and allowed them to marry.
Sadly, their baby was a stillbirth but soon they produced more. They were 2 boys who had lived long enough to share the throne as King Mongkut (Rama IV; 1804-1868) and King Pinklao under the same reign.
A little bit back to King Rama II, as having said that he still had more wives but they all were commoners. Among them, there was one and we call her here, #3, who became his wife even long before Princess #1, back when he was just a teenage Prince. Together they produced 3 offspring of whom the eldest was a son (1788-1851).
Little birds told that King Rama II had ruled Siam (his uncle or the heir to the throne died before King Rama I) with #1 as his queen for 7 years or until his age was at 49 before he took #2 who was only 18 years old as his another wife.
It made her so much disappointed that #1 decided to stop seeing him (coming before the throne or being called for, sort of). She even stopped cooking for him. Though the King tried hard to convince her back but she stood firmly on her ground. The reconciliation had been failed until the King died.
However, all of his life, as having promised to his father, King Rama II had never elevated any other wives, even #2, to be as equal as #1.
After King Rama II died, the throne went to King Rama III who would be the first son from wife, #1, and that was Prince Mongkut but at that time Prince Mongkut, apart from being too young (around 20), he was being peaceful with his monkhood and the second son (Prince Pinklao) was even younger so, none of them was suitable to rule the land.
Because then it was the absolute monarchy, after the king dies the queen is eligible to be able to do something.
Since #1 was the, so called, Queen but because her 2 sons who were legitimate for the true heir were not ready so, ignoring #2 whose offspring were still young as well, she carried the ‘regalia of absolute power (??)’ to #3’s eldest son who, at that time, was over 30 years old and gained much experienced since he had worked alongside his father, King Rama II.
Placing the King’s Sword on his hand, #1 said (in my own translation) “Our King has died. Your (step) brothers are too young. Take this Sword and claim the throne. Rule our land in righteousness for the benefits and happiness of our people.”
So, #3’s eldest son took the throne and ruled the land as King Rama III (1824-1851- reigning duration).
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After the coronation, #1 along with her youngest son moved out of the Grand Palace and crossed the Chao Praya River to stay at the Old Palace which once belonged to King Taksin the Great.
On the day of her departure, little birds told that, #3 came to send her off. Before stepping on the Royal Boat, #3, even though she was now the King’s mother, kowtowed to pay her last respect to #1.
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#1 smiled and said “Goodbye, Riam (#3’s original name)”.
#1 stayed at the Old Palace in Thonburi until she died at the age of 69 in the reign of her step-son, King Rama III not knowing that 15 years later her 2 sons, together, had taken the throne becoming King Rama IV and King Pinklao.
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Note: It’s not that King Rama III did not produce any offspring. He, likewise, had a lot of wives and offspring but he deemed that the throne should belong to the true heir which was his half-brother, Prince Mongkut.
Every picture tells a story
Attachment 66288(Computer colored version of B&W photograph)
When England defeated Burma in 1885 on the Third Anglo-Burmese War, King Theebaw (called in Thai tongue as “See-poh”) was the last ruler. The monarchy was finished and Burma was added as a province of British India.
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This incident made all the neighbors around including Siam as Burma’s archenemy appalled.
At the Palace, King Rama V and all of his subjects discussed seriously about what happened and why. One mutual reason was Burma wanted to shake hand with France in order to balance the power against England. England feared that if so, France would have more power so it ‘nib that in the bud’.
Later on, the King’s brother was appointed as his official representative to offer the Royal Regalia to Nicholas II, the Emperor of All Russia in 1891, he then furthered his visit to some more of the western royal courts.
In Italy, the Prince met the British ambassador named Frederick Temple Hamilton-Temple-Blackwood who was the final person to officially give signature to make the Third Anglo-Burmese War. After that remarkable decision, he was granted 1st Marquess of Dufferin and Ava.
The Prince of Siam chatted with the British ambassador and one thing led to another, it finally came to the most curious topic. The Prince asked him what his inspiration to colonize Burma was.
The British Ambassador replied that “…Even if you allowed yourself to cut off your hand instead of having to hit Burma and you'd be happy to do it, but I had contemplated several things. It came to the direction to choose between fighting with a small and faraway land like Burma and fighting with France, which is a great and powerful country and the consequence would lead to a great war in Europe. The conclusion came to an answer of dealing with Burma to extinguish a major incident. Therefore we had to decide to invade and annex Burma…”
(Note: As having never been a politic guy, this answer was difficult to understand. An excuse??)
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Exotic coconut ice-cream (with ‘palm seeds / yams boiled in syrup’, ‘boiled sweet corn’, ‘sticky rice’, ‘jack fruit’ and etc.)
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“Taue huan (clear soup with various kinds of pig’s intestine and pickled vegetables)” and “juke bee (Chinese sticky rice steamed with peanut)”. The lady was selling 'kloew and mun chuam (bananas and yams boiled in syrup)
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Exotic snack (‘pla-krim kai-tao’)
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Dried onions, preserved tamarind and old style coffee/tea
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Yam bean
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Old style cigarettes
A documentary (photos not included) titled The First University of Siam/Thailand (and how we adapted it according to the world outside)
With Western nations exerting increasingly strong influence on oriental affairs, Siamīs 19th-century leaders reacted by receiving the foreigners in one of two ways: with enthusiasm or with caution. King Rama III was among those who chose the latter path.
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A chronicle by Chaophraya (noble title) Thipakornworawongse (noble name granted by the king) reported that, on his deathbed, the King warned his men, particularly Phraya (noble title) Si Suriyawong (noble name granted by the king) (Chuang Boonnak [real name]), to be wary of the West.
“There will be no more wars with Vietnam and Burma." The monarch intoned. "We will have wars only with the West. Take care, and do not lose any opportunities to them. Anything they propose should be held up to close scrutiny before accepting it: Do not blindly trust them.”
It is believed that King Rama III actually had the old, Ayutthaya-styled Wat Poh (Wat Pra Chetuphon Wimonmanklaram) rebuilt and ordered texts to be inscribed on stone slabs around it, in order to invoke the broad, historic knowledge of the Siamese for all to see.
The inscribed texts at the temple reflected the Kingdomīs wisdom of Buddhist dhamma, military strategy, medicine and pharmacology, astrology, botany, geography and even poetry in all its styles.
Everyone, from the most common of laborers, suddenly was no longer denied access to the education available in temples. They were permitted to read the texts and learn the supreme knowledge of Siam at that time.
As a result, Wat Poh came to be regarded as Siamīs first university.
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(Inducted into UNESCO’s Memory of the World Programme in 2011)
In a 1986 article, a Dutch-Australian anthropologist, historian and an expert on Thailand named BJ Terwiel noted that when the first American missionary, John Taylor Jones, visited Siam, the abbot of Wat Prayoonrawongsawat (sited by the Memorial Bridge, on Thonburi banks) tried to convince him of the superiority of Siamīs teachings regarding the earth and the universe compared to Western theories.
The American physician-missionary Dan Beach Bradley (aka Moh Bud-Lay) wrote in his book, “Siam Then”, that King Rama III had barred him and another foreign doctor from treating his brother, Prince Mongkut. The monarch preferred native doctors and herbal remedies.
King Rama III accepted new technology and knowledge from the West, but at the same time insisted that Siamese culture remained preferable.
An inscribed stone slab at the time listed only 32 nations of the world. Ceylon (Sri Lanka) was ranked first as "a land of pure Buddhism", followed by Siam, while the Netherlands was fifth, Italy sixth and France seventh. Mighty Russia was 16th.
Even more intriguing, Great Britain -- about which Siamīs leaders had the most trepidation -- was not even on the list.
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Although King Rama III withheld overt support from the visiting missionaries, he did not prohibit high-ranking Siamese from studying western knowledge with them. Among these was Prince Mongkut, his brother by a different mother who would become King Rama IV, and his brother Prince Chudamani.
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Prince Mongkut was interested most in the natural sciences, astronomy and the history of Europe and America. By late 1835 he could devise astronomical map. When he lived at Wat Boworn... after being ordained, his small dwelling was full of books, including the Bible, Websterīs dictionary, hydro-graphic texts, star maps, charts on coming eclipses and, of course, an atlas of the world.
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He designed his own printing press, which could function in Thai and Pali (in Thai tongue we pronounce as ‘Bali’), and later ordered one from Britain, the first Asian to do so.
Prince Chudamani (Pinklao, the Second King in the reign of Rama IV) was another high personage who was keen on Western knowledge.
A keen boat-builder and engineer, he was the first Thai who could speak fluent English, and practiced Western manners, even dining in the European style. In his palace were new inventions he ordered from America and Britain.
Prince Chudamani was also the first Siamese to let an American missionary attend to ailing members of his family. His daughters were inoculated with smallpox vaccine, another first for the Kingdom.
And, remarkably for the time, he supported the unprecedented right of Siamese women to give birth by modern means.
(Not a nice documentary though you may think. Sorry in advance!)
Dara Rasami (1873-1933) was a princess, a daughter of the ruler of Chiengmai, the capital city of Kingdom of Lanna. Back then, it was known as Lanna states under Siamese tributary (1775–1899).
The ruler of Chiengmai presented his daughter, Dara Rasmi, to be the consort of King Chulalongkorn (Rama V), as was the practice of the day, to strengthen ties between the two families.
Thus, her greatest role in the history of Siam and Lanna was playing the pivotal role in the merging of the Lanna Kingdom to be part of Siam, which has since materialized into present-day Thailand. Chiengmai is now the second largest city in Thailand after Bangkok.
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As a young girl, Princess Dara was educated in different languages and traditional royal customs. She was taught, and proficient, in Thai, Tai Yuan and English, as well as in the traditional royal customs of both Lanna and Siam.
Her favorite sport was horse riding, and later in life she was said to be a skilled horsewoman.
As the British encroached further and further into Burma, in 1870s, Siam became concerned that England wanted to annex the Kingdom of Lanna.
In 1883, a rumor spread that Queen Victoria wanted to adopt Princess Dara Rasami of Chieng Mai. This rumor, the Siamese saw as a British attempt to take over the Kingdom of Lanna.
Diplomatically, King Chulalongkorn then sent his brother to Chieng Mai to propose an engagement to Prince Dara to become the King's Royal Concubine.
In 1886, The Princess left Chieng Mai to enter the Grand Palace in Bangkok where she was given the title Chao Chom (title for Royal concubines) Dara Rasami.
Though born a royalty and wealthy, while living in the Grand Palace, Princess Dara and the ladies in her entourage were, from time to time, ribbed and called "Lao ladies" as well as teased that they "smelled of fermented fish (pla-ra)."
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Despite these difficulties, Dara Rasami and her entourage always wore Chieng Mai styled textiles for their skirts (known as “pa-sin”) with their long hair pulled up into a bun to the back of the heads which was in contrast to the clothing and hairstyles of the Siamese women.
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With the King, the Princess gave birth to a princess in 1889 whereupon the King promoted her title from, just, Chao Chom to Chao Chom Marnda (= mother).
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Her father, the King of Lanna, was very pleased. He asked for his granddaughter’s photos and sent along a gold baby bathtub but the Princess had never used it for being concerned that it was way too high for her royal rank in her husband’s family.
Sadly, when her daughter was around two years, she became ill and died. Her death brought sadness to the King, and the royal families of both the Siamese and Lanna Kingdom.
Princess Dara Rasami was so distraught that she destroyed all she could find of photos and portraits of hers as well as those of her husband’s and daughter’s together.
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The child's ashes were divided in half with one part kept with her mother's ashes in the Chieng Mai Royal Cemetery at Wat Suan Dok and the other in the Royal Cemetery at Wat Ratchaborpit, Bangkok.
Although losing his daughter with Princess Dara Rasami, King Chulalongkorn did not ignore his wife. In 1908, he promoted her with higher royal rank from Chao Chom Manda Dara Rasami to Princess Dara Rasami Paratcha Chaya (= royal wife) which means roughly as Her Highness Princess Dara Rasami, the Princess Consort. The rank is the only such promotion ever.
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Up until she had become Princess Consort, Dara Rasami never returned to Chieng Mai even upon her father's, the King of Lanna Kingdom, death, she did not attend his.
In 1908, the new King of Lanna who was the Princess’s half-brother came to Bangkok and visited King Chulalongkorn. At that time, the Princess asked for permission from the King to go along with her brother back to visit her relatives in Chieng Mai, which he granted.
However, King Chulalongkorn was concerned for her safety on the long journey. On 2 February 1909, the King along with some of the royal family plus the department and senior government officials came to send her off at Samsen train station.
Before departing, according to the Lanna’s tradition, the Princess knelt down and wiped the King’s shoes with her long hair showing the highest respect one could give to her love.
At that time, transportation was very slow and it took Princess Dara Rasami two months and nine days to travel to Chieng Mai, where she arrived on April 1909. All the royal family of Chieng Mai, soldiers and people from all over Lanna came to celebrate her arrival.
While in Chieng Mai, the Princess visited her relatives in Lumpoon and Lumpang as well as the people in Lanna. She and King Chulalongkorn corresponded regularly via many affectionate letters throughout the time she was away from Bangkok.
Princess Dara Rasami returned to Bangkok after about six months. Upon her return, the King and some of the royal family, government officials and people came to welcome her with 100 royal boats at Ang Thong Province.
From there, she and the King went separately to Bang Pa-In Royal Palace where they stayed for two more days before returning to Bangkok on November 1909.
Only a year later after the Princess came back to Bangkok, her husband died on 23 October 1910 of kidney disease at Dusit Palace.
Following his death, the Princess continued to live in Dusit Palace until 1914, before asking for permission from the new King Wachirawut (Rama VI) to return to Chieng Mai to retire. The King granted her permission, and she returned to Chieng Mai on January 1914.
Princess Dara Rasami continued with her royal duties for the people of Lanna. In later life, she lived in a mansion that King Rama VI built for her and her official attendants.
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On 30 June 1933, an old lung ailment recurred. Both western and Thai doctors tried to cure her, but no one succeeded. Princess Consort Dara Rasami died peacefully at the age of 60.
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Dararasami Hospital on 101 Mae Rim, Chieng Mai, is named dedicated to her.
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The Princess had the reputation of long and beautiful shiny black hair
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Behind the camera; the lady with the camera was also one of King Rama V's Royal Concubines
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Inside the Royal Palace, the female royalty’s section.
Quote:
Originally Posted by nathanielnong
They must have detoured, trains could not possibly be so slow at that time.Quote:
Originally Posted by nathanielnong
Shopping in Ayutthaya and Sukhothai? :)
Quote:
Originally Posted by lom
:smileylaughing: And yes, you are right. Big entourage such as this, with females in majority, always delayed the journey.
Once again, another informative and interesting post.Quote:
Originally Posted by nathanielnong
In the very early 70s I used to hang out at a place in Chiangmai called The Pub. It's still there but at that time was one of the very few places in town catering to Westerners. A frequent visitor was an elderly Thai gentleman who would drop in with a small retinue of female minders. I would describe him as an urbane bon vivant and a very friendly chap. He was treated with great respect by the staff who confided to me that was "the last Prince of Chiangmai". As a newbie, I had no idea what they were talking about. He spoke with an upper class British accent and told me that he came there occasionally as he found socialising with foreigners was fun and less stressful than his normal routine. Once again, in my clueless immaturity, I had little idea what he was on about.
Although I went back to that place many times again in later years I never saw him again. I have since then wondered who he was, as he was a very impressive fellow. Do you think he could possibly have been (Prince?) Wongtawan na Chiangmai, a descendant of Dara Rasami, or are there several other people who might fit the bill?
Keep up the good work.
Your story gave me goosebumps!Quote:
Originally Posted by Shy Guava
The elderly gentleman you mentioned is quite hard to identify. From what I have ‘dug in’ so far there were 3 ‘dynasty’ from the north.
1 Thip-chack Dynasty – Chiengmai + Lampang + Lampoon
2 Nan Dynasty – Nan (Province)
3 Thappawong Dynasty – Prae (Province)
Below is the photo of the group of royalty from the north who came to welcome King Rama IX during his royal visit in Chiengmai in 1958. Anyone fits your memory?
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And this is the photo of Prince Wongtawan Na Chiengmai, the last eligible heir of Chiengmai (which suits his definition you heard from the pub). He died in 1972 at 86. Princess Dara Rasami was his aunt (from his father’s side and younger).
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(I think he is in the center of the above photo, very much lookalike)
Thank you for sharing this story and thank you for your kind compliments.
Chulalongkorn University (1950s)
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Chiengmai University (1960s)
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Thammasart University (1960s)
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And my University
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You have given me a puzzle now trying to guess what those gentleman would have looked like about 13 years after the 1958 photo. I would guess that perhaps (1) the gent second from the left in the 2nd row from the top, (2) the chap to his immediate left (2nd from left, 3rd row from top, who looks related) or (3) the big guy in the centre of the front row, who also looks to have several siblings in the photo.
These are only guesses but I think I can discount Prince Wongtawan, who doesn't look the kind of guy who would be hanging around pubs.
Ratcha Prasong Area (early 70s)
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So, mystery remains....Quote:
Originally Posted by Shy Guava
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Every photo tells a story:
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For Khun Farung who have resided in Thailand long enough to be able to talk and understand Thai language and ever heard a Thai word uttered as ‘gay = เก๋’ which is normally used to admire someone who acts something cool. For example, when you put on a nice shirt and your friend sees and impressed. He says ‘Oh, That’s ‘gay = เก๋’.
Well, that word ‘gay = เก๋’ never existed in the old days. Record says that it was first mentioned by a noble officer in the Royal Court of King Rama V’s.
Record says that at that time the King and his entourage were paying an official visit to Singapore and Batavia (former name of Indonesia’s capital’s Jakarta) in 1870 which was the King’s first royal mission after he had taken the throne as, the young, King Rama V.
Because back then, formal attire, to keep up with the world outside, for abroad visits had not been created yet, all of them (especially the entourage) tried their best to look properly in the eyes of foreigners which resulted in mixed dressing of half Thai half western with scarfs tied around their necks and etc.
This noble man who used to have an experience in England since late in the reign of King Rama III, and at that time of King Rama V’s visit, was assigned as an interpreter walked around and once he saw someone look fair enough he would utter the word ‘That's gay’.
The entourage, all of them had never been abroad, did not understand that term but it sounded ‘cool’ to them so they adopted that term to use in the same occasions.
Time went by it has become a Thai word ‘เก๋’
Note: The photo, which originally in b&w, was taken by a French photographer named Jacques-Philippe Potteau in 1861. It was displayed in the Museum of Natural Science in France.
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Tanks were guarding the road to protect the protesters and rioters gathered up after the election of members of the House of Representatives (at the end of Field Marshal Poh. Piboonsondkram government’s term… page 12, 13) resulted on February 26, 1957 being not transparent.
There was cheating of every type in everywhere led by Police General Pow Sriyanon. It was recorded as the dirtiest election in the history of modern Thailand.
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Gas station opposite to the Grand Palace and Sanum Luang shot in 1957 (no cars at all!). First it was ‘Mobil Gas’ then it was changed to '3 Soldiers' or 'Sum (= 3) Tahan (= soldiers)' before being demolished.
‘3 Soldiers’ was finally changed to ‘PTT’ as seen all over Thailand in present day.
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The oldest train station in Bangkok (named Bangkok Noi Train Station) which was built around 10 years earlier than Hua Lampong Train Station
Katin (Overview)
In Buddha’s time, as one of his decrees stating that material possessions were the source of much human misery and longing. He instructed his monks not to burden themselves with anything beyond a simple robe and a few necessary personal items, such as razors, pot and needles.
Apart from teaching monks humility, he showed them how to cut, sew, and dye the robes for themselves.
Since monks had to wear robes so, the only way to make one was from collecting discarded cloth thrown away by people or from corpses’ unused wrappings in the cemeteries/grave yards then washing, dyeing and sewing those pieces together to become robes.
In the meantime, people saw how struggling those monks were in making robes to wear so, they decided to make for them but since Buddha had not made a statement allowing monks to take those robes offered by people so, those people had to leave their newly made robes here and there along the way where the monks were supposed to walk past pretending that those were discarded.
This kind of robe is called “Pa Pa (Wild cloth / the first ‘pa’ is pronounced higher, the second ‘pa’ is pronounced lower)”.
The name ‘katin’ is called a wooden frame Buddhists use to stretch remnants of cloth then sew the pieces together before dying to make robes for monks. This kind of robe is called “Pa Katin (Katin cloth)”.
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Hence comes the terms “Tod Katin” which means "laying down Katin cloth” and “Tod Pa Pa” which means “laying down wild cloth”. In modern way, those 2 kinds of robe are the very same.
Later on, those two become parts of the religious tradition of Buddhism. Tod Katin festival lasts for 30 days, from Ork Phansa (the end of Buddhist lent) through to the full moon of the twelfth lunar month while Tod Pa Pa can be performed at any time of the year.
During this time, most Buddhists take part in these two ceremonies, either directly or indirectly, to show their appreciation to the monks of their local temples. They would supply them with everything else they need. Apart from Pa Katin/Pa Pa, more such as food, useful household items, cleaning supplies and etc. are also included.
Those offerings are carried to the temple in a procession, often involving brightly colored costumes and music, with the gifts piled up on floats or carried on trays.
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Among the procession of the offerings, there is money which is usually presented in the form of a padetha tree.
A padetha tree is a common way of collecting gifts and money from local people. A wooden structure is to set up resembling a tree wrapped in silver or gold paper. People would attach cash and other valuable gifts on the branches.
These padetha trees which serve as a part of Tod Katin/Tod Pa Pa are then presented to the monks.
Such trees can often be seen standing by the side of the roads or in the marketplaces or other public places.
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When the procession arrives at the temple, there is a formal ceremony during which Pa Katin/Pa Pa and other stuff would be presented to the monks then followed by a blessing and other festivities.
Today, however, the ritual has evolved dramatically into a grand celebration. Elaborate temples i.e. large or well-known are more likely to be the target. Hundreds and thousands of people instead of just local group join in the merit making. It is also an important occasion for the temples to raise funds.
Sacredness dwindles, alas…
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(Royal Katin presided by King Rama V at Wat Bowonniwet, 1900)
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Pra Prang Sum Yod is an early 13th century temple located in Lopburi Province.
The temple was built by King Jayavaraman VII of the Khmer Empire intending it to be an important location in the royal cult surrounding him, as it would increase the legitimacy of his rule.
In addition, the temple served to showcase the prestige of the Khmer Empire in Lopburi (known then as Lavo) as it had only recently captured the city from its Cham and Mon rivals.
The structure has three towers, each with a corresponding deity; the north tower is dedicated to Prajnaparamita, the central tower to Buddha and the south tower to Avalokite Svara.
The temple survived the end of the Khmer influence over Lavo when Lopburi came under the control of the Ayutthaya Kingdom.
The temple is also famous for its large population of ‘crab-eating macaques’ or ‘ling’ which live in and around the temple grounds. The monkey population has always been present in Lopburi, but the start of the locally-held ‘Monkey Buffet’ festival in 1989 led to a dramatic increase in their population.
The festival serves a dual purpose, drawing in tourists while also honoring the traditional Lopburi belief that monkeys are disciples of Jao Poh Pra Khan, a spirit who protects the city.
While the monkeys provide a valuable boon to local tourism, their activities has caused some damage to the temple's exterior (they are prevented from entering the temple).
Note: The B&W photo was taken in 1957
Farang like rivers...
60s
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70s (Klong Toey)
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In the northern Laotian lands bordering China, the insurgents of the Taiping Rebellion had taken refuge since the reign of King Mongkut (Rama IV).
These Chinese were called ‘Haw’. They became bandits and always invaded and pillaged the villages.
In 1877, King Chulalongkorn (Rama V) sent troops from Bangkok to crush the Haw who had ravaged as far as Vientiane. However, they met strong Chinese resistance and had to retreat to Isan.
The war with ‘Haw’, there were 3 of them. The victory finally came in 1887 when new modernized forces were sent again and were divided into two groups approaching the Haw from Chiang Kam and Pichai.
The Haw scattered and some fled to Vietnam. The Siamese armies proceeded to eliminate the remaining Haw. The city of Nong Khai maintains memorials for the Siamese dead.
This computer colored version of a B&W photo shows one of the only 500 medals made to commemorate these events. They were made by Germany’s B.Grimm and Co. of pure silver.
The Preah Vihear (in Thai: Pra Wihan) temple area has been the subject of debate within Cambodia and Thailand since the late 19th century.
The temple complex was built during the 9th and 10th centuries AD under the auspices of the Khmer Empire. As the empire reached its zenith and began a slow decline, the Ayutthaya Kingdom began to grow into the modern state of Thailand. Siam and Vietnam expanded into Cambodian territory in turn during the Ayutthaya, Thonburi, and early Rattanakosin eras.
The Franco-Siamese treaty of 1867 forced Siam to renounce suzerainty over Cambodia, with the exception of Battambang, Siem Reap, Banteay Meanchey, and Oddar Meancheay Provinces which had been officially incorporated into the Kingdom of Siam.
During the 1904 state visit of King Rama V to France, Siam agreed to cede Cambodia’s four provinces to France in exchange for regaining Thai sovereignty over Trat Province and Amphoe Dan Sai of Loai Province, which had been occupied by France.
In 1907, the Thai-Cambodian border was mapped by the French on behalf of a bilateral border commission. According to the 1904 agreement, the border would follow the natural watershed between the countries.
However, the resulting map deviated by showing Preah Vihear Temple as being in Cambodia, even though it is on the Thai side of the watershed.
Thailand accepted the map for official use. The Thais discovered the error when they made their own survey in the 1930s, but the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled that they had waited too long to protest so, the temple was lost by "acquiescence".
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After the end of the WW II, with Cambodian Independence and the French withdrawal in 1953, the Thai military occupied Preah Vihear Temple in 1954 in keeping with the border line of the natural watershed. The temple had been built facing north to serve the plains above it, not those of the Cambodian plain far below.
However, based on the 1907 French map, Cambodia protested insisting that it was inside their territory. Both countries finally agreed to submit the dispute to the International Court of Justice and abide by its decision.
In 1962, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) awarded ownership of Preah Vihear Temple to Cambodia by a nine to three vote, stating the 1907 map clearly showed Preah Vihear as being in Cambodia.
Nevertheless, the court had only ruled that the temple belong to Cambodia, and did not comment on the adjacent land to the north. Thailand reluctantly handed over the temple but continues to claim the surrounding area, insisting the border has never officially been demarcated here.
The ownership dispute revived in recent years when Cambodia submitted an application to UNESCO requesting that Preah Vihear be designated as a World Heritage Site. Thailand contended the application requested the designation including the land surrounding the temple, which Thailand still considers its territory.
In the interest of cross-border relations Cambodia withdrew the application, and submitted a modified map requesting the designation only for the temple itself.
On 8 July 2008, the World Heritage Committee decided to add Prasat Preah Vihear, along with 26 other sites, to the World Heritage Site list, despite several protests from Thailand, since the map implied Cambodian ownership of disputed land next to the temple.
The conflict between Cambodia and Thailand has still continued…
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(Access from Thailand officially closed)
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^Nice pictures. Taken by yourself?
This is the part of Klong Toey I remember the best:Quote:
Originally Posted by nathanielnong
https://teakdoor.com/images/imported/2021/04/65.jpg