Thread: Memory Lane (In my own language)

The colorized B&W photo courtesy of ‘Page Siam Colorization by Noomrattana’ shows a lion dance during Chinese New Year festival in Bangkok in 1956 (the Grand Palace is in the background).

The colorized B&W photo courtesy of ‘Page Siam Colorization by Noomrattana’ shows portraits of King Rama V (1868 – 1910)’s wives (Queen Consort and lesser ranks… not all of them).

Louis Larnaudie or Pastor Larnaudie (1819 - 1899) was a French priest and a Jesuit missionary. On July 25, 1845, he traveled from Paris to Siam along with a camera ordered by Bishop Pallegoix, a pastor of the Foreign Missions of Paris who was performing missionary duties in Siam in the reign of Kind Rama III (1824 – 1851). Here, Louis Larnaudie brought the technology of photography to teach a lot of Siamese who were interested in photography.

Louis Larnaudie was knowledgeable in engineering, physics, chemistry and science. He was able to invent the knowledge of metal plating. He studied Thai language with Bishop Pallegoux for 6 months before being ordained as a pastor.

While residing in Siam, Louis Larnaudie participated in creating a four-lingual dictionary which was published in 1854.

He also was appointed by King Rama IV (1851 – 1868) to accompany the Siamese ambassadors to Paris in 1861 and 1867 and acted as their interpreter during their stays in France.

Louis Larnaudie spent some 15 years in Siam and was fluent not only in Thai language but also in Japanese and at least one Chinese dialect.

Louis Larnodie died in the reign of King Rama V in 1899, aged 80 years.

The colorized B&W photo courtesy of ‘Page Siam Colorization by Noomrattana’

Sathon mansion was built in 1888, during the reign of King Rama V (1868 – 1910) for a wealthy Chinese businessman and government official who owned and developed the land around Klong Sathon, and later served as the residence of his son-in-law. In 1910, his son-in-law went bankrupt. The ownership of the mansion fell to the Privy Purse (later to become the Crown Property Bureau) in 1916.

Later, King Rama VI (1910 – 1925) bestowed the mansion to his favorite Chao Phraya Ram Rakhop and later, in the 1920s, it became the site of the Hotel Royal. In 1948, the property was leased to the USSR and it served as the site of the Soviet embassy (later the Russian embassy) until the year 1999.

The building complex received the ASA Architectural Conservation Award in the award of merit for the architecture and community heritage conservation category for the 2020–2021 year. The recent photo of the mansion can be obtained using Google.

The colorized B&W photo courtesy of ‘Page Siam Colorization by Noomrattana’

The colorized B&W photo courtesy of ‘Page Siam Colorization by Noomrattana’ shows Kaso tribe which was believed to be migrating from Laos. The original photo was taken in the reign of King Rama V (1868 – 1910).

In the photo, they were performing their traditional dance. In the center was a clay jar containing homemade liquor called “U (not ‘u' like ‘Utah’ but ‘u’ like umbrella’)”.

Originally Posted by nathanielnong

Sathon mansion

It looks a bit sad and lost surrounded by sky scrapers nowadays.

Originally Posted by malmomike77

It looks a bit sad and lost surrounded by sky scrapers nowadays.

Yes, gone the glory once it was admired.

The colorized B&W photo courtesy of ‘Page Siam Colorization by Noomrattana’ shows the traditional merit making, offering food to monks, during the New Year Day in 1941. It was the first time that Thailand has changed the New Year Day from Songkran Day to January 1^st like any other civilized countries.

Songkran Day was the official New Year until 1888, when it was switched to a fixed date of 1^st April. Then in 1940, this date was shifted to 1^st January (starting next year which made 1940 contained only 9 months). The traditional Thai New Year on Songkran was transformed into a national holiday. Celebrations are famous for the public water fights framed as ritual cleansing.

The colorized B&W photo courtesy of ‘Page Siam Colorization by Noomrattana’ shows a ‘Royal Ride’ for King Rama VII with his Queen Consort while staying in Chiengmai during their visit to the northern part of Siam in 1926. He is considered the first king of the Chakri Dynasty to pay a visit to Chiengmai.

<font size="4"><a href="https://youtu.be/LYj2-XNnbJA" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: &amp;amp">

Detail 1:

Detail 2:



(These are Chiengmai Royalty doing the traditional dance)

The colorized B&W photo courtesy of ‘Page Siam Colorization by Noomrattana’ shows a Prince who was one of King Rama V’s sons. The Prince’s mother was a commoner. He was very expert in ancient language called Ma-kot (Magahi??) and very accurate in calculation and prediction the lunar eclipse.

(Note: the vintage buttons and miniature insignia which was quite popular around that time)

The first constitution of Thailand was bestowed on the people of Siam by King Rama VII (1925 – 1935) in 1932.

The colorized B&W photo courtesy of ‘Page Siam Colorization by Noomrattana’

Phra Nakhon Khiri is a historical park in Phetchaburi Province, Thailand on a hill overlooking the city. The name Phra Nakhon Khiri means 'holy city hill', but locals know it better as Khao Wang, meaning 'hill with palace'.

The park consists of three building groups on the three peaks of the 95 m. hill. The whole complex was originally built as a summer palace by King Rama IV (1851 – 1868) with construction finished in 1860.

The site was registered as a historical park on 27 August 1979.

The colorized B&W photo courtesy of ‘Page Siam Colorization by Noomrattana’ shows Khao Wang shot in 1946 by William Hunt.

The colorized B&W photo courtesy of ‘Page Siam Colorization by Noomrattana’ shows King Rama IV (1851 – 1868), great great grandfather of King Rama X (hope that is right).

The colorized B&W photo courtesy of ‘Page Siam Colorization by Noomrattana’ shows daily life in a fresh market in Bangkok in 1935.

The colorized B&W photo courtesy of ‘Page Siam Colorization by Noomrattana’ shows Saladaeng Manor which was bestowed by King Rama V (1868 – 1910) to an important nobleman with the rank of ‘Chao Phraya’. This area later was the site of the then Dusit Thani Hotel.

The colorized B&W photo courtesy of ‘Page Siam Colorization by Noomrattana’ shows the portrait of Seao Hutseng, a Chinese born and raised in Thailand. He established a Thai – Chinese printing house in the late reign of King Rama V (1868 – 1910).

All of his life, Seao Hutseng had maintained close political and ethnic ties to China. In 1910, Seao Hutseng accommodated Dr. Sun Yat-Sen who dropped by Bangkok during his tour of South East Asian countries to raise funds from the overseas Chinese for the Chinese Revolution. He convinced several Chinese businessmen to put up their assets as collateral with an English bank to raise the loans.

The colorized B&W photo courtesy of ‘Page Siam Colorization by Noomrattana’ shows the autograph of King Rama X’s grandmother or ‘Somdej Ya’ (Princess Srinagarindra; 21 October 1900 – 18 July 1995) who was one of the most beloved royalty.

The photo courtesy of ‘Sebastian Peet’ shows the Royal Nine-Tiered Umbrella of kingship being considered the most sacred and ancient of the royal regalia of Thailand. A royal umbrella (also called a chatra) consists of many tiers, five for the prince, seven for the crown prince (or the viceroy) and unconsecrated king, and nine for a fully sovereign and crowned Thai king.

Until the coronation rites are completed the new king will not be able to sit on the throne under the nine-tiered umbrella.

Nora is a lively and acrobatic form of dance theatre and improvisational singing from southern Thailand. Performances normally include a long oral invocation, followed by a presentation by a lead character who dances with vigorous and elaborate movements of the legs, arms and fingers.

The performances are usually based on stories about the former lives of Buddha or about legendary heroes. An ensemble plays highly rhythmic and fast-paced music, with a traditional southern oboe providing the melody and strong rhythms produced by drums, gongs, cymbals and wooden clappers.

The main Nora performers – whether male or female – wear colourful costumes with crowns or headdresses, beads, bird-like wings tied around the waist, ornate scarves, and swan tails that give them a bird-like appearance. Performers also wear long, metallic fingernails that curl out from the fingertips.

Nora is a community-based practice with deep cultural and social significance for the people of southern Thailand. Performances use regional dialects, music and literature to reinforce cultural life and social bonds among local people.

Over five hundred years old, Nora is performed in local community centres and at temple fairs and cultural events, and is passed on through training by masters in homes, community organizations and educational institutions.

The colorized B&W photo courtesy of ‘Page Siam Colorization by Noomrattana’ shows a Nora dance performed in the open air in Koh Mak (Penang) in the reign of King Rama V (1868 – 1910)

Becoming a monk is often seen a rite of passage in Thai society, with many holding those who have ordained in higher esteem.

The colorized B&W photo (King Rama IX’s) courtesy of ‘Page Siam Colorization by Noomrattana’

The colorized B&W photo courtesy of ‘Page Siam Colorization by Noomrattana’ shows decorations inside one of the throne halls within the Grand Palace in the reign of King Rama V (1868 – 1910).

^ do you think they let the apprentice work on that one at Page Siam Colorization, got a bit carried away with this favourite colour

keep them coming