Thread: Memory Lane (In my own language)

The scenery inside the Royal Palace in the reign of King Rama IV (sometime between 1851-1868)




The reign of King Chulalongkorn (Rama V; 1868-1910), Siam opened the door to westerner full time. State banquets had to be prepared to keep up with the international civilization.

This formal ceremony always gave hard time to those, though royalties and/or noble ranking people, who were not used to the western dining style, such as, eating with a set of fork, spoon and knife; ceramic tableware; formal dresses or even kinds of food made from beef or lamb which was not common for Siamese who love to eat fish or pork better.


(The photo showing a state banquet atmosphere held in 1897 was given by the Russian Embassy in 2007 as part of the 110 years of Siam-Russia international relations cerebration ... hope I use the right terms)


"…Bear in mind that we go abroad to get education not because we want to be a farang but because we want to keep up with farang's education…"

A part of the speech (by my own translation) King Chulalongkorn (Rama V; 1868-1910) gave to the first group of King's scholarship students sent, as a pioneer, to study in European countries (the future King Wachirawut (Rama VI; 1910-1925) stood behind his left shoulder) in 1897.