Thread: Memory Lane (In my own language)

Hung Sing Toh or known officially as Falck and Beidek Department Store was built in 1908 (King Rama V’s). It was among the largest department stores in the Bangkok. Locals called it Hung Sing Toh, meaning 'lion store', for a pair of lion sculptures that used to stand in front of the building.

The 1908 publication Twentieth Century Impressions of Siam (The title: Twentieth Century Impressions was a series of travel, political and social reference books published by Lloyds Greater Britain Publishing Company in London between 1901 and 1914. The full titles were typically styled as Twentieth Century Impressions of [country name]: Its history, people, commerce, industries and resources) describes the business as follows:

…It is no exaggeration to say that practically everything which a resident in Bangkok needs, with the exception, perhaps, of piece goods, may be purchased from Messrs. Falck and Beidek, a firm of importers and wholesale and retail merchants who have been firmly established in Siam now for some thirty years past. The business was founded in 1878 by Messrs. Falck, Bramann, and Beidek, and has, since its inception, been known by the Hong name of "Hang Sing Toh". Some idea of the extent of the trade carried on by the firm and the resources at their command may be gathered from the size of their new premises, which are situated on an extensive piece of ground just off the New Road, and adjoining their old site, which will shortly be occupied by the Chartered Bank's building now in course of erection. Their premises form, undoubtedly, the finest business house in Bangkok. The whole of the material used in their construction was imported from abroad, even to the very bricks. They are absolutely fireproof, and are so arranged that every facility is given for the effective display of the goods. The building is three storeys high on each side and two storeys high in the centre, so that, including the godowns, the amount of floor space at disposal altogether is something like 35,000 feet. The house, both in regard to its size and the wide range of selection provided by the amount of stock, compares favourably with any of the leading stores in either Singapore or Pinang. Hardware, stationery, furniture, safes, machinery, pumps, machine fittings, china, glass, crockery, trunks, travellers' requisites, fancy goods, typewriters, duplicators, bicycles, clocks, and many other articles, all come within the scope of the enterprise. These goods are imported direct from the leading houses in Europe and America, and the name and standing of the firm are sufficiently high, in themselves, to guarantee their quality…

Mr. Ch. Kramer, who has been a partner of the firm since 1896, has been connected with the business for the last twenty years. New premises were built under his supervision, and according to instructions founded on his long observation of the requirements of the trade in Bangkok.

(Premises and showrooms of Messrs. Falck & Beidek, from Twentieth Century Impressions of Siam)





The business closed down during the WW I, when Siam declared war against Germany and seized the properties of its citizens. The building afterwards changed hands several times.

By the 1980s, it had become known as the Oriental Plaza and operated as an upmarket shopping center selling antiques, art objects and handicrafts.

It was acquired by TCC Group in the 2000s, after which it was renamed as O.P. Place


(O.P Place)

Saint Joseph Catholic Church, Ayutthaya (1893)






(Today)

When King Rama V came back from his first royal visit to Europe in 1897 which took 253 days, all Siamese let by various government agencies held a grand reception celebration with various kinds of performances for many days and nights. They all missed their King.


(Some of welcome banners, made by both locals and farung, along the Chao Praya River)



(The royal ship arrived at Ratchaworadit Pier, close to the Grand Palace)



(Arriving at the pier by a smaller boat)



(The Ceremonial Arch at the pier)



(The Royal Parade entering the Grand Palace)







(3 photos above: Off to Dusit Palace along the Ratchadumnern Road)


The most interesting thing needed to be mentioned was the elegant ‘Ceremonial Arches’ made along the length of Ratchadumnern Road started from the Grand Palace (at Sanum Luang) to Dusit Palace (the, now, old palace sited in the area where the Equestrian Statue of King Chulalongkorn was located).

Each one was made by:




The Royal Thai Army (present term) which was the most beautiful one in the eyes of the beholders (a computer colored photo)





Ministry of Defence



Ministry of Interior



Ministry of Justice





Ministry of Metropolitan



Ministry of Public Instruction



Royal Military Academy



Ministry of Agriculture



Ministry of Finance

And the last one:


Ministry of Public Works



The example of the rough measurement of these enormous works:

A = 35 m.
B = 20 m.
C = 11 m.

The name "Dusit Tanee (Thani)" is well known to Thai people (educated ones) long before someone adopted it as the name of the, then, first class hotel.




Originally, “Dusit Tanee” was the name of a miniature city and micro nation project created in the 1918 by King Wachirawut (Rama VI).




According to the name "Dusit Tanee"; "Dusit" is the name of the fourth of six levels of Buddhist heaven and "Tanee" means 'town'. So "Dusit Tanee" roughly means 'a town in heaven'.

The project was conceived while King Rama VI, who was the first Thai king to go to study abroad to pursue the intention of his father (King Rama V) and grandfather (King Rama IV) of bringing modernization to the nation, was studying in England. At the time in the nineteenth century, miniature objects became a fad, especially in England. Along with his interest in democracy and the idea to educate his people of the equality of all citizens in a democratic society hence, Dusit Tanee, a democratic model city, was materialized.

The project explored aspects of democracy and members of the court were to be "citizens" owning properties in the model city.

Craftsmen were hired by noble families in Bangkok in order to reconstruct their houses in this miniature city. They had to register and buy land to become citizens in this ideal city. They could freely express and participate in debating public affairs in the city.

Two political groups were founded in Dusit Tanee, the Blue Party and the Red Party. King Rama VI himself also adopted the name "Mr. Rama" to participate in the city.

Elections were held, a constitution written, and two newspapers regularly published for the fictional city.

At first, Dusit Park, near the present Congress Building, which was a rice field before was chosen as the site for the miniature model city. The area measured 1 acre.

Up to 300 buildings inside Dusit Tanee were scaled to one-fifteenth (some say one-twentieth) life size. Palace, hotel, houses, hospital, school, theater, a clock tower, a fire brigade, a bank, a wat, shops, military barracks, roads, parks and everything a good city should contain were represented in the city.

Later on, growing so fast, Dusit Tanee was relocated to Payatai field which provided more space.

However, the project of the King was so new, so unfamiliar and hard for his people to comprehend. They all thought what's going on with the King's mind.

Anyway, while the critics dismissed the project as nothing more than the king playing with dollhouses, others regarded it as the first trial of a constitutional government in Siam.

In the end, the project was a failure. It was rejected because the country was not ready for democracy and if the city was actually built, the constitution would be used only in the city but not nationwide.

In 1925, the King died which caused a halt to the miniature city project and the real city was never actually built. There, however, were some attempts by Siamese students, who were educated in Europe and had been interested in democracy and modernization, to carry on the ideal of democracy.

Seven years after the king's death (now, the reign of his younger brother King Rama VII), a revolution occurred. A new government and a constitutional monarchy replaced 700 years of absolute monarchy.

Anyway though an inspiration, the fate of Dusit Tanee had a different path. The model city was poorly preserved after the king's death and had never been repaired. They had all been scattered here and there. Luckily that 14 buildings survived and are displayed at the National Library.












(News paper published within Dusit Tanee)


(What's left of Dusit tanee today)

Originally Posted by DC101

Great photos and even better look into the past. I'm so interested in Thai history. Please do continue.

Thank you so much for your kind compliments.

Originally Posted by Shy Guava

There was a Bangkok tourist attraction in the 60s and 70s called TIMland (Thailand in Miniature). I remember it as being around the Bang Khen area somewhere. I wonder if they copied the King's original concept?

No, Timland was just a recreational park mimicking country lifestyles of Thai people. Dusit Thani was, say, a utopia city (around that time).

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Timland is now no more but there is a Soi named Timland, Ngamwongwan, of which the park used to be there.

During March 19^th, 1931 and October 12^th, 1931, King Rama VII with his Queen visited U.S.A. (Herbert Hoover was the president) to have cataract on his left eye removed (such operation could not be done in Siam yet) and after that he furthered his visit to some important places including Canada and then Japan.

This was the first official visit to America by Siam/Thailand monarch.


(On board the ship)



(News)



(Visiting Thomas Alva Edison’s lab)



(Receiving his photo as a memorabilia)



(With Babe Ruth)



(...Can't find detail...)



(I’m not sure if this photo was taken during this trip (noticing the military uniforms). It was attached along with the Thai document)



(In Japan)

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Since ancient time, there have been various exchanges between India and Siam/Thailand.

Modern Indian communities have been around since the 1860s and spread over the centuries. Most of them arrived in the last century, notably from Tamil Nadu and other areas of Southern India. Some others came from Northern India such as Delhi, Punjab, Rajasthan and some more areas.

The historical number of the Indian population in Siam/Thailand can be seen in British consular statistics; however, these figures often lumped Indians together with Sinhalese and Malays….

Abdulrahim House belonged originally to Mr. H. Abdulrahim; an Indian merchant whose father came to do business and settle in Siam during the reign of King Rama V (1868-1910).

Mr. Abdulrahim had this house built in the style as a countryside resort so that he would not have to travel as far as Hua Hin for holidays. Later the house had been let to foreigners who worked in Bangkok for some periods of time. After he passed away in 1903, his family moved to live permanently in the house.

Because it was intended as a resort house, its design emphasized on an airy atmosphere and good ventilation created by the application of wood, high-elevated floor with a wide roofed deck.

The architecture is Gingerbread style decorated with wooden fretwork at fascia boards and gable corns in star and crescent motif, the symbol of Islam, and floral motifs which follow the rule of Muslim that does not allow the making of human or animal design.

Miss Prachum Abdulrahim, the present owner has strongly supported the conservation of the house, thus she proposed it to be registered as National Monument in order to ensure that the house will be well-conserved in the future.






(Miss Prachum Abdulrahim - right)



(1872)