Siam Mapped

[ncr]

Royal Maps Reveal the Past (http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2005/08/20/headlines/index.php?news=headlines_18391377.html) - The Nation, 20 August 2005

Treasures that languished in palace apartment give up secrets to researcher. After two centuries hidden away, a series of historic maps will be revealed to the public for the first time in January, when HRH Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn displays the Treasures from a Royal Cupboard that show the war and trade routes of Siamese kings in the 19th century.

It is not known for how long the 17 hand-drawn, hand-coloured cotton map rolls have been kept at the Grand Palace in the mansion of Princess Abbhantri Paja (1889-1935), a daughter of King Rama V, but Princess Sirindhorn discovered them in the Grand Palace’s inner royal court in 1996.

[...]

After spending years studying, surveying places marked on some of the maps and reading royal chronicles, Santanee included the possible answers in her PhD thesis, extracts of which are included in the book “Royal Siamese Maps: War and Trade in 19th-Century Thailand”, published by River Books.

[...]

Most are reproduced in the book, and five will be exhibited at the Jim Thompson Thai House from January to March next year.

[GWR]

http://www.riverbooksbk.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=87
http://www.riverbooksbk.com/catalog/images/royal%20siamese%20maps.jpg

[GWR]

'Siam Mapped: A History of the Geo-Body of a Nation' Thangchai Winichakul, Silkworm Books, 1994. Available at Asia Books at 595 Baht. I'm still reading it, so won't review it just yet; apart from just pointing out that it appears to be quite highly appreciated by Thailand Watchers. There are some reviews elsewhere in this forum, but I have yet to rediscover them:-

http://www.dcothai.com/product_info.php?cPath=46&products_id=128

And some background on the author from the University of Wisconsin & a Thai Language site that commemorates Thailand's bloody 1976 incident:-

http://seasia.wisc.edu/People/Thongchai%20Winichakul.htm

http://www.uwalumni.com/onwisconsin/2003_summer/noise1.html

http://www.2519.net/autopage/show_page.php?t=4&s_id=1&d_id=1

[Ahoerstemeier]

That book is definitely a highly recommendable one. I bought it 2nd hand in Thailand two years ago, and finished to read it within 3 days - simply couldn't stop because it was so interesting, even though I also had to do sightseeing then.

[GWR]

If you really want to read an uncompromising book by a Thai author, I recommend it wholeheartedly. I don't claim to have connected with his every nuance; but I see that as good reason to read it again. I wonder if this book has ever been published in Thai. I suspect NOT, as it contains thoughts that many people (of any political shade, anywhere in the World) might feel distinctly uncomfortable about. That said, I suspect it remains 'unbanned' because a lot of folk find it difficult to understand; and one wonders whether it would be any easier to understand in translation.

[GWR]

On sale at Asia Books. If I remember rightly, it's about 1750 baht. The good thing about Asia Books is that it won't be shrinkwrapped, so you will be able to take a good look at it before you buy. They also have quite a few in stock, so you can look for one at the bottom of the stack which hasn't been fingered. Here's an updated 'River Books' link:-

http://www.riverbooksbk.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=31&products_id=103

[Okya Senaphimuk]

Very good book indeed, even when best appreciated by somebody who is already familiar with Thai/SEA studies. I would not suggest it to beginners: it's a very academic text. For the intermediate/advanced scholar, it's a real treat.

[GWR]

THE MAPPING OF THAILAND: AN INTRODUCTION

By

Dawn F. Rooney

This paper was presented at the International Map Collectors’ Society [IMCoS] Symposium, Singapore, November 1991.

http://rooneyarchive.net/lectures/lec-maps_intro/lec_maps_intro.htm

http://rooneyarchive.net/lectures/lec-maps_intro/images/25.jpg

A detail of a town plan of Bangkok of 1931 is an example of full-fledged Thai cartography (Plate 25). It was printed in four colours which were used to depict symbols. Toponyms on this map are in English. It identifies wooden buildings, railway tracks, dykes, boundaries, and even foot paths. Aerial photography for maps was introduced later in the twentieth century.


The domain for this article is called the 'Dawn. F. Rooney Cultural Archive'. Rooney is based in Bangkok, and has been involved in regional cultural research for well over 30 years: -

http://rooneyarchive.net/

There are some interesting articles on the betel-nut habit and its paraphernalia.

Also this page of 'European Maps of SEA': -

http://rooneyarchive.net/maps1-sml/index.htm