The Kingdom of Siam

Citation preview

I

\

Her Majesty the Queen of Siam

*«*

kingdom of Siam Ministry of Agriculture

Louisiana Purchase Exposition St.

Louis, U. S. A.

1904

Siamese Section

Edited by

A. Cecil Carter, M.A. Secretary-General of the Royal Commission

Illustrated

G. P. Putnam's Sons

New York

and London

Gbe "Knickerbocker press

1904

Copyright, 1904 BY

JAMES

H.

GORE

Published, September, 1904

Ubc

Ifcnlcfterbocftcr

press,

ELECTRONIC VERSION AVAILABLE

no

1

000Or^c

Hew

JBorft

THE COMMISSION. President

H. R. H. The Crown Prince. Vice'Presiden ts. H. R. H. Prince Devawongse Varopakar. Minister of Foreign Affairs.

H. R. H. Prince Mahisra Rajaharudhai. Minister of Finance.

H. E. Chow Phya Devesra Wongse Vivadhna. Minister of Agriculture.

SecretaryGeneral. Mr. A. Cecil Carter, M.A. Department

of Education.

Members, H. R. H. Prince Sanbasiddhi Prasong. H. R. H. Prince Marubongse Siribadhna. H. H. Prince Vadhana. H. E. Phya Vorasiddhi Sevivatra. H. E. Phya Sukhum Nayavinit. H. E. Phya Amarindra Lujae. H. E. Phya Surasih Visisth Sakdi. H. E. Phya Kamheng Songkram. H. E. Phya Sunthorn Buri. H. E. Phya Rasda Nupradit. H. E. Phya Kraibej Ratana Raja Sonkram. H. E. Phya Vijayadibadi. Phra Phadung-Sulkrit.

Commissioner'General. Professor James H. Gore. The Columbian University. Pavilion.

A

reproduction of the principal building of Wat Benchamabopit now in course of erection in Bangkok.

INTRODUCTION

THEby

following notes on Siam have been written

high

officials in

different

departments of

the Government Service, and while in no

way

pro-

fessing to give a full description of the people and

country, each article

is,

as far as possible, an accurate

statement of the existing conditions. These articles were written during 1903 and the statistics refer to

and years anterior to this. There being as yet no standard for the transliteration of the Siamese characters each author has followed his

this year

own system.

The Editor.

CONTENTS CHAPTER

PAGE

I.

I

II.

7

III.

i7

— The Royal Family —The Government —A General Description of Siam IV. — Naval and Military Forces V. — Siam from an Historical Standpoint VI. — Language of Siam VII. — Religion of Siam VIII. — The Capital IX. — Finance X. — Currency and Banking XI. — Agriculture XII. — Forestry XIII. — Justice XIV. — Education XV. — Archaeology .

vn

63 77

87 93 103 127 141

151 171

183 201 211

Contents

viii CHAPTER

XVI.

—Transportation

PAGB

and Means of Com-

munication

XVII. — Mining XVIII. — Commerce XIX. — The Industries of Siam

Index

227 237

247 .

.

.

261

273

^Sl^S

ILLUSTRATIONS FACING PAGE

His Majesty the King of Siam

Frontispiece

Her Majesty the Queen of Siam His Royal Highness the Crown Prince of

.....

Siam

The Crowns of Siam

4 8

Local Government Officials

.

10

The Royal Palace

12

A Temple A Laos Family

....

26

The Opening of

a

.....

Mouth

of the

Lower Siam

Canal

Menam River

.... ....

A Railroad Station, Lower A Farm-house The Approach to Korat Ploughing

.

Siam

34 36

40 46

48 5°

Primitive Irrigation

A Village

.

3° 32

.

Festival

.

54

.

58

X

Illustrations PACING PAGE

Elephants with Howdahs Ministry of

War

60 66

The Royal Military College

70

His Majesty's Yacht

72

.

Mounted Puket Police

74

Menam River A Temple

80

His Majesty Landing at a Temple

94

Temple Gate

96

84

.

A Group of A Temple

Priests

.

98 100

.

The City Wall

106

.

The Royal Palace

.

108

The Saranarom Palace

no

Bangkok Tramway

112

The Port

of

.

Bangkok

114

A Canal in Bangkok A Street in Bangkok

116

Custom House at Bangkok

130

Head

Office,

124

Railway Department

138

Ministry of the Household

144

Clearing the Ground

154

Ploughing Ceremony

156

Planting Rice

.... .

158

illustrations

CHAPTER

I

THE ROYAL FAMILY

CHAPTER

I

THE ROYAL FAMILY Majesty, Chulalongkorn, King of Siam of the

HISNorth and Malays,

etc.,

is

South, Sovereign of the Laos, the the fifth sovereign of the Chak-

Dynasty, founded one hundred and twenty-one years ago. His Majesty is the rakri

eldest son of

tember

The King.

King Mongkut, and was born on Sep-

20, 1853.

He

succeeded his father

in 1868,

reigning under a regency until he came of age. Since then His Majesty has introduced many important reforms, and

Siam owes much

of her prosperity to

her King's energy and initiative. He works harder than most of his subjects, whose welfare he ever has at heart.

In 1897, His Majesty undertook a jour-

ney to Europe where he was well received and entertained

by the

European sovereigns whose

countries he visited.

This journey, like everything His Majesty undertakes, was for the benefit of his country and his people and has already produced else

3

4

Kingdom

good

He

results.

back with him his

travels

is

many

of

Siam

a keen observer

and he brought

ideas formed or gathered during

abroad.

He

is

the only independent

Buddhist sovereign in the world and is therefore looked upon as the chief supporter of the religion Under his wise and beneficent rule of the Buddha. the future prosperity of Siam

is

fully assured,

and

her people, imitating the noble aims and efforts of their monarch, are destined to take a prominent position

among

the civilized nations of the world.

His Royal Highness,

Maha

Vajiravudh, Crown is the son and

Prince of Siam, Prince of Ayuthya,

He was

_.

The „ Crown

heir of

Prince.

born on January i, 1881, and was proon the death of his elder

King ° Chulalongkorn.

claimed heir-apparent brother, Crown Prince 1895.

fc>

Maha

Vajirunhis, in January,

His Royal Highness went to study

in

Europe

He enbeing chiefly resident in England. tered the Royal Military College of Sandhurst in in 1893,

and also attended the School of Musketry, Hythe, where he obtained a certificate. He was for 1898,

one month

1899 attached to a mountain battery at the Artillery Training Camp on Dartmoor, near in

Okehampton, Devon.

In 1900 he went up to Ox-

ford University, studying history at Christ Church.

In 1902, as a result of his studies he published a

H. R. H. the

Crown Prince

of Siam

The Royal Family book

entitled

During

The

his stay in

War of

5

the Polish

Succession.

Europe, he represented his coun-

most imporones being Queen Victoria's Jubilee, 1897; Queen Victoria's funeral, 1901 King Alfonso

try at several notable functions, the

tant

;

XIII.

's

accession,

coronation

in

May, and King Edward's

Before returning to his June, 1902. country, he visited various European Courts, and

made

in

a tour in the United States of America.

He

Japan on his way home. At the present His moment, Royal Highness is in command of the Royal Foot Guards and is also Inspector-General of

also visited

the forces on the Staff of the Siamese

Army.

The King

has several brothers, the chief one being His Royal Highness Prince Bhanurangsi, Minister of

War and Commander-in-Chief

of the

,

Royal Navy. The King s sons have all been or are going to be sent to Europe tion, so

it

The

Princes.

for educa-

be hoped that they will support carrying out his ideas and reforms.

may

the King in

They have been sent to learn various professions so that when the time comes they may be the leaders in such professions. In a country like Siam, when princes lead others follow.

We may

permitted to look forward

to

a

advance for the kingdom of Siam.

therefore be

period

of

rapid

CHAPTER

II

THE GOVERNMENT

J~.

o w

Z 2

u

CHAPTER

II

THE GOVERNMENT such a country as Siam, where there is no writas there is in the United States,

IN ten constitution, for instance, in

not easy to write of

it is

its

constitution

the compass of a small article, at least in detail.

Only the chief points The Government is archy King.

all

are here explained. in

form an absolute mon-

power being vested

He

in

is

in the

theory, the master of

and the whole of the land

is

No

one

and a

line

is

is

ever

life

and death

his property,

hardly necessary to say that this tice.

hands of the

is

not so

but

it

is

in prac-

condemned without a

trial,

drawn between government property

and the King's private property.

Improvements

of the King's property are never paid for out of the

public or government treasury.

The King

is

assisted in his executive duties

council of Ministers {Senapati), of equal rank.

by a

whose members are

Portfolios are distributed as follows 9

:

io

i.

Kingdom Foreign Affairs

wongse. 2. 3.

4. 5.

Interior

— Prince

Siam Krom Luang Deva-

— Prince Krom Luang Damrong.

War and Navy — H. R. H. Prince Bhanurangsi. — Treasury Prince Krom Mun Mahisra. Local Government and Police — Prince Krom

Luang 6.

of

Nares.

Public

— Prince

Works

Chowfa Krom Khun

Naris. 7.

Household

— Prince

8.

— Prince of Justice

9.

Agriculture

Krom Khun

Rajaburi.

— Chow Phya Devesra.

Ecclesiastical Affairs

10.

Vudhikara

Bidyalabh.

and Education

— Phya

Pati.

Under the Minister Sanitary Board, with

of Local

Government

Chow Phya Devesra

is

the

as Presi-

dent.

The Department three sections, viz.

of Public

Works

is

divided into

:

(a) Public Works. (b)

Post, Telegraph,

(c)

Railway.

The

and Telephone.

details of administration will be

found de-

scribed elsewhere.

Besides the Council of Ministers, there are also a

Council of State {Rath Montri) and a Privy Coun-

n

The Government

{Anga Montri), the members of which are appointed by the King and hold their seats during cil

His Majesty's pleasure.

In the State Council the

members perform the functions assembly required of a bill

;

it

that is

is

to say,

of

a

legislative

whenever a new law

is

presented to the Council in the form

and the Council debates upon it. If the passed it must receive the sanction of the

bill, is

King before

becomes a

it

has several members, and

The

law. its

Privy Council

functions are purely

advisory.

THE ADMINISTRATION The

administration of the country was formerly

divided between the three Ministers, the Minister for Civil Affairs

and the Minister

for Military Affairs,

with the Minister of the Treasury as GovernorGeneral.

But

in

1894 the internal administration was re-

organized and the whole of the country placed

under the administration of the Ministry of the In-

(Mahathai) with the exception of the capital and surrounding provinces, which is administered

terior

by the Ministry of Local Government. At the head of the Interior Administration Minister appointed by the King with a seat

is

the

in

the

12

of

Kingdom

Cabinet; he

is

assisted

however, holds no seat

The

ancient

Siam

by a Vice-Minister, who, in

the Cabinet.

provinces,

whilst

retaining their

now grouped together into Monthons or Circles under High Commissioners, who are appointed by the King, but act under the orders boundaries, are

of the Ministry of the Interior.

The prises

administrative

staff

of

a

monthon com-

:

The High Commissioner or Governor-General. The Deputy Commissioner or Deputy Governor-General.

The Chief Law Officer. The Assistant Commissioner. The Chief Revenue Officer. The Commandant of the Gendarmerie. The Chief Treasury Officer. The Chief Public Works Officer. The Inspector of Jails. The Secretary of the High Commissioner. The Assistant Inspectors. The

administration of each province comprises

The Governor. The Deputy Governor. The Public Prosecutor. The Treasury Officer.

:


>

« X

The Government

13

The Revenue Officer. The Gendarmerie Officer. Each province

is

again subdivided into districts

district officer (Amphur), who is assisted or more assistant amphurs according to the one by extent of the district, and by a subordinate revenue

under the

officer.

The

district

is

again divided into villages under a

headman, and the villages are subdivided into hamlets under an elder.

village

A

hamlet

is

a collection of about ten houses or

one hundred people, who

the presidency of the district

may

officer.

elder under

The

ballot

be either open or secret and a bare majority

The

sufficient.

headman and

register of people in his hamlet,

people

in cases of

arresting criminals.

under penalties to of the law

when

A village elected

is

duties of the elder are to report any

cases of crime to the

is

own

elect their

flood or

fire,

to

to preserve a

summon

and to

assist

the in

All the inhabitants are bound

assist their elders in the

execution

called on.

consists of ten hamlets.

The headman

by the council of elders and receives con-

firmation from the governor of the province.

His duties are to supervise the elders and to inform them of any new government regulation, to

of

Kingdom

14

Siam

provide transport and assistance for persons travel-

on government business, which must, however, be paid for by such persons, the headman having no ling

power to

goods or labor without

requisition either

proper payment.

The

district

is

of villages the total

composed

ber of whose inhabitants

is

num-

not less than ten thou-

sand people.

The

among

district officer or

is

selected from

the assistant district officers or householders

of the district.

three or selects

amphur

The governor

more names

of the province sends

to the high commissioner,

one of them.

He

chooses his

own

who

assist-

but their appointment must be approved of by the governor and confirmed by the high comants,

missioner.

All other appointments are of

the Interior.

elders

District

made by

officers,

the Ministry

headmen, and

must be Siamese subjects resident in their and take the oaths of allegiance twice a

districts

year according to their is

own form

of religion.

There

no religious disability. One most important feature of the administration

is the meeting of high commissioners, who assemble once a year at the capital under the presidency of the minister to discuss and draw up the programme

The Government for the following year

15

and report on the past year's

work.

Under the Ministry ot the Interior are also the Forest Department and the Mining Department; under the Ministry of Agriculture are the Survey,

Land Record, and

Irrigation Departments.

CHAPTER

III

A GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF SIAM

17

CHAPTER

III

A GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF SIAM BY THE DIRECTOR-GENERAL OF THE ROYAL SURVEY DEPARTMENT

"The Land

SIAM, Land the Tai,"

of i.

White Elephant," "The the Yellow Robe," "The Country of

e.,

of the

the Free,

east

corner of Asia.

first

parallels

is

situated in the south-

Geographically it may be described as lying within the fourth and the twentyof north

latitude

and between the

ninety-seventh and the one hundred and sixth parallels

of eastern longitude.

bounded on the north by Tong-king and the Southern Shan States of Burma (French) (British); on the west by Annam (French) and CamSiam

is

bodia (French); on the south lie the Gulf of Siam and the Malay Peninsula stretching southward, and

washed on the west by the Indian Ocean, and on the east by the China Sea, and bounded itself on the south by the Federated Malay States (British). 19

20

Kingdom

of

Siam

The 1 1

length of Siam, north and south, is about 30 miles, and the breadth, at the widest part N.), about 508 miles, while the area

(latitude 15

242,587 square miles, a

little

is

more than Spain and

Portugal together, and the total coast-line

is

1760

miles.

The two most

striking physical features are the

Mekawng River

(unnavigable

for

large

vessels),

thousand miles along the northern and eastern boundaries, and the range of mountains

which runs

for a

forming the western flank of the upper part of Siam, and which continues southward to form the back-

bone of the Malay Peninsula. Bangkok, the capital of Siam,

Menam Chao

is

on the

Phya, commonly called the Menam,

and about thirty miles from the mouth of that This port

river

lies at

river.

the centre of the base of the triangle

which forms that part of the Menam valley to which has been given the name "The Garden of Siam." This base

is

one hundred miles long, and the height

of the triangle six

is

124 miles, so that the area

is

over

thousand square miles.

North broken part of

the country becomes more the mountainous country of the northern

of this area

till

Siam

is

met

and lying between

it

with.

East of

Menam

valley,

and the valley of the Mekawng,

A is

General Description of Siam

21

a large tableland, of no great elevation, not well

watered,

and therefore sparsely inhabited.

nature of these

districts,

however,

is

The more minutely

described later on.

The

third great physical feature of

Siam

is

the

Isthmus of Kra, that narrow, low part of the Malay Peninsula which has so long attracted the eyes of engineers anxious to reduce the already shortened sea routes of the world.

To

give a clear idea of the country it is convenient to divide it into three divisions: Upper Siam, the hilly

ing

country Lower Siam (alluvial plains), includthe eastern provinces (tableland); and the ;

Siamese Provinces of the Malay Peninsula.

—

UPPER SIAM TERRITORY, CLIMATE, POPULATION BY THE DIRECTOR OF THE INLAND

—

REVENUE DEPARTMENT Upper Siam 1

6° north

lies approximately between latitude and latitude 21° north, and is drained by

four great rivers, the Maping,

Mayom, and

the

Menam, each

the of

Mawang, the

which

is

divided

from the others by ranges of mountains forming well-marked watersheds. These hills are chiefly

composed

of limestone overlaid

by sandstone and

22

slate.

This sandstone

places

iron

Siam

of

Kingdom

ferruginous, and in

is

some

conglomerate occurs as one advances

southwards.

From Chieng-tung in British Burmah there stretches right across Upper Siam in a southeasterly direction a line of disturbances or faults

by a

hot sulphur springs.

series of

value of these springs

is

medicinal

entirely neglected

by

people, though, judging

The

marked by the

their analogy to those

of Japan, these springs should be of great therapeutic value.

The

four water systems run from north

to south, nearly parallel to one another, for over

hundred

miles,

single river, the

then

converge,

Menam Chow

finally

two

forming a

Phya, the main artery

of Siam.

The

soil in

sandy loam of composed of detritus washed down

the valleys

great fertility,

from the sides of the

is

chiefly a

hills.

The

slopes of these hills were formerly covered with dense teak forests, but owing to the indiscriminate felling of timber for

many

generations are

now

covered with worthless jungle.

The

usual result of reckless clearing of the

is very evident through the centre of the runs a broad belt of country, the natural

tainsides district

moun-

;

features of which have been entirely altered

by the

A

General Description of Siam

decrease of

rainfall,

and the evergreen

been replaced by deciduous

The

fell

they

is

as follows

and burn the

work, and

by a nomad people, Having

:

forest trees, a

selected a site

most laborious

the space thus cleared and fertilized

in

they plant a crop of the clearing

have

trees.

hillsides are cultivated

whose method

forests

23

abandoned

is

After the

rice.

for

first

harvest

two or three seasons

to allow the soil to recuperate, the length of time it lies fallow depending on the depth of soil and the

contour of the slope.

A

peculiar variety of rice is frequently planted in these clearings, which are marvellously productive;

when

ripe the ears of this rice are black, but

when

husked and boiled the grains are of a reddish color and a peculiar fragrance. In the valleys another variety of rice cultivated, different

known

as glutinous rice

from the white

rice of

only those people born and bred are able to subsist it is

eaten

on

people of the plains.

unused to

this rice

it,

largely is

quite

Lower Siam, and in

these districts

this peculiar variety,

small quantities as a delicacy

in

constitution

;

is

though

by the

When

eaten freely by those the effect on the general health and

is

most

the Government

is

injurious,

and

making great

for this reason

efforts to

induce

Siam

of

Kingdom

24

the farmers to substitute ordinary white rice

in its

place.

Fish, which forms an integral part of the food of

Lower Siam,

is

a rare luxury to the people of the

north, the rivers of

Upper Siam being markedly

life, probably owing to extreme shallowness of the water in the dry season and

devoid of animal

rapidity of the current during the rains.

This difference

in

the daily food forms one of the

Upper and Lower Siam.

great contrasts between

of

The second most important agricultural product Upper Siam is tobacco. This is generally planted on those parts of

after the subsidence of the rains

the bank which have been under water during the floods,

though occasionally

fields as a

fine

planted

leaf

is

in

the rice-

of a peculiarly

texture and would probably displace foreign the

tobacco

in

scientific

methods.

The method primitive in

is

it

The

second crop.

;

local

markets

of curing

the leaves are

it

first

were

it

cured by

in

vogue is extremely plucked and then kept

the dark to allow a part of the natural moisture

to evaporate.

After this they are folded lengthways and placed one on another, then cut in cross-sections by a small

hand machine

;

after this the cut leaves are

exposed

A

General Description of Siam

25

to the sun for one or two days, and the tobacco

ready for

is

consumption.

A large proportion

of this

home-grown tobacco

is

used for chewing, mixed with the areca nut and betel leaf. Foreign tobacco is never used in this

way.

Tea grows wild on the

slopes of the hills and

also cultivated to a small extent

as a beverage, but

is

pickled.

;

it is

is

not employed

After the leaves have

been plucked they are exposed to the sun for two or three days and then steamed to remove tannin

and glucose; the leaves are then thrown into small After pits and weighted down, where they ferment. This product, balls, and one of

fermentation they are ready for use.

known

as micng,

the balls

is

is

rolled into

placed in the hollow of the cheek and

allowed to remain there until the soluble constituents of the tea have been extracted

by the action

of the saliva.

The appearance

— and practice habitants of ball

of tea

it

is

of the people

who

almost universal

Upper Siam

—

is

indulge in this

among

the

in-

extremely quaint, the

making a huge swelling on one

side

of the face, though the person were suffering from a severe attack of toothache. This method of as

using tea appears to be peculiar to

Upper Siam

;

26

Kingdom

the

of

Siam

Burmans and Thibetans, although preparing the much the same way, use it in quite a

leaves in very different

The

manner.

cultivation of the

poppy for opium, although in its infancy, promises to become of considerable It is cultivated chiefly on the Burmese importance. by a race known as the Meow, who have probably become acquainted with the method of

frontier

cultivation from the people under British rule.

Other foodstuffs are planted to a minor extent but only for local consumption, c. g., sugar-cane, bananas, oranges, mangoes, limes, and various

digenous

in-

fruits.

The country has proved

itself

capable of produc-

ing most European vegetables, and in many of the large towns cabbages, beet-roots, lettuce, carrots, etc.,

can be procured.

There are no large centres of industry, but a good deal of work is done by people in their own homes. Most houses possess a loom, in which is woven both

silk

and cotton cloth

sufficient for the

needs

of the household.

The yarn and raw

silk are

mostly imported.

Chieng Mai, the capital of Upper tity of lacquer-ware

is

made

In

Siam, a large quan-

chiefly

by the immi-

grants from the old capital, Chiengsen.

A Temple

A

General Description of Siam

The foundation

27

woven bamboo the frame is coated with a paste of wood oil mixed with bone ash, and when nearly dry a second coating of wood oil mixed with cinnabar is applied of this

ware

On

and allowed to harden.

is

;

the smooth surface

thus produced the pattern is engraved by sharp tools and the incisions filled with a black varnish

;

the whole

and a

final

is

then rubbed smooth with pumice-stone

coating of varnish applied.

Many specimens

of this ware will be found

among

the Siamese exhibits.

A small for the

amount

of native iron

is

worked, chiefly

manufacture of knife-blades.

Bronze casting must formerly have reached a high degree of excellence, but to-day

is

chiefly confined

to replicas of existing work.

Scattered profusely over the country are to be found bronze statues of

Gautama, some of artistic

many workmanship. The life-size,

larger,

but nearly

all

reason of the decay

of this craft is probably due to the gradual shifting of the centre of the Siamese race to the south. The artists followed in the train of the Court,

behind them

many

art neglected

and uncared

Silverware

is

leaving

magnificent specimens of their for.

manufactured to a small extent

workmanship, however,

is

;

the

crude, though possessing

28

of

Kingdom

The

a distinctive character.

Siam

designs are rcpoussd in

relief.

very high

A large amount of unglazed pottery ware factured, chiefly for domestic use,

cooking-pots,

e,

goblets, flower-pots,

g.,

etc.

is

manu-

water-jars,

Most

of

these are of their natural red color with an incised design, but the water-goblets are frequently black

and of an elegant shape. Tiles about one-eighth inch in thickness and about four by three inches are largely

made

Sticklac

gated

is

for local use.

found wild, but the insect

artificially.

the deposit

is

When

is

also propa-

the insect settles on a tree

carefully collected

and the

insects

grafted upon the trees which are found most suitable

The

to their reproduction.

breaking ished

off

by the

lac

is

obtained by

the twigs; the insects, which are noursap, then die, but certain of the twigs

are left over to serve as the nucleus for the following year.

Very

little

of this lac

bulk being exported

;

it

is

is

used locally, the great

prepared by boiling

in

water, the liquid giving a splendid scarlet dye and

the residue a sealing-wax of a low melting-point.

Many

engaged in breeding oxen The oxen are in great demand

of the people are

and water

buffaloes.

as pack-animals

and the buffaloes

operations and hauling lumber.

for agricultural

A To

General Description of Siam

29

the east are large salt workings which not only

supply

Upper Siam but export to surrounding The salt is extracted from the earth in

countries.

a systematic manner; a well

dug, lined with tim-

is

This brine ber, and the brine hauled up in buckets. is poured from the buckets into wooden troughs and then evaporated

in iron

cauldrons over

wood

fires;

unfortunately, this salt possesses a peculiar bitter taste, said to

be due to the presence of sulphate of

sodium. for the

Saltpetre

made from

manufacture of gunpowder

is

the excreta of the bats which haunt the

The substance is collected and wooden vats furnished with

limestone caves.

boiled with water in

bamboo in

the same

A

by means

tubes,

This lye

off.

resin

is

way

is

which the lye

of

collected in the forests

This resin

caulking boats.

dammer-bee and

is

drawn

then concentrated and crystallized as the brine from the salt wells.

is

found

is

and used

for

the product of the

in cavities in

the trunks of

trees.

There are extensive cutch

wood

is

method

but only the

of extracting the cutch.

Upper Siam present

forests,

used, as the people appear ignorant of the

is

famous

for its boats,

which

at

form the only means of transport and

Kingdom

30

of

Siam

communication between Upper and Lower Siam. These boats are very strongly built, broad, roomy, but drawing very little water; they are either rowed or poled,

and average about

thirty-five

feet

in

length.

The number

of these boats built

is

decreasing with

the advance of the railway to the north, and when the country is in communication with Bangkok by rail

the art of building them will probably die out.

At present the journey from Bangkok to Chieng Mai accordoccupies from three weeks to three months At the river. in the water of ing to the height to dig period of low water it is generally necessary sand-banks the a channel for the boats through

which stretch across the bed of the

The average

river.

altitude of the country

is

about one

Chieng Mai, the chief town, has an altitude of one thousand feet, but within an hour's ride is the mountain Doi Sutep,

thousand

feet

above

sea-level.

of over five thousand feet, used as a health resort in

the hot weather-

The temperature over such

a hilly country varies

but the average temperature of Chieng Mai In a mean. (one thousand feet) may be taken as December 1893 the average daily temperature for

largely,

varied between 53

F.

(minimum) and JJ° F. (maxi-

o

A mum)

;

General Description of Siam

March, the hottest month, between 6y°

for

F. and 95

F.

The rainfall November to total

from

31

governed by the monsoon from April practically no rain falls; the is

May

The country

;

to October is

is

about forty inches.

generally healthy, the principal

diseases being malarial fevers and smallpox

;

goitre

and other diseases due to the limestone formation are

common.

Cholera

is

rare.

Western methods of treatment and surgery have made great progress, entirely due to the noble

American missionaries, whose hospitals and dispensaries are always crowded by applicants efforts of the

for relief.

The bulk

of the population are Laos, a subdivision

of the great Thai race; this race has divisions,

similated

of

many

which the Siamese alone have

Western

subas-

civilization

and maintained an

among

the nations of the

independent position world.

A

few of the villages to the northwest are

habited by a race called

Mu Hsu

immigrant and of Chinese

or

in-

Meow, probably

origin.

Another sub-

Lu, are found in the Nan have migrated to Siam within

division of the Thai, called district.

the

These Lu

last forty years,

driven from their

own

country,

Kingdom

32

of

Siam

Panna, an independent country on the southern borders of China, by its internal the Sibsong

troubles.

They

are remarkable for their industry

and trading capacity, and their of order and cleanliness. In the district of of Chinese origin

Nan

villages are

models

are found the Yao, a people

and characteristics

;

the

men

retain

the queue and wear a turban flattened on the top the dress of the women is remarkable for its beauti-

;

embroidery. Their head-dress is a flat structure resembling a gigantic college cap or mortarboard. ful

Scattered over the whole country are found the

Kamoos, whose home lies east of the Mekong; their work is the felling of the teak. Many return to their homes after having accumulated sufficient wealth; those

who remain marry Laos women and

settle

down. In the west and southwest are found

many com-

munities of Karens, chiefly of the Pwo (white) and Bghai (red) septs. They are an agricultural race.

Another branch of the great Thai race

is

found

They come between Burmah

distributed over the whole kingdom.

from the Shan country, which lies proper and China. These people are great traders and deal largely in teak they form a wealthy and ;

independent section of the

community.


z a z o

w S

w

CHAPTER

VII

OF SIAM, BY DR. O. FRANKFURTER, SIAMESE FOREIGN OFFICE

RELIGION

religion of the state

THEother

is

Buddhism, while

all

religious creeds are granted full liberty

of worship, nor are their followers,

by virtue

creed, prevented from occupying

any secular

of their office

under the administration or disabled in any other way.

The king trine," in

is

the highest "supporter of the doc-

and stands

head of the

at the

religion,

and

consequence of this position a spiritual hierarchy

has developed which corresponds in many ways to The king the position of the temporal hierarchy. appoints well as to

all

all

their

ecclesiastical

dignitaries,

other priests and

temporal

affairs,

monks

are,

and they as with regard

under the Ministry of

Public Worship. First in the hierarchical order are the four

Phra

Chow Rajagana

(archpriests), 95

who

Somdet

stand at the

Kingdom

96

of

Siam

head of different assemblies of

From among these the

priests

Somdet Phra Sangharaja

as his title implies,

is

(prince of priests),

who,

the head of the entire ecclesi-

The whole kingdom

astical order.

and monks.

four dignitaries the king appoints

these four dignitaries, of

whom

is

divided

there

is

among

one for the

northern division, one for the southern, one for the

Dhammayutika, and one

sect of the

The Dhammayutika

for the hermits.

are a sect formed under

King Mongkut, with the aim of bringing the doctrine in outward matters (initiation into the priesthood, more

accordance with the pristine teachings; whilst the archpriest appointed for the hermits (of whom there are not very many now), dress,

i. e.,

etc.)

in

those living in secluded places, follows the king

into the province.

These archpriests receive from

the king, just as the highest

officials of state,

or silver tablets recording their

titles.

Next

gold

in

the

hierarchical order are the five high-priests to assist

the archpriests, and after them fourteen dignitaries in

whose

Deva

official titles

enter.

the words

Dhamma,

Raja,

In the hands of these twenty-three

priests lies the supervision of the doctrine in all re-

spects.

Then

(teachers)

who,

follows an official

list

of twelve gurus

as their title implies, are to assist in

teaching the doctrine.

These

also

receive

their

H

o w 3 w

Religion of Siam official

97

appointment from the king, whilst other

gurus or teachers are appointed by the archpriests, corresponding

who

in this respect to civil officials

receive their appointments from the hands of the

responsible minister.

These gurus can be appointed heads of temples, title is bestowed on them, as the

and sometimes the

recognition of special service rendered in scholarship,

The

as an honorary degree.

are those

who

hold

priests

next

rank

in

positions or are appointed

official

to a certain office under the archpriests, the highpriests, the

heads of temples, so that their

position only lasts as long as the superior

official

who

has

appointed them holds his office. They are entrusted with the ritual, and act as judges and arbiters in cases of discipline.

A

formed by the "Barien

numerous

class of priests are

" scholars,

who

receive their

title after having passed an examination in the sacred books, and in the commentaries.

Pali, in

There

are nine steps in these examinations and they

be taken one after the other. the epithet

"Maha'

(eminent) before their

names, but they hold no

government

They

ecclesiastical

official

service,

position

"fan" as a mark

of

in

own the

although from

their ranks the officials are mostly recruited

also receive a

must

are entitled to

;

they

honor from the

Kingdom

98 king.

The Acariya

Siam

of

are those

who make

a study of

the outward manifestation of the religion, and their are

services

in

connection

with royal As the title.

they may receive an official rank of the priests we have to mention those

festivals last

required

priests

;

engaged

in

attending to private ceremonies

not held in the temples.

The term

'

'

monk" may be

applied to the large class

of persons living in the temples without any official rank and engaged more or less earnestly in the study

of the sacred writings or in meditation.

It

is,

more-

over, an essential part of the education of a Siamese, when he has completed his twentieth year, to enter

a temple for a time. still

Many

of the Siamese while

boys of fourteen or fifteen also enter as novices

(Samancras) for a short period, in the upper classes This custom, usually from six months to a year.

however,

is

not so universal as their entering as

when grown

priests

up.

There

is

no

restriction

placed on a priest as to the duration of his stay in the priesthood, but while a

monk

he has

strictly to

obey the rules of the order.

The

initiation generally takes place at the

com-

mencement of the rainy season (full moon of the eighth month, festival.

i.

e.,

It

July), and is always accompanied by a forms the conclusion of the education.

t/1

c/i

M 2

Pi U.

O 0.

D O

(A

o

Religion of Siam This initiation and service

in

99

the priesthood

is

of

special importance to the princes of the reigning

house, and most particularly to those princes in the direct line of succession, for the king as temporal

head of the religion must have shared

mon

lot of the followers of

may

be

ideas,

hood

in

full

Buddha

sympathy with

in

in

the com-

order that he

their feelings

and

and the great reverence in which the priestheld forms a firm bond between the highest

is

and the lowest

in

the land.

can thus be clearly understood that the priests From it are under the strict control of the state. It

they draw their power, by it they are provided with means of subsistence, under it they form an hierarchical order.

In the hands of the priests was

from the olden time the practical and religious education of the people, as it is even now controlled by

The

the Education Department. large extent, formerly

more so than

physicians of the people,

them

priests are to a

at present, the

and they certainly

also help

in their spiritual needs.

With regard

to the tenets of

tised in this country,

it

of the southern school.

contained

in

the Tripitaka,

are likewise

as prac-

can only be said that it is the The sacred books

Buddhism Burmah,

Buddhism

known

known in

Ceylon and Siam, and it was from in

ioo this

of

Kingdom country that the

few years ago.

Buddhism

is

Siam

editio princeps

educated classes,

the

Amongst

was issued a

practised in its pristine purity, while

of course, just as elsewhere, superstitious practices

have crept into the popular

belief.

Buddhism

in

Siam has kept clear, however, of esoteric influence, as it was prevalent a few years ago in Ceylon under European influence;

it

has thus kept the

command

forbidding to claim or to aspire to supernatural

power, whilst Nirvana

is

extinction of the three

fires of lust,

A

lusion.

more

realistic

among

the people,

states,

and

in a

who

rightly explained as the

view

is

hatred, and de-

taken, however,

believe in future substantial

migration of souls which enter

new

bodies according to the good or evil deeds per-

formed

in this

tine teaching

world, though according to the prisit

is

only the deeds, as such, that

survive.

This

may perhaps be due

to the birth

stories

which, although they do not form part of the sacred writings, are well

dhist countries.

known

in

Siam

These birth

as in other

stories are in

Bud-

many

cases old folklore tales which were used to illustrate

a verse in the sacred writings.

With regard to the whole doctrine of life and death as presented in Buddhism, we will quote from

Religion of Siam

101

the sermon preached by Somdet Pra Vanarat at the memorial service of the late Crown Prince, in whose

words

found a solution of the whole question both with regard to the dead and the living. is

"In the tainty.

life

of sentient beings there

We know not when

is

no

or for what reasons

cerlife

be extinguished. No one is able to guarantee existence; short is our life and swiftly are we exwill

As

tinguished, and our sorrow never ceases.

work

the

be broken, so our life will come potter's to an end, and whether children, young or old,

whether

will

under sway of death. We may speak of days, months, and years but we cannot say when our existence will come to an end. foolish or wise, all

fall

;

No

one

is

spared, whether of kingly origin or a

Brahmana, whether a Vaisaya or a Sudra, whether of the lowest caste or a slave; all fall under the

sway

of death.

When we depart

from one existence

to another, the parents cannot protect their child,

nor will the love of the kinsman avail aught to his kin; the lamentations and grief over the departed

do not benefit him. quence

of existence,

Death

is

and our

the

cow which the Brahmana

for

sacrifice.

Knowing

this,

over the departed benefit us?

the natural conselife

is

that of

to

the altar

will

lamenting are not

leads

what

like

The dead

102

Kingdom

of

Siam

supported by our grief. The dead have no consciousness of our acts, and they have prepared their

own

existence by their

deeds.

Everything

although we may think the law of the universe.

ject to change, this

is

.

"Thus having

listened to the

Enlightened One, we know come to life again therefore ;

it

is

sub-

permanent

;

.

words of the Fully

that the dead cannot let

and turn our attention to the

us cease lamenting living,

so that the

country may prosper; work for the living. For such is the work of the living, when death has not yet reached them.

way

of the world

world, they

will

;

We

are born

and

die, this

but the good works we do

bear

fruit in future,

they

is

the

in this

will last."

'

1 Cp. Phra Phachonwilat, Tham nieb Samana Sakdi (" The Rank of the Priests "), Bangkok, 1902 Kotmai Phra Songh, Laws Governing the Priesthood in Kotmai Thai, vol. ii., Bangkok Chow ;

;

Phya Thipakarawongse Kinanukit, translated by Alabaster, Modern Buddhist, London, 1870; also, Wheel of the Law, London, 1871.

CHAPTER

VIII

THE CAPITAL

103

CHAPTER

VIII

THE CAPITAL, BY THE SECRETARY-GENERAL

THE

Siam

is Bangkok, situated on the about fourteen miles from the Menam,

capital of

river

though owing to the winding of the stream it about twenty-five miles by river. It is a most

sea, is

interesting

town

creases year

Owing sels

by

for travellers,

and their number

year.

to the bar at the

mouth

drawing more than fourteen

come up

of the river, ves-

feet of

water cannot

to the town, so that the only

steamers which

Copenhagen

in-

calls is

to Shanghai

daily steamers of

main

line of

the East Asiatic line from ;

however, there are almost

some one thousand tons

to Singa-

pore and Hong Kong. The main portion of the city lies on the east side of the river, though the west side is thickly populated on the banks. lers to this fifty

The

old

name given by

town was "the Venice

years ago

it

of the East,"

was a good description 105

travel-

;

and

since then

106

Kingdom

of

Siam

roads have been made, the canals have been bridged, and electric tramways cross the city in various directions.

Bangkok it is

is

the chief city of Siam in every sense

:

the chief port, the chief commercial centre, the

centre of the Government, and principal residence of

the king and royal family.

Unlike most other Eastern

cities,

there

is

no

for-

eign quarter, but the European houses are dotted

about the

city,

the suburbs, the banks of the river,

and the busiest part of the town.

The nucleus

of

Bangkok

ated on a bend of the river.

is

the royal palace, situ-

The

outer walls of the

immense area, but the ground devoted to the actual residence and garden is comparatively small. Within the walls are various ministries, palace enclose an

namely, the Foreign Office, the Treasury, the Ministry of the Interior, the

and,

in

addition,

Ministry of the Household,

the Royal Library, Legislative

Council, a magnificent Buddhist temple, barracks, etc.

city

Surrounding the palace on the land side is the proper, formerly surrounded by a massive em-

Most battlemented wall and pierced by lofty gates. a and boulewall has now been of the pulled down, vard constructed, and of the gates few have withMost of stood the modern desire for wide roads.

u H

The

107

Capital

the roads are macadamized, drained, and planted

with trees, and

many

of the sidewalks are protected

from the sun and rain by lean-to roofs projecting

Next

from the houses.

to the palace

is

a large

open

space of grass of an oval shape surrounded by trees. This is the Premane ground, formerly used for the royal cremations, but now used for drilling troops, kite-flying, cricket, foot-ball matches,

Anchored

in

and

golfing.

the river, between the palace and the

naval dockyard, are the royal yachts and such of

the gunboats as are not cruising

in

the gulf or con-

veying troops to distant parts of the kingdom.

From

New

the palace to the southeast stretches the

Road, the oldest of the roads

built outside the

city. Formerly an elephant track running parallel to the river, along the backs of the houses which

faced the river,

it

now

passes through a densely

populated quarter and is the busiest road in the town. Lined on both sides by shops for some three miles,

it is

traversed

by

electric

trams which follow

one another every few minutes, while carriages, jinrikishas, bullock carts, and native omnibuses pass in a perpetual stream. right

It

is

intersected at

angles by numerous roads leading

but the farther

it

densely populated

gets from it

to the river,

the palace the less

becomes, and after passing

108

Kingdom

through the

of

Siam

rice-mill district

it

ends close by the

abattoirs.

From

the

Premane ground to the northeast

stretches the finest boulevard in Bangkok, leading

from the royal palace to Dusit Park, a private residence of the king. It is not quite finished yet within the city walls, but the section from the city walls to Dusit Park, a distance of over a mile,

is

now

This boulevard consists of three carriageways, separated from one another by double lines of trees and bordered by shady footpaths. open.

The open

palace

is

surrounded by ornamental gardens is laid out

to the public, and the whole quarter

as a purely residential district, the houses being oc-

cupied by the princes and noblemen of the court. Between this quarter and the river runs the Samsen

Road, corresponding to the

New Road

palace, but far less densely populated.

good

service of electric trams.

below the It

has a

Running between

these two main roads are

many subsidiary roads; the total length of carriage roads being some one hundred and twenty miles. The river is hardly less crowded than the New Road. Both sides for miles

above and below the palace are lined by floating houses, most of which are occupied by traders, who, taking

down

their front shutters, wait quietly for

The their

customers to arrive

take their purchases consist generally of

109

Capital in

boats or launches and

away with them. These houses several rooms and are supported

on pontoons; the row is only broken by landing Built in Siamese stages and the mouths of canals. style,

with

the

curious

gable

characteristic

of

Siamese architecture, they form one of the unique

and interesting sights of Bangkok. Down the middle of the stream are anchored the ocean-going steamers flying the flags of many nations, sailing boats loading teak for the European and American markets, whilst in and out and from shore to shore scurry steam launches of every sort

and shape.

With the

tide,

huge

rice-boats bring

the harvest to the rice-mills, and rafts of teak logs,

which

may have been

years on their journey from

the north, follow a purring launch which has picked

them up above the city to tow them to the mill. Then there are house-boats, with two or more rowers; a priest's boat, paddled by ten of his pupils boats which ply for hire and carry eight to twelve

;

passengers, rowed and steered by one man like a gondola; tiny canoes, beyond the skill of Europeans

postman and his bag of mail, or perhaps a travelling cook who, with his pot of boiling rice on a little stove in front of him and

to manage, holding just the

no

Kingdom

of

Siam

the rest of his cuisine cunningly stowed around him, drives a roaring trade with the in floating

boatmen and dwellers

houses, dispensing his

goods with the one

hand and keeping the boat steady with the

A

noticeable feature in the river

other.

the water

life is

markets at certain places along the banks a regular is held which begins soon after midnight and ;

market lasts

till

seven or eight

Both buyers and sellers

come

in

in

the morning.

sellers are chiefly

small boats bringing

The

women.

fish, eggs, fruit,

which they have themselves grown, and one may see two or three hundred small boats, each with its little lamp, the owners talking and laughing etc.,

with their neighbors.

Then

risen they begin to return

busy market

To

is

now an open

as soon as the sun has

home, and what was a space of

river.

foreigners the most interesting things to be

studied, after the

life

and customs of the inhabi-

tants, are the royal palace with

its

surroundings and

the numerous Buddhist temples.

The town (1782)

is

of

Bangkok being comparatively modern

interesting chiefly

on account

dateness, but within easy reach of are (the

many old

of

its

up-to-

Bangkok by

rail

places of historic interest such as Ayuthia capital),

Petchaburee,

etc.

Korat,

Rachburee,

Prapatom,

The The population

1 1 1

Capital

Bangkok is estimated at five hundred thousand souls, of whom, some eight to of

nine hundred are Europeans or Americans.

Besides

these, the foreign element includes Chinese, Japanese,

Koreans, Malays, Javanese, Hindus, Klings,

Pathans, Afghans, Burmese, Arabs, Cambodians,

Annamites, most of

by

whom

their national dress,

ple,

which they seldom abandon.

to this habit of retaining their national dress,

Owing which

are rendered conspicuous

differentiates

them from the

a casual observer

foreign population, the

the Chinese,

is

The Chinese

is

rest of the peo-

apt to overestimate the

number

of which, excluding

comparatively small. population, by the returns of the

poll-tax in 1900,

was 65,345 male adults, and the

entire estimated Chinese population,

women, and

old men, 85,500.

In

number

stances, the

Bangkok It

by

1903,

is

children,

allowing for

who pay no

tax,

owing to exceptional circumrose to 100,000.

the terminus of four lines of railway.

has a fine service of electric trams, and

is

well

lit

It possesses one of the finest racethe East, a United Club, open to all

electricity.

courses

in

a Siamese Club, a German Club, a Golf Club, and a Sports Club, several Europeanmanaged hotels, three banks, a French hospital, and nationalities,

n2

Kingdom

Siam

of

a British nursing home, English, French, Danish,

German, and American doctors, besides numerous Siamese hospitals and medical men. The climate and

rainfall are

tails

and

found

those of

statistics

Lower Siam.

Further de-

relating to the capital will

be

the various sections.

in

THE PORT HEALTH DEPARTMENT The

sanitary service of the port of

Bangkok

is

directly under the control of the Ministry of Local Government, and is directed by the Medical Officer

by two medical boarding officers, boatmen, coolies, and a large staff of police

of Health, assisted orderlies,

told off specially for this duty. tions are

Phai,

two

some

in

number: one

thirty miles

The

sanitary sta-

at the island of

Koh

beyond the bar; and the

other at the customs station at Paknam, within the

mouth of the river Menam Chow Phya. At Koh Phai, where alone sick or inspected

per-

sons are landed, there are, besides medical officers' quarters, hospital quarters for

Europeans and several

large barracks capable of accommodating fifteen

hundred Chinese

coolies.

Police barracks, coolies'

quarters, storerooms, and a water-condensing ap-

paratus

make up the complement

of equipment.

9

*"•

The

113

Capital

Throughout the year,

all

ships from

Hong-Kong or

China ports are medically inspected on their

When

is

arrival.

declared against any port, a

quarantine period of nine days' quarantine spection takes place at

Koh

is

enforced and

in-

Phai.

According to the maritime decree, the medical officer may board and examine any ship arriving in Siamese waters no matter whence it has come, and ships which have already obtained pratique are

still

liable to control within the port.

During the past year, 262 ships were inspected, and 35,028 passengers were medically examined. It

may be interesting to record that although plague has every year assumed epidemic form in Hong-Kong, a distance of seven days' steaming from Bangkok, no cases of plague, so far as

it is

known, have got beyond

the quarantine station.

THE CATTLE TRADE AND GOVERNMENT ABATTOIRS

A

considerable export of cattle from

Bangkok to

Singapore takes place every year. In Singapore the smaller animals are slaughtered for food, while the larger cattle are sent to the adjacent

Dutch

states for draft purposes.

Owing 8

Malay and

to a severe and widely extended epidemic

Kingdom

ii4

of rinderpest in

tem

Siam

of

Siam

six years ago, the

of cattle inspection before export

A

ized.

importation of cattle detention

At

export.

sys-

royal decree was proclaimed giving to

the Medical Officer of Health

their

whole

was reorgan-

in

into

full

control over the

the port of Bangkok,

Bangkok, and the manner of

the same time powers were given deal-

ing with the slaughter of cattle for food and with the care of milk cows and of cowsheds throughout

the town.

A

ground was purchased of the and Government, upon it were erected two large sheds, each capable of accommodating five hundred large piece of

head of

cattle.

There was

also built a quarantine

shed capable of holding two hundred sick cattle, and at a distance of three hundred metres from the

A public

main sheds. such a

be sufficient for

size as will

years to come. inspectors',

and

was

abattoir

all

also erected, of

needs for

In addition, there are the coolies' houses.

The

many

officers',

cattle sheds

are floored with compressed brick pointed in cement,

while the abattoir

and has

steel

and

is

floored with concrete

and cement

iron fittings.

Cattle can only be landed in

Bangkok

at the gov-

ernment wharf alongside the bullock sheds. This wharf was specially built to enable the ordinary

•A

O


H

^'Ti

Hq.£ u m l.


< < < > z

& w*

u

(I)

E w X

H

Finance Raikvay

Construction.

— The

139 hitherto

policy

adopted by the Government has been to construct its railways entirely out of revenue, and up to the

end of the year 121 (1892-93) a sum of over thirty The current million ticals had been so expended. year's allotment of 1,500,000 ticals

is

considerably

few years, but it is proposed to supplement this to the extent of about 4,500,000 ticals from the accumulated cash reserve of the Government, in order to provide funds for less

than the average of the

last

the further extension of the northern

This

line.

is

to be pushed on as rapidly as possible to Chieng

Mai, a town

in

the extreme north of Siam, and

estimated that the work will be completed

in

it is

about

six years at a cost of thirty-six million ticals.

Miscellaneous.

— The

are principally large

items included

sums

in

this

head

of a special nature, such

as 1,600,000 ticals for non-recurring expenditure in

the northern province of Payap, which was disturbed last year by a local rising headed by freebooters

from across the frontier; 300,000 list

of

H.R.H.

the

Crown

ticals for

Prince; a like

Majesty's tour expenses; and 150,000

the

sum

civil

for

His

ticals for

ex-

penditure connected with Siam's exhibits at the St. Louis Exposition, this not representing the whole of the expenditure, but the

amount

allotted for this

140

Kingdom

of

Siam

year only, a further credit of 30,000 been voted for the year and 70,000

ticals

having

ticals for

the

following year.

Budget Estimate of the Revenue and Expenditure of the Kingdom of Siam for the Year 122 (1903-04) Revenue

CHAPTER X CURRENCY AND BANKING

141

CHAPTER X CURRENCY AND BANKING, BY THE ACTING FINANCIAL ADVISER

PRIOR rency hence, up

to the 27th of of

November,

Siam was on a purely

1902, the cur-

silver basis,

to that date, the value of

its

and

monetary

unit (the tical) followed the fluctuations of the white

metal. falling

For many years and although,

as

silver

shown

had been steadily in the chapter on

Finance, the revenue was exhibiting a most satisfactory quality of expansion, the purchasing

power was being reduced year by year, and larger and larger sums had to be paid by the state for all services and commodities whose value was of the tical

measured therefore,

in gold.

His Majesty's Government was,

forced to the conclusion that unless

it

took steps to counteract the depreciation of its monetary unit (a depreciation the end of which no

one could

foresee),

it

would be necessary,

progressive efficiency of the administration 143

if

the

was to

Kingdom

144

of

Siam

be maintained, to increase taxation to a considerable extent. This was regarded as undesirable for many reasons even

if its

and consequently,

practicability after

were demonstrated

mature deliberation,

it

was

resolved to prohibit the further free coinage of silver

— hitherto

imported in the form of Mexican and British dollars, and exchangeable, by law, without

limit, at the rate of five ticals for three dollars.

the same time

it

was publicly

At

notified that, for the

future, any person desiring to obtain ticals from the

Treasury could do so by depositing an equivalent sum in gold with the Government bankers in London, at a rate of exchange to be ascertained on application, and the first transactions effected under this

arrangement were

to the

pound

at the rate of

sterling, the

twenty

ticals

quotations of the local

having been about 21 J. The Government selling rate has since been gradually

banks just prior to raised

this

by easy stages

until, at

the present time,

it

stands at seventeen ticals to the pound, with a bank rate

showing no very marked

The arrangement here found to work

difference.

described has, so

satisfactorily

far,

been

and has been generally

approved by the banking and mercantile community, by reason of the strengthening effect it has already

had on the currency of the country, and the expec-

a -

D O

2

2

Currency and Banking

145

when the scheme

is thoroughly estabhave a practically constant value. The importance of the latter consideration from the point of view of general trade interests will be readily

tation that

lished the tical will

appreciated, while the effect of a tical of higher value will be to lower gradually local prices all round and so

reduce the cost of living to the community at large. It may thus be claimed that the important economic step taken by the

Government

for the placing of its

currency on a gold basis is calculated to further the interests of the country generally, besides enhancing the credit of the state and the value of the public revenues, and that the measures adopted towards

minimum

that end have resulted in a

of disturbance

to the local trade interests.

METALLIC CURRENCY

The

currency of Siam consists of the

metallic

following coins

:

SILVER

Name Tical

234

grains

58.5 29.25

Sailing (\ tical)

Fuang

Fineness

Approximate Weight

(I tical)

" "

i

About 900 parts

-(pure silver ( 100 alloy.

to

COPPER

Name Song Phai, or

Approximate Weight

4-att piece (value -fa of a tical) of a tical). Phai, or 2-att piece (value Att (value fa of a tical)

^

Solot, or half-att (value T l 5 of a tical)

291 grains 175 87

43

H6

of

Kingdom

Siam

PAPER CURRENCY

Up

to the 19th of September,

money

1902, the paper

Siam was confined

circulating in

to the issues

of the three foreign banks having branches in

Bangand the notes of not kok, these, though legal tender, had been practically accepted as such by the public

and enjoyed a considerable measure

of popularity.

appeared expedient to the Government, however, to provide for an issue of strictly convertible state It

paper currency, and arrangements were accordingly

made

for the establishment of a separate

department

purpose, subordinate to the Ministry of Finance, the operations of which commenced on the for

this

date above mentioned.

The Government five,

notes are of five values,

viz.,

one hundred, and one thousand and the success of the scheme has been most

ten, twenty,

ticals,

marked, as the circulation has risen

in a single

year

to over six million ticals, being at the average rate of

above

five

This result

hundred thousand

is all

fact that the state notes

some extent with the ferred to,

made

ticals

the more remarkable

have

still

issues of the

in

to

a month.

view of the

compete to

banks already

re-

and that no attempt whatever has been

any way, the issues even to the Treasury.

to force the circulation in

being made

for cash only,

Currency and Banking The

147

striking success attained in the short time the

department has been open augurs well for the future, and seems to show that the Government notes have supplied a real want in the needs of the country.

The outstandings

at

the present time are fully

covered by cash held in the vaults of the paper cur-

By

rency department.

law, twenty-five per cent,

of the coin received for the notes issued

may

be

in-

vested in such securities as the Minister of Finance

may

select,

with the approval of His Majesty, but

no investments have yet been made.

BANKING Banking establishments are represented in Siam by branches of the Hong-Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation, the chartered tralia,

which commenced business 1893,

Bank

of India,

Aus-

and China, and the Banque de l'lndo-Chine, and 1897, respectively.

of the Mercantile

Bank

of China, Limited,

Corporation of

in

Bangkok

There are

in

1888,

also agencies

of India, the National

Bank

and the International Banking York. All these institutions

New

and well-established concerns, with branches, agencies, and correspondents in the prin-

are substantial

cipal

cities

of the world,

and they are thus

in

a

Kingdom

148 position to

meet

all

of

Siam

demands made on them

for

Their purposes of trade and private business. in has been establishment most Siam undoubtedly beneficial to the trade interests of the country,

and

the three first-named institutions also deserve special recognition as being the pioneers in the matter of

popularizing the use of paper

money

in

the capital

of the kingdom.

Much

ernment

which mention has been made

above,

is

issue,

of

Gov-

of the success of the

unquestionably due to the fact that the

notes of the private banks had already thoroughly established themselves in the confidence of the

people and had accustomed them for many years to The Govthe use of this particular form of credit.

ernment paper had consequently no prejudice or suspicion to encounter, and was readily taken by the public from the first.

The aggregate volume banks established

in

of business

done by the

Siam may be gauged

to

some

extent by the figures relating to the foreign trade of the country, which amounted, in the year ending the 31st of March, 1903, to a total of 155,531,994 ticals,

the imports being valued at 69,716,074 the exports at 85,815,920 able figures, which

ticals.

show on the

ticals,

and

These consider-

total an

advance

of

nearly eighteen per cent, on the returns of the pre-

Currency and Banking

149

vious year, indicate the extent to which the assist-

ance of the banks

is

invoked

trade of the country

;

in financing

the external

but besides this there

is,

of

course, a very large mass of business connected with private loans, advances, deposits, and drawing ac-

counts.

Among

the latter are those of the Govern-

ment, which keeps a portion of its cash balance with the three institutions mentioned as having branches in

Bangkok.

No

regular banking facilities are provided for the

kingdom, but the Government is usually prepared to sell drafts on district treasuries, for the convenience of traders and others, at a small interior of the

This privilege is readily times, and may be regarded as the

charge for commission. availed of at

one phase of the functions of the future National Bank of Siam. There can be little doubt

germ

of

that an institution

such as this would be of the

greatest convenience and utility both to the Govern-

ment and the country it

may

at large,

and

it

is

hoped that

be possible before long to give practical

effect to the idea.

CHAPTER

XI

AGRICULTURE

151

CHAPTER

XI

AGRICULTURE IN SIAM, BY W. A. GRAHAM, ESQ., FORMERLY ASSISTANT TO THE MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE Siamese

THE

ral nation.

of the

Menam

present

are,

before

all

things, an agricultu-

From time immemorial,

the valley

has been one vast rice-held, and the

inhabitants

of

the

country continue to

plough, sow, and reap in it after the same methods, and with the same kind of implements, as were em-

ployed by their predecessors a thousand years ago. The Siamese man does not take kindly to most

forms of labor, and

is

quite content to see such

trades and manufactures as there are in his country in

the hands of Chinese and other foreigners.

The

pursuit of agriculture, however, he reserves to himself,

and, while nine tenths of the people of the

country follow the calling, it is very rarely that foreigners are found taking an active part in any form of agriculture except market-gardening. 153

154

The

of

Kingdom

Siam

principal product of the country

deed, so

much

state the fact

rice.

In-

this the case, that thus baldly to

is

is

is

to convey but a feeble and inade-

quate impression of the supreme position of this cereal in the land. It might almost be said that rice is

the only agricultural product, for though Siam

exports timber and grows maize, millet, sugar, tofruit, yet her rice production preponder-

bacco, and

ates so entirely,

and her commerce, politics, and now, and have always been, so

social conditions are

profoundly influenced by

rice,

that

all

these lesser

products amount, by comparison, almost to noth-

The European, whose idea of a staple food is ing. formed from a knowledge of the part played in the economy

of

his

own

country, can

only vaguely It imagine the importance of rice to the Siamese. constitutes not merely the principal, but almost the sole food of every one, from the highest noble to the lowliest plebeian: horses, cattle, dogs, cats, and all other domestic animals live on it it is used ;

making beer and spirits it enters largely into ceremonials, and the superstitious observances for

connection with

;

it

all

in

provide the people with their

most frequent occasions for holiday-making. The only recognized means of investing money is, or was until the recent introduction of

European banking,

Q Z O QS

w a H o z 5 < w >-)

u

5K3&5.;

ft

"vM;

(»•>-..

-

155

Agriculture the purchase of rice-fields

the nobility

;

is

graded

according to the rice-land

(now purely nominal) grants of conferred by the king; dealings in rice and

the ownership of rice-land are the causes of most of the civil litigation in the law courts, and the result of the last, or prospects of the next, rice harvest,

make

the most absorbing topic of conversation at

times.

all

It is rice

which forms the cargoes of the

thousands of boats ever passing up and down the river Menam which supplies the grist of the numer;

ous mills of modern Bangkok (the furnaces of which are fed with rice-husk), and which is carried away in the ocean-going steamers always to be seen loading the port; finally

in

ment

derives,

it is

directly,

from

rice that

almost the

the Govern-

whole of

its

revenue.

Every step

in

the process of rice cultivation de-

common

with most of the ordinary occurrences of Siamese life, the observance of more or

mands,

in

less elaborate religious in

a country

air,

of

where the innumerable

and water take such a

affairs of all

ceremonial, for no one living

mankind

as they

lively

do

in

spirits of earth,

interest in

the

Siam, would be

at

wise in undertaking any matter, as to the issue which he might be anxious, without due pro-

pitiations

made beforehand.

Besides these private

of

Kingdom

156

Siam

ceremonies which affect the individual only, there are also others of a public nature, directly concerning the entire community, and regarded as of the

utmost importance

The

harvest.

determining the nature of the chief of these are the "Loh Chin in

Cha," or Swinging Festival, and the

"Raak Na,"

or First Ploughing; ceremonies probably of Brah-

minical origin, the latter, and diverse forms of the former, being practised in

China and mentioned

and

traditions.

in

From

all

the countries of Indo-

various Brahmin histories

the incidents during the per-

formance of these ceremonies, which are watched with anxiety by enormous crowds of the people, the soothsayers are enabled to foretell the amount of success which will attend the agricultural operations of the

coming season.

grown in the plains after two different methods, the one by sowing the seed broadcast on the land where it is to grow, and the other by causRice

ing

it

is

to sprout

first

of specially prepared

planting

system,

it

in

small patches or nurseries

ground and afterwards

into the fields.

the adaptation,

in

The fact,

first

of

is

trans-

the older

the

ancient

rude hill-cultivation to the plains, and for this the rainfall is the only water-supply required, while for the second the collection of water with

local

z o w a

J o

D O

157

Agriculture

which the land can be irrigated from time to time is For the first method, or " Na Wan " necessary.

and Wan, to sow), also called "Na Muang," the land is ploughed as soon as the rain has moistened the soil sufficiently for the plough to (Na, a

break after,

rice-field,

up, usually in the

it

the ground

month

Soon

of June.

again gone over with the harrow,

is

being thereby completely broken up and denuded of grass and weeds, after which the seed is sown

upon

receives

to

The crop

it.

come

is

then

left

grow and usually

to

enough moisture from the

rain to enable

to maturity without further attention.

it

For

the second method, or "Na Dum" (Na, a rice-field, and Dum, to dive into, hence to plant with the hand in

the soft, yielding mud), also called

"Na

Suan,"

the ploughing is as for Na Wan, but the harrowing is not done until sufficient water has collected on the

field,

either from rainfall or

entirely cover the

soil.

It

is

by

irrigation,

to

then churned into a

porridgy mass and the weeds and grass removed by In the meantime the rice has been

the harrow.

sprouting in the nursery, the manured soil of which causes rapid germination, and the young plants are

now taken up and planted

The "Na

Dum

"

common to all rice-growing countries of East, is much more intricate than the "Na

method, the

out.

i5 8

Kingdom but

Wan,"

is

irrigation

Siam

much more

also

whenever a supply

of

of water

productive,

and

becomes available by

or from excessive rain

the latter gives

place to the former.

The

practice of

when the

lings,

"Na Dum"

fields are

from the nurseries

is

an

The

art.

seed-

them, are taken bundles of a hundred or so and

in

ready for

mud being shaken from a deft kick administered to the bundle by

neatly tied together, the their roots at the

work

moment

falls

of

to the

drawing

men and

it

from the

soil.

This

the planting usually to

the women, and as skill in planting vastly enhances a girl's chances in the marriage market, so a young

man who

should hand to the women, to plant,

bundles clumsily tied or with muddy roots would stand small chance of getting a bride in his own village.

Buffaloes are used for ploughing plains,

where the atmosphere

buffalo, in spite of his

hot, dry climate,

is

humid, but the

great strength,

and therefore,

in

the lower

in

is

useless in a

the higher and

drier parts, bullocks are used, a pair of these doing

the work of one buffalo.

While the paddy, husked, it

is

is

growing,

as it

reaped nothing

it

is

called until the grain

demands no is

labor,

done beyond a

and

little

is

until

spas-

u -

So

& a z.

Z «! ,-)

..

159

Agriculture modic bird-scaring by

the

children.

With the

reaping time all are busy again the crop is cut with small sickles loaded on sleds and drawn to the :

winnowing-ground, a small spot either in the fields or near the village, on which the earth is beaten

down hard and smooth. There,

after the spirits

have

been duly propitiated, the sheaves are strewn out and are trampled upon by the cattle until the grain is

all

detached from the straw.

Winnowing then

takes place, after which the golden yellow grain is stored in specially constructed huts and the year's

work

is

over.

Though

there are

many

large estates in the neigh-

borhood of Bangkok, the property of the royal family and nobility, the greater part of the land is held full

in

small farms by peasant proprietors, having

hereditary rights subject only to the will of the

king, in

whom,

finally, all

rights are vested in ac-

cordance with ancient custom.

Each man ploughs

own

land, but the planting and reaping is usually done with the aid of his neighbors, the whole village his

turning out and working together on each owner's This labor in common is the occafields in turn. sion for

much merry-making,

the young

men and

maidens, glad of the chance of meeting, planting or reaping all day amid bouts of repartee and bursts

160

of

Kingdom

of laughter, finishing

Siam

up with a hearty feed

at the

expense of the owner of the fields, followed by rude music and further badinage. In the lower plains, however, where the farmer

is beginning to understand the profit to be derived from increase of pro-

duction, this happy-go-lucky custom

is

falling into

merry amateurs being replaced by hardhands engaged at a wage for the farm working disuse, the

season.

Two in

crops of rice are habitually raised each year

the plains of Siam, the

crop.

The "Kao Bao"

is

called "Kao Bao," "Kao Nak," or heavy

first

or light crop, and the second,

planted on irrigated land

before the appearance of the rains in the plains, often as early as February, and

June.

The "Kao Nak,"

and September, and uary.

is

The

reaped

in

May

or

planted between July reaped in December or Janis

The "Kao Bao" crop

a very large quantity of

is

in

no case amounts to

rice.

inhabitants of the hilly parts of Siam culti-

vate a variety of rice different from that grown

the plains, following the method

common

in

to the

Burmah, China, and other

rice-

growing countries of the East. This is the original, primitive form of agriculture, the

old,

hill-tribes of India,

first

probably practised by prehistoric man, consisting of

w

o a z 3 D

161

Agriculture

merely clearing a patch of jungle by cutting and burning, making holes with a sharp stick in the

ground thus exposed, and therein inserting grains of rice.

The

varieties of rice cultivated in

above methods number more than

Siam

after the

forty,

many

of

which, however, resemble each other so closely as to be scarcely worth special notice. Others present highly distinctive qualities either

in size, color, or

flavor of the grain (such as glutinous rice, red rice,

and the small, round-grained hill rice), or in the nature of the plant itself. There can be no doubt that

some

have been evolved

of the latter varieties

from the peculiar conditions under which they have, during succeeding centuries, been cultivated. Thus a variety of

common

rice,

grown on land which

is

subject to high floods, has the almost miraculous faculty of growing with as

much

water

more or

rises,

one

in

speed

the plant often reaching as

feet in length in its efforts to

water.

less

(at

times

as a foot in twelve hours) according as the

keep

its

much

as ten

leaves above

now a thoroughly established unknown in Burmah, Java, or India.

This variety, Siam,

is

That the amount of

rice

produced

creased enormously of late years

in

Siam has

in-

evidenced by a glance at the customs figures, which show that the is

162

Kingdom

amount

in 1885, to close

Nevertheless,

it is

now

production of the country

what

it

Siam

of rice annually exported has risen from

217,000 tons year.

of

might

be,

is

on 800,000 tons

fully realized that the still

very far short of

were the question of

properly taken up and

all

last

irrigation

available land brought

under cultivation.

Though

Menam

the whole valley of the

sected by innumerable canals,

many

of

is

inter-

which are of

ancient construction, in the absence of water-control

these are useful only as a means of communication

and

;

except in one small district north of almost non-existent. Various uncouth

irrigation,

Bangkok, is and primitive implements are used by the farmers for raising water on to their fields, implements quite powerless to avert total loss of crop should water be scarce, but irrigation by raising the general water-

above that of the land, though there to believe it was once practised, is a lost

level

Government

is

great irrigation

now

is

a reason

art.

The

considering the execution of a

scheme which,

will revolutionize agriculture in

if

ever completed,

Siam and inevitably

place her in the van of the rice-producing countries of the world.

Other agricultural products of Siam are maize, millet, tobacco, cotton,

sesamum, sugar,

betel-nut,

163

Agriculture betel-leaf,

pepper, cocoanut, yams, beans, gourds and a large variety of fruits.

of different kinds,

Maize and

millet are

grown

small plots in the

in

As they plains and in fields on the higher lands. do not require much water, two crops can often be raised in a year, but the is

amount grown

is

small and

not increasing. Tobacco

is

localities

considerable

though not

several districts,

some

in

grown it is

in

quantities

the lower plains.

in

In

cultivated in the rice-fields during

the dry weather, but the best crops are raised on the light, rich, alluvial soil

near the banks of the upper

Menam. The production is not quite equal to the amount consumed in the country, and a certain quantity is imported from China. The methods of cultivation are rough. The seed is sown reaches of the

on ground prepared by ploughing and hoeing, and the young plants are thinned and occasionally

weeded ward

off

much reaped

as they

Little care

grow up.

is

taken to

the attacks of insects, with the result that

of the crop

frequently

is

often lost, while that which

consists

of

diseased,

is

stunted

bad treatment, howand the ever, very primitive methods of drying and plants.

Notwithstanding

curing the

leaf,

this

the tobacco grown

notably Pitsanuloke and Ratburi,

in is

some

districts,

of a superior

Kingdom

164 quality,

and there

is

care the tobacco of

of

Siam

doubt that with proper

little

Siam could

at least

compete

with that of Burmah, India, or Java. At present none is exported, but were a foreign market to be it is probable that tobacco-growing would extend rapidly. Cotton has been cultivated in Siam from time im-

found,

memorial,

all

tradition as to

when and by whom

it

was introduced having long been lost. It is probawas first introduced from India, where it is known to have been used at least 2500

ble that the plant

years ago, the earliest record of cotton in China

Several varieties of the being some centuries later. species Gossypium herbaceum are known, and it is believed that Gossypium hirsutum Siam,-

though

this species

the American continent. chiefly

in

the north,

is

otherwise confined to

is

Cultivation

but

also found in

is

is

carried

on

apparently declining

owing to the increasing facilities for obtaining forThere is, however, every reason eign cotton goods. to suppose that cotton could be successfully culti-

vated

in all parts of

the country and, given sufficient

incentive to development, might chief

which

agricultural is

products

of

become one The

Siam.

of the plant,

treated as an annual in most countries,

is

here often allowed to remain in the ground for two

(A at

w H < Q