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Thai Historical Materials in Bangkok

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  23 March 2011

David K. Wyatt  and
Constance M. Wilson
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Extract

Compared with the other countries of Southeast Asia, the Western-language historiography of Thailand is meagre indeed. Western sources have furthered scholarship considerably, but historical writing on Thailand will remain unbalanced until Thai materials have been fully exploited. Some beginning has been made on this work by both Thai and Western scholars, but as yet this is only a beginning.

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Articles
Information
The Journal of Asian Studies , Volume 25 , Issue 1 , November 1965 , pp. 105 - 118
Copyright
Copyright © The Association for Asian Studies, Inc. 1965

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References

1 Coedès, G., Recueil des Inscriptions du Siam (Bangkok, 1924–29).Google Scholar

2 Rajanubhab, Prince Damrong, Miscellaneous Articles Written for the Journal of the Siam Society (Bangkok, 1962)Google Scholar; Coedès, G., “Documents sur l'Histoire politique et religieuse du Laos occidental,” BEFEO, XXV (1925), 1–200CrossRefGoogle Scholar; Wood, W. A. R., A History of Siam (London, 1926)Google Scholar; Notton, C., Annales du Siam (Paris, 1926–32; Bangkok, 1939)Google Scholar; Wales, H. G. Quaritch, Ancient Siamese Government and Administration (London, 1934)Google Scholar; Nivat, Prince Dhani, “The Reconstruction of Rama I of the Chakri Dynasty,” jSS, XLIII:I (Aug. 1955), 21–47Google Scholar; Vella, Walter F., Siam Under Rama III (Locust Valley, N. Y., 1957)Google Scholar; Chakrabongse, Prince Chula, Lords of Life (New York, 1960)Google Scholar; and Selected Articles from the Siam Society Journal (Bangkok, 1954–62).Google Scholar

3 Department of Fine Arts, Na Phra That Road, Bangkok. There are many good libraries in Bangkok which scholars may find useful, e.g. the Siam Society Research Center Library and the libraries of the Institute of Public Administration, Thammasat University, Chulalongkorn University, Prasanmit College of Education, the Ministry of Education, etc. In general they are at present more comfortable and convenient than the National Library, but none can offer anything approaching the comprehensiveness, variety, and sheer masses of material to be found in the National Library.

4 Cf. Dhanit Yupho, comp., Rūang watthanatham thai rakha phaeng [On the High Price of Thai Culture] (Bangkok, 1962).Google Scholar

5 The Literary and Historical Division, headed by Nai Tri Amatyakul, can be of great assistance to the inquiring scholar in providing specific information on the Library's holdings and general advice on historical matters.

6 Cf. Coedès, G., The Vajiranūṇa National Library (Bangkok, 1924), pp. 21, 24–25.Google Scholar

7 For a partial bibliography and index of these cremation volumes, see the lists of books published from National Library texts and manuscripts in, Nai Yim Panthayangkun, comp., Saraban khon rűang lem I [Index, Vol. 1] (Bangkok, 1941), covering the years 1901–28, continued as supplements to die periodical Warasan Sinlapafan, II:1–6 (1948–49) to cover books published between 1929 and 1949. Nai Yim, former Director of the National Archives, has in manuscript a continuation of this bibliography up to the present.

8 The Prachum Phongsawadan has been described in some detail in a recent article by Wenk, Klaus, “Prachüm Phongsāwadamacr;n, Ein Beitrag zur Bibliographic der Thailändischen historischen Quellen,” Oriens Extremus, IX (1962), 232–257Google Scholar. The entire series is now being re-published both by the Progress Bookstore (Samnakphim Kaona, 25 vols., 1964- ) and by the Teachers' Institute (Khurusapha, 1963- ).

9 All three of these are now on microfilm in the Wason Collection, Cornell University Library.

10 The Royal Institute has published a complete bibliography of all newspapers and periodicals published in Thailand to 1930: Rainam nangsūphim khao sűng qk pen raya nai prathet sayam [List of Newspapers and Periodicals which have been Issued in Siam] (Bangkok, 1931).

11 Rajanubhab, Prince Damrong, “The Story of the Records of Siamese History,” JSS, XI:2 (1915); reprinted in Selected Articles, I, 79–98.Google Scholar

12 For a partial listing of the Library's holdings of the Northern chronicles, see Coedès, G., “Documents,” pp. 172–173Google Scholar; and Bangkok, National Library, comp., Banchi khamphi phasa Bali lae phasa sansakrit an mi chabap nai hqphrasamut wachirayan samrap phra nakhon műa pi wgk ph.s. 2463 [List of Pali and Sanskrit Works in the Wachirayan Library for Bangkok in B.E. 2463] (Bangkok, 1921), pp. 39–42, 80–81, and 102–103. A number of these manuscripts are on microfilm in the Wason Collection, Cornell University Library.

13 For the records of the Kalahom Department, which are stored in the National Archives, see below.

14 Thailand, Office of the Prime Minister, Committee for the Publication of Historical, Cultural, and Archeological Records, comp., Prachum phraratchahatlekha phrabat somdet phra ćhunlać hqmklao ćhaoyuhua thi song bqrihaǹ ratchakfln phaendin phak I [Collected Administrative Correspondence of H. M. King Chulalongkorn, Part I] (Bangkok, 1964), p. v.

15 For good printed examples of such documents, see Collected Administrative Correspondence of H. M. King Chulalongkorn, Part 1.