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| Discipline | Thai studies |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Publication details | |
| History | 1904–present |
| Publisher | The Siam Society Under Royal Patronage (Thailand) |
| Frequency | Biannually |
| Yes | |
| Standard abbreviations | |
| ISO 4 | J. Siam Soc. |
| Indexing | |
| ISSN | 0304-226X (print) 2651-1851 (web) |
| Links | |
The Journal of the Siam Society (JSS) is a scholarly journal published by the Siam Society in Bangkok since 1904.
The Journal of the Siam Society is published by The Siam Society Under Royal Patronage in Bangkok, Thailand. At the foundation of the society in 1904, the journal was launched to fulfil the society's purpose:
The objects of the Society shall be the investigation and encouragement of Art, Science and Literature in relation to Siam and neighbouring countries…. For this purpose the Society will convene meetings, at which papers bearing on the objects for which the Society is formed will be read, or lectures given…. Such papers shall, if they are accepted by the Council, be published in a Journal, and the authors of them may, by permission of the Council, republish them in a separate form. [1] [2]
The first issue of the journal, dated 1904, appeared in August 1905. Publication has been continuous ever since, missing a few issues, particularly during World War II. The number of issues per year has varied between one and four, and is now standardized as two, appearing in May–June and November–December.
The journal publishes original articles of a scholarly nature, in English, on Thailand and neighbouring countries in a wide range of disciplines including archaeology, epigraphy, history, ethnology, religion, language, literature, art and architecture, and performing arts.
In 1939, when the society changed its name to the Thailand Research Society in conformity with the nationalist policies of the government of Field Marshal Plaek Phibunsongkhram, [3] the title of the journal was changed to The Journal of the Thailand Research Society from Vol. 32/1 (Sept. 1940) to Vol. 35/2 (Sept. 1944).
In 2012, the complete back-catalog of over two thousand articles and reviews was made available on the internet. [4] Since 2019, the journal has been listed on the Scopus database of academic journals.
Volume 100, published in 2012, contained 19 commissioned articles on a theme of “Protecting Siam’s Heritage,” and was published separately as a book by Silkworm Books.
The covers of the early volumes were text-only. The first pictorial cover appeared on Vol. 77/1 (1989), showing: “Detail from a Northern Thai style mural in Wat Phra Sing, Chiang Mai. Photograph by Luca Invernizzi Tettoni.” [5]
The Rules adopted in 1904 provided for the management of the journal as follows:
A Journal shall be published, when practicable, every six months. Four of the Officers, appointed by the Council, shall form the committee of publication, charged with the editing of the Journal and the preparing of papers for publication in the same. One of the members of such Committee shall be appointed presiding officer. The Journal shall comprise a selection of the papers read before the Society, the Report of the Council and Treasurer, and such other matter as the Council may deem it expedient to publish. [6]
At the society's Annual General Meeting on 23 January 1923, it was resolved to appoint an editor for the first time: “The Council shall appoint one of their number as Editor of the Journal, who, as such, shall be responsible for the general arrangement and publication of the material selected by the Council…. Prof. Coedès the Hon. Librarian had kindly consented to become Editor.“ [7]
| Editor | Years |
|---|---|
| George Cœdès | 1923–1924 |
| E. G. Sebastian | 1925 |
| George Cœdès | 1926–1928 |
| J. Burnay | 1929–1936 |
| Prince Dhani Nivat | 1938 |
| J. E. Davies | 1939–1940 |
| Prince Prem Purachatra | 1942–1946. |
| J. J. Boeles | 1947–1948 |
| Olcott H. Deming | 1949 |
| Rolland H. Bushner | 1951–1952 |
| A. R. K. Mackenzie | 1953 |
| Charles N. Spinks | 1956 |
| Cecil F. Stanford | 1958–1960 |
| Kenneth J. MacCormac | 1961–1965 |
| Larry Sternstein | 1966–1969 |
| Michael Smithies | 1970–1971 |
| Tej Bunnag | 1972–1976 |
| Kim Atkinson | 1977–1980 |
| Tej Bunnag | 1981–1985 |
| Sulak Sivaraksa | 1986–1987 |
| Kaset Pitakpaivan | 1988 |
| James V. Di Crocco | 1989–1994 |
| Pitya Bunnag | 1995–1996 |
| Ian Glover | 1997–1998 |
| Ronald D. Renard | 1999–2001 |
| Dhiravat na Pombejra | 2002–2008 |
Early issues printed lectures delivered at meetings of the society along with an annual report of the society's activities. Articles other than those read at meetings began to appear in the mid-1930s, along with book reviews. Early articles focused on the history of Siam and exploration of its provinces. Obituaries of prominent members became a regular feature following the obituary of Prince Damrong Rajanubhab in 1944. [8] The size of the journal shrank in the 1940s, then expanded from the mid-1950s with more articles on archeology, anthropology (especially of hill people), and other social sciences.
Prince Damrong Rajanubhab authored 10 articles between from the first issue in 1904 and 1939. Prince Dhani Nivat authored 17 articles between 1930 and 1965. George Cœdès authored 11 articles between 1918 and 1944. Other prolific contributors in the early years included Jean Burnay and Robert Lingat.
In 1912, the journal carried an article by King Vajiravudh, Rama VI, on “The Romanisation of Siamese Words.” For some years, the society had discussed the need for a standard system for transcribing Thai into Roman characters. A member, P. Petithuguenin, had proposed a system. [9] In his article, King Vajiravudh proposed an alternative system, which had an “Orientalist” method for transcribing consonants in words derived from Pali-Sanskrit, a parallel and different system for transcribing consonants in “purely Siamese” words, and 30 representations of vowel sounds. The king concluded: “I should be glad to see some sort of uniform system adopted, rather than to have to endure the haphazard and fanciful systems, which not only each body of men but also each individual, seems to use for romanising my language.” [10]
In the post-World War II period, Hans Penth authored 24 articles between 1967 and 2003, though many were short notes. The largest contributors were Michael Smithies, 22 articles between 1971 and 2002, Phraya Anuman Rajadhon, 19 articles between 1951 and 1967, and Michael Vickery, 13 articles between 1973 and 1995, including his translation of the only chronicle text discovered in the 20th century. [11] The largest span was achieved by Barend Jan Terwiel who authored 11 articles over 47 years from 1972 to 2019.
Between Vol 56/2 (July 1968) and Vol. 67/2 (July 1979), JSS published 26 articles co-authored by A. B. Griswold and Prasert na Nagara. Of these, 24 were in a series of “Epigraphic and Historical Studies,” which provided the first English translations and interpretations of the corpus of inscriptions, mainly from Sukhothai and associated sites. The series was subsequently published by the Historical Society of Thailand. [12] Griswold (1906–1991) was a Baltimore native, Princeton graduate, and investment banker who was parachuted into Thailand behind Japanese lines during World War II. Prasert na Nagara (1918–2018) began his career as an agricultural engineer before discovering his talent and love for languages and history. During the creation of the series, he would spend one month a year working with Griswold at his US home. [13] [14]
Monthon were administrative subdivisions of Thailand at the beginning of the 20th century. The Thai word monthon is a translation of the word mandala, in its sense of a type of political formation. The monthon were created as a part of the Thesaphiban bureaucratic administrative system, introduced by Prince Damrong Rajanubhab which, together with the monthon, established step-by-step today's present provinces (changwat), districts (amphoe), and communes (tambon) throughout Thailand. Each monthon was led by a royal commissioner called Thesaphiban (เทศาภิบาล), later renamed to Samuhathesaphiban (สมุหเทศาภิบาล). The system was officially adopted by the 1897 Local Administration Act, after some monthon had been established and administrative details were sorted out.
Ram Khamhaeng or Pho Khun Ram Khamhaeng Maharat, also spelled Ramkhamhaeng, was the third king of the Phra Ruang Dynasty, ruling the Sukhothai Kingdom from 1279 to 1298, during its most prosperous era.
Vajiravudh was the sixth monarch of Siam under the Chakri dynasty as Rama VI. He ruled from 23 October 1910 until his death in 1925. King Vajiravudh is best known for his efforts to create and promote Siamese nationalism. His reign was characterized by Siam's movement further towards democracy and minimal participation in World War I. He had keen interests in Siamese history, archaeology, and literature, as well as economics, politics and world affairs, and founded the country's first university, Chulalongkorn University.
Prince Tisavarakumarn, the Prince Damrong Rajanubhab was the founder of the modern Thai educational system as well as the modern provincial administration. He was an autodidact, a (self-taught) historian, and one of the most influential Thai intellectuals of his time.
The Royal Thai General System of Transcription (RTGS) is the official system for rendering Thai words in the Latin alphabet. It was published by the Royal Institute of Thailand in early 1917, when Thailand was called Siam.
There are many systems for the romanization of the Thai language, i.e. representing the language in Latin script. These include systems of transliteration, and transcription. The most seen system in public space is Royal Thai General System of Transcription (RTGS)—the official scheme promulgated by the Royal Thai Institute. It is based on spoken Thai, but disregards tone, vowel length and a few minor sound distinctions.
Khun Chang Khun Phaen is a long Thai epic poem which originated from a legend of Thai folklore and is one of the most notable works in Thai literature. The work's entire length is over 20,000 couplets. Khun Chang and Khun Phaen are the leading male characters, where "Khun" was a junior feudal title given for male commoners. The story recounts the adventurous and amorous struggles of the three main protagonists. Much of their relationship can be described as a love triangle. Khun Phaen and Khun Chang compete for the lovely Wanthong from childhood for over fifty years. Their stories transpire amid the larger backdrop of national events, including two wars, several abductions, a suspected revolt, an idyllic sojourn in the forest, two court cases, trial by ordeal, jail, and treachery. Ultimately the King of Ayutthaya condemns Wanthong to death for failing to choose between the two men.
The Ram Khamhaeng Inscription, formally known as Sukhothai Inscription No. 1, is a stone stele bearing inscriptions which have traditionally been regarded as the earliest example of the Thai script. Discovered in 1833 by King Mongkut, it was eventually deciphered and dated to 1292. The text gives, among other things, a description of the Sukhothai Kingdom during the time of King Ram Khamhaeng, to whom it is usually attributed. The inscription had immense influence over the development of Thai historiography from the early 20th century, which came to regard Sukhothai as the first Thai kingdom.
The monarchy of Thailand refers to the constitutional monarchy and monarch of the Kingdom of Thailand. The King of Thailand is the head of state and head of the ruling Royal House of Chakri.
Ramrachathirat was a king of Ayutthaya, an ancient kingdom in Thailand.
The Burmese–Siamese wars also known as the Yodian wars, were a series of wars fought between Burma and Siam from the 16th to 19th centuries.
Pha Mueang was a Thai nobleman and general who was the Lord of Rad and played a significant role in the founding of the Sukhothai Kingdom.
Yuan Phai, "Defeat of the Yuan," is a historical epic poem in the Thai language about rivalry between Ayutthaya and Lanna culminating in a battle that took place in 1474/5 AD at the place then called Chiang Cheun at Si Satchanalai. The Yuan are the people of Lanna or Yonok, then an independent kingdom in the upper reaches of the Chao Phraya River basin with a capital at Chiang Mai. The poem was written to celebrate King Boromma Trailokanat of Ayutthaya, the victor. The poem was probably written soon after the battle. It counts among only a handful of works of Thai literature from the Early Ayutthaya era that have survived, and may be still in its original form, without later revisions. The main body of the poem consists of 1,180 lines in a variant of the khlong meter. The poem is considered important as a source of historical information, as an example of poetic form and style, and as a repository of early Ayutthayan Thai language. A definitive edition was published by the Royal Institute of Thailand in 2001.
Thawathotsamat is a poem of 1,042 lines in Thai, probably composed in the late fifteenth century CE. The title is a Thai adaptation of the Pali-Sanskrit words dvā dasa māsa, two ten months. The male speaker laments over a lost lover through the course of one year, drawing on the seasonal weather for similes of his emotions. Both the speaker and beloved are addressed with royal forms. A late verse declares that the poem was written by a "young-king" with the help of three court poets. The work has sometimes been mistakenly classified as a treatise on Siamese royal ceremonies. The work is less studied and less well-known than other early works of Thai literature, partly because of the obscurity of its archaic language, and partly because of conservative concerns over its erotic passages. A new annotated Thai edition appeared in 2017.
The Siam Society Under Royal Patronage was established in 1904 with a mission to promote knowledge of the culture, history, arts, and natural sciences of Thailand as well as those of neighbouring countries. The premises of the Society in Bangkok, Thailand on Asok Montri Road include a library with many rare books and the Kamthieng House Museum in a historic teak house. The Society has a regular programme of lectures, study trips, cultural events, and music performances. The Society publishes two scholarly journals, the Journal of the Siam Society and the Natural History Bulletin of the Siam Society, and several books. The Society is involved in preservation of heritage through the Siamese Heritage Trust. The membership includes people of around 60 nationalities.
Thai nationalism is a political ideology involving the application of nationalism to the political discourse of Thailand. It was first popularized by King Vajiravudh, and was subsequently adopted and adapted by various leading political factions throughout the twentieth century.
Eulogy of King Prasat Thong is a long poem in Thai, composed during the king’s reign (1629–1656) by a senior noble. It is the first Thai poem which is specifically a royal panegyric and titled as such. It recounts the main events of the reign, including the building and renaming of the Chakkawat Phaichaiyon audience hall, adjustment of the calendar, a grand almsgiving, and a military parade and festival, all also described in the Royal Chronicles of Ayutthaya. It also states that King Prasat Thong is a bodhisatta, destined to become the tenth in a sequence of ten future Buddhas beginning with Metteyya. This claim is currently found in no other document. The sole manuscript, which was discovered in the 1980s, was copied in 1747/8 and is clearly incomplete. An annotated edition, including a facsimile of the original, was prepared by Buntuean Siworaphot and published in 2000.
Nirat Hariphunchai is an old poem of around 720 lines, originally composed in Northern Thai language. Nirat, derived from a Sanskrit word meaning “without”, is a genre of Thai poetry that involves travel and love-longing for a separated beloved. Hariphunchai was an ancient kingdom, centered at Lamphun, incorporated into the Lan Na kingdom by Mangrai in the late 13th century. The poem recounts a journey from Chiang Mai to Lamphun to venerate the Buddhist reliquary, Wat Phra That Hariphunchai, with visits to around twenty temples and shrines along the way. During the journey, the author laments his separation from his beloved Si Thip. The journey takes two or three days. The poem ends at a festival in the reliquary, attended by a queen and her son. The original may date to 1517/18 CE. The poem was little appreciated until recently owing to the difficulty of the old language.
Alexander Brown Griswold was an American art historian, known for his work in Thai art history and epigraphy. Born into an established banking family of Baltimore, he became acquainted with Thailand while serving in the army during World War II, and developed an interest in the country's history and culture, thereafter dedicating himself to the study of its history and archaeology. Griswold's early work mostly focused on stylistic analyses of the religious sculpture of Sukhothai and Lan Na, and by the 1960s he had become recognized as an expert authority on Thai traditional art, particularly in the area of sculpture. He was an adjunct professor at Cornell University, and amassed a large collection of Thai art and antiques at his home near Baltimore, which was opened to the public as a museum. His later work shifted in focus to the study of ancient inscriptions, and he co-authored the landmark "Epigraphic and Historical Studies" series with Prasert na Nagara from 1968 to 1979.
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