Slavery in Thailand was practiced from the Ayutthaya period until its abolition by King Chulalongkorn (Rama V) through a series of reforms taking place from 1874 to 1905. Today, modern slavery has emerged as an issue, especially involving migrant workers in Thailand's fishing industry.
Slave is the usual English term for a historical legal personal status known in Thai as that (ทาส, pronounced [tʰâːt] , from Pali : dāsa ). They formed the lowest rank in the social hierarchy system known as sakdina , which dates from the Ayutthaya period (14th–18th centuries), and were bound under servitude to a master, who according to the law "had absolute power over their slaves other than the right to take their lives". [1] People could become slaves through various means, including being taken as war captives, through debt, and being born to slave parents. Masters' employment of their slaves varied, as was recorded by Simon de la Loubère, who visited Ayutthaya in 1687: [1]
They employ their Slaves in cultivating their Lands and Gardens, and in some domestic Service; or rather they permit them to work to gain their livelihood, under a Tribute which they receive from four to eight Ticals a Year, that is to say, from seven Livres ten sols, to fifteen Livres.
The abolition of slavery in Thailand occurred during the reign of King Chulalongkorn (Rama V). The King, intent on avoiding social upheaval and angering the slave-owning noble class, gradually implemented reforms over several decades, beginning in 1874, with a royal act stipulating that those born into slavery since 1868 be free upon reaching twenty-one years of age. Other laws later enacted in 1884, 1890, 1897 and 1900 further clarified or expanded these regulations. A final Act, dated 1905, which introduced decreasing freedom-price caps and age limits, eventually ended the practice within the next few years. Slavery was explicitly criminalized by the 1908 penal code, section 269, which prohibited the sale and acquisition of slaves (but exempting those that were legal under the 1905 Act). Acts from 1911–13 expanded the coverage of previous laws. Slavery, finally, legally ceased in 1915. [2] [3] [4]
The Tai or Thai ethnic group migrated into mainland Southeast Asia over a period of centuries. The word Siam may have originated from Pali, Sanskrit श्याम, or Mon ရာမည, with likely the same root as Shan and Ahom. Xianluo was the Chinese name for the Ayutthaya Kingdom, merged from Suphannaphum city-state, centered in modern-day Suphan Buri; and Lavo city-state, centered in modern-day Lop Buri. To the Thai, the name of their country has mostly been Mueang Thai.
The Sukhothai Kingdom was a post-classical Siamese kingdom (maṇḍala) in Mainland Southeast Asia surrounding the ancient capital city of Sukhothai in present-day north-central Thailand. It evolved from a trading hub to a city-state in 1127 and emerged into the kingdom by Si Inthrathit in 1238. Sukhothai existed as an independent polity until 1438 when it fell under the influence of the neighboring Ayutthaya after the death of Borommapan.
Chulalongkorn, posthumously honoured as King Chulalongkorn the Great, was the fifth king of Siam from the Chakri dynasty, titled Rama V.
Mongkut was the fourth king of Siam from the Chakri dynasty, titled Rama IV. He ruled from 1851 to 1868. His full title in Thai was Phra Poramenthra Ramathibodhi Srisindra Maha Mongkut Phra Chomklao Chao Yu Hua Phra Sayam Thewa Maha Makut Witthaya Maharat.
Ramkhamhaeng or Pho Khun Ramkhamhaeng Maharat was the third king of the Phra Ruang Dynasty, ruling the Sukhothai Kingdom from 1279 to 1298, during its most prosperous era.
The Rattanakosin Kingdom, also known as the Kingdom of Siam after 1855, was the Siamese kingdom between 1782 and 1932 It was founded in 1782 with the establishment of Rattanakosin (Bangkok), which replaced the city of Thonburi as the capital of Siam. This article covers the period until the Siamese revolution of 1932.
The Palace Law of Succession, Buddhist Era 2467 (1924) governs succession to the Throne of the Kingdom of Thailand, under the ruling House of Chakri. Succession matters prior to the end of absolute monarchy in 1932 could be contentious, especially during the Ayutthaya period from the 14th to 18th centuries. In 1924, King Vajiravudh attempted to clarify the succession process by laying down the Palace Law of Succession. It was promulgated and came into effect in November 1924 as, in part, an attempt to eliminate the vagueness relating to succession within the Thai monarchical regime and to systematically resolve previous controversies. In 1932, after Siam became a constitutional monarchy, various amendments relating to succession were introduced. The 1997 Constitution of Thailand relied on the law with regards to succession, but the 2006 Interim Constitution made no mention of succession, leaving it to "constitutional practice". The 2007 Constitution again relied on the Palace Law. The preamble of the 2014 interim constitution of Thailand abrogated the 2007 Constitution, with the exception of chapter 2, concerning the monarchy and the succession.
The history of Bangkok, the capital of Thailand, dates at least to the early 15th century, when it was under the rule of Ayutthaya. Due to its strategic location near the mouth of the Chao Phraya River, the town gradually increased in importance, and after the fall of Ayutthaya King Taksin established his new capital of Thonburi there, on the river's west bank. King Phutthayotfa Chulalok, who succeeded Taksin, moved the capital to the eastern bank in 1782, to which the city dates its foundation under its current Thai name, "Krung Thep Maha Nakhon". Bangkok has since undergone tremendous changes, growing rapidly, especially in the second half of the 20th century, to become the primate city of Thailand. It was the centre of Siam's modernization in the late 19th century, subjected to Allied bombing during the Second World War, and has long been the modern nation's central political stage, with numerous uprisings and coups d'état having taken place on its streets throughout the years.
The Ananta Samakhom Throne Hall is a royal reception hall in Dusit Palace in Bangkok, Thailand. It was commissioned by King Chulalongkorn in 1908. The building was completed in 1915, five years after Rama V's death in 1910. It is now employed from time to time for state occasions.
The monarchy of Thailand is the constitutional form of government of Thailand. The king of Thailand is the head of state and head of the ruling Chakri dynasty.
Chettathirat or Ramathibodi II was the King of Sukhothai from 1485 and King of Ayutthaya from 1491 to 1529. His reign was marked by the first Western Contact with the Portuguese.
Ramrachathirat was a king of Ayutthaya, an ancient kingdom in Thailand.
Thai traditional costumes vary by city and the ruler of each historical period. Thai clothes can be classified according to six distinct periods of history; beginning with the 13th century. Previously, traditional Thai clothes were worn daily; however, they are now only worn on auspicious functions such as Thai traditional marriage ceremonies.
Prince Raphi Phatthanasak, Prince of Ratchaburi, was a son of king Chulalongkorn and Chao Chom manda Talab. He had one full sister, Princess Ajrabarni Rajkanya.
The Thai nobility was a social class comprising titled officials in the service of the monarchy. They formed part of a hierarchical social system which developed from the time of the Ayutthaya Kingdom, through the Thonburi (1767–1782) and early Rattanakosin periods. Reforms by King Chulalongkorn ended the system around the end of the 19th century, though noble titles continued to be granted until the abolition of absolute monarchy in 1932.
Chatusadom or Catustambha was the Thai system of central executive governance during the Ayutthaya Kingdom, Thonburi Kingdom and Rattanakosin Kingdom from 1454 to 1892. For about four hundred years, it had served as the constitution of central government of Siam or Thailand until King Chulalongkorn organized Chatusadom into modern ministries and officially established the Cabinet on April 1, 1892.
Tha Chalom is a historic tambon (sub-district) of Mueang Samut Sakhon District, Samut Sakhon Province, central Thailand. Its name is also a name of surrounding area.
Khao kaeng or Khao gaeng, literally "rice and curry", also known as khao rat kaeng, meaning "curry on rice", is a traditional Thai dish consisting of steamed rice served with a variety of curries and side dishes. This dish is a staple of Thai cuisine, particularly popular as a quick and flavorful meal and can be found in restaurants, food stalls and markets across Thailand. The dish is typically characterized by its rich and spicy curries, which are often balanced with fried foods and vegetables.
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