why thailand change from siam?, never been taught in thai history class Options

[alkrub]

anyone knows , when and why thailand change its name form siam to be thailand?

(IMG:http://www.asiafinest.com/forum/style_emoticons/default/confused.gif)

[ER33]

the reason in in your topic posted below.

http://www.asiafinest.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=17085

[alkrub]

the reason in in your topic posted below.

http://www.asiafinest.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=17085

???

i think you game me incorrect link. there were nothing relating to siam change name to thailand there

[Xai]

ER33 meant that you basically explained the reason why Siam had changed its name to Thailand.

I think that Thai government have done a very good job for this. We always have taught that we all are Thai and all people in Thailand have the only one race which is Thai. This is because of the reason of unity.

[Vince]

The change reflects nationalistic movements. Suddenly Siam became the "land of the Thai" but not other people. This is perhaps because the Chinese in Bangkok were gaining more influence in economy. General Pibul who was the prime minister of that time himself is known for nationalism. To claim that this is the country of the Thai is to exclude Chinese, Malay, and other ethnicities from the politics and at the same time, extend its claim over other Tai-speaking areas in other countries too.

Of course, there were people who disagreed with the name change. One person said that "everyone can be proud to be a citizen of Siam" but to make Siam "land of the Thai", it will alienate non-Thai people. He specifically gave example of the Malay in the South who didn't see themselves as Thai but might see themselves as Siamese.

Anyway, the name change had a great effect - it made everyone wanted to be called Thai. The Chinese were so pressured that most of them changed their last names to Thai. Today Chinese in Thailand identify themselves as "Thai" first even if they had 100% Chinese blood. For the Isan people and the yuon (today's Northen Thai), the effect is even greater. Everyone sees himself as Thailand's Thai. They will get angry if you think they are not real Thai.

The last people who are slowest to change are parhaps the Southern Malay. Ironically, this is the group whose opposition was already predicted during General Pibul's time.

I am always curious how it would be if Thailand is still Siam. I guess we would be less nationalistic... But nobody could really know...

PS. I notice my writing is so academic. Hahahaha. (IMG:http://www.asiafinest.com/forum/style_emoticons/default/embarassedlaugh.gif) (IMG:http://www.asiafinest.com/forum/style_emoticons/default/embarassedlaugh.gif) (IMG:http://www.asiafinest.com/forum/style_emoticons/default/embarassedlaugh.gif) I guess you guys don't mind. But the fact is I can't help. I use English mainly in school so it became my style.

This post has been edited by Vince: Sep 8 2004, 08:39 AM

[Xai]

Yeah, my style is pretty academic too...when I'm calm and in an actual good debate.

Personally, I don't care what the name of the Thai region--Thailand, Siam, it doesn't matter. I don't think people take their country's name into so much significance. Siam or Thailand, it's still the same country.

If names were really so influential in bringing people together, the United States of America might as well be the "Land of All People on Earth"

(IMG:http://www.asiafinest.com/forum/style_emoticons/default/embarassedlaugh.gif) (IMG:http://www.asiafinest.com/forum/style_emoticons/default/embarassedlaugh.gif) (IMG:http://www.asiafinest.com/forum/style_emoticons/default/embarassedlaugh.gif) (IMG:http://www.asiafinest.com/forum/style_emoticons/default/embarassedlaugh.gif) (IMG:http://www.asiafinest.com/forum/style_emoticons/default/embarassedlaugh.gif) (IMG:http://www.asiafinest.com/forum/style_emoticons/default/embarassedlaugh.gif)

[Ek-ek]

But Siam is a nice name>

[Vince]

But Siam is a nice name>

True. Couldn't agree more. (IMG:http://www.asiafinest.com/forum/style_emoticons/default/icon_wink.gif)

[Ek-ek]

Like Siamese twins, Siamese Cats, Siamese fighting fishes....... etc.......

[Byron]

I heard from some Cambodian that they changed it because of the name of a Cambodian province called Siamreap.

I think Thailand tried to take that province and they were defeated so the Cambodians called the province Siamreap something that supposed to mean Siam was raped or something.

Siam was embarassed by that name and thus changed it to Thailand. I'm not sure if what the Cambodian said was true though.

[DaiNamViet]

Like Siamese twins, Siamese Cats, Siamese fighting fishes....... etc.......

Thats so funny (IMG:http://www.asiafinest.com/forum/style_emoticons/default/rotflmao.gif)

[dalawapo]

i think the philippines should do the same as thailand! the word Filipino is reminscent of social class system of the spaniards during colonial days and also it doesnt reflect the heritage of the unconquerable indigenous and muslim minorities of the islands!

:genius:

[DaiNamViet]

Same as Viet Nam I think we should drop the Nam (South) and add "Great" in front of it... as Nam no longer makes sense without a Bac (North)..... :genius:

[dalawapo]

lets petition for a renovation of our countries names!

[DaiNamViet]

lets petition for a renovation of our countries names!

Hahha yea, its quite possible .. it could happen.. if people had any real brains that is (IMG:http://www.asiafinest.com/forum/style_emoticons/default/embarassedlaugh.gif)

[Ek-ek]

Now where could we start?

Philippines? Lapunians? In honour for the first Filipino hero?

[dalawapo]

Kalayaan! (IMG:http://www.asiafinest.com/forum/style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif)

[pichaya_n]

in the other way...Thai means "freedom" so Thailand means Land of Freedom

Like when Rama 5 stopped the slavery (at that time we were still called Siam), he said that you are all "Thai" as in Thai we wrote "ไท" but for Thailand we wrote "ไทย"

[ham_let]

Now where could we start?

Philippines? Lapunians? In honour for the first Filipino hero?

eew... lol... hi, my parents are from a country called lapu-lapu! (IMG:http://www.asiafinest.com/forum/style_emoticons/default/sure.gif) (IMG:http://www.asiafinest.com/forum/style_emoticons/default/sure.gif) haha j/k...

to this day i do not understnad y our country doesn't have a local name...

[dalawapo]

i thought some pre-colonial names of the philippines was Ma-i or Maharlika.

what about MALAYA (free) and then the people can be called MALAYAN (IMG:http://www.asiafinest.com/forum/style_emoticons/default/embarassedlaugh.gif) again malaysia wouldnt be too happy about that.

sometimes i wonder why the central islands of the philippiens are collectively called Visayas, was it the natives who sailed to neighbooring islands and converted them to be a "visayas"? what if they had kept traveling into luzon and mindanao and the whole archipelago was called Visayas. Oo.... just wondering