Thailand

1
Thailand

• Multi-racial society, the case study of the
  Chinese in Thailand.

2
The concept of race and ethnic group.

• Ethnic group a group that is defined by
  cultural characteristics that are held in common,
  such as religion and language.
• Racism a belief system that views groups of
  people (identified by various physical
  characteristics) hierarchically in terms of
  superiority and inferiority.

3
The racial conflict of Oversea Chinese in host
societies that happened in Southeast Asia
countries.

• In Malaysia, the May 13, Racial Riot occurred
  in 1969.
• In Indonesia, in April 1994, the labor unrest in
  Medan in Northern Sumatra turned into prolong
  rioting in which Chinese owned businesses were
  attacked.
• Before, lesson war, Sino-Vietnamese border
  conflict 1979 Feb- March, 50,000 200,000 of
  Chinese in Vietnam were forced to return to China.

4
The map of Siam in nineteen century.
Location
Situated in the centre of mainland of South East
Asia
Chinese in Thailand .

• 7.5 of pop ( 5 m.)
• 1917 9.8 of
• pop (9 m.)

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The map of Thailand today.
Area 514,000 Square km.
Population 63 Million.
Chinese in Thailand
in the year 2000 214,894
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Background

• Thailand has many racial groups in society.
• Chinese, Vietnamese, Laos, Hill Tribes, Malay,
  Indian for instances.
• The relationship of Thais exposes over those
  racial groups in the form of dominantor.
• Among them,the Chinese is the most powerful
  racial group in Thai society.

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The domination of Thais over racial groups in
society.
Racial group
Racial group
8

• Before World War II, the consciousness between
  Thai and non-Thai was not emphasized by
  government.
• Between and after World War II, the nationalistic
  policy was strengthen then the consciousness of
  Thais and non-Thais were presented in mind.

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• Although there have been many racial groups, the
  serious racial problem has never been occurred in
  Thailand.

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The point to be considered.

• How the Chinese racial group can be the most
  powerful racial groups in Thai society?
• How did Thai state treat them in the history?
• How does the Chinese-Thai community coexist in
  Thai society?

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The background of the Chinese in Siam.

• The Chinese has settled down in Southeast Asia
  since thirteen century.
• The reason for them to left their country were
  the lack of crop, civil war, natural disasters.
• Throughout the 19th century and through the first
  half of the 20th , immigrants from China poured
  into Siam until the Communist party took power,
  the immigration slowed down and stopped.
• When they went to overseas, most of them were
  male. They worked hard and acquired money to
  raise their family life.

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• When the time go by, they got married with local
  women and had their own children who latter
  become the Chinese Thai people, the next
  generation of the Chinese. They had the
  consciousness to be Siam people.

13

• 95 percent of the Chinese came from Kwangtung and
  Fukien province of China.
• Most of them were poor farmers and peasants in
  China before.
• They were consisted of 5 groups of different
  Chinese dialectics, that are Taechue, Hakha,
  Hainan, Hokien and Kwangtung.
• The proportion of each groups is 56, 16,12, 7
  and 7 respectively.

14
The reason of immigration from China to Siam.
Push factors
Pull factor
The Chinese
Siam
Immigration to
Lack of crops
The demand of labor
Civil war
Natural disasters
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The location of Kwangtung and Fukien Province in
China.
Kwangtung and Fukien Province
16
The reason why Siam let the Chinese immigrated in.

• Due to the demand of labor.
• Because, during the period of 1759-1855, Siam
  faced the prolong war with neighboring states
  which causal to lose large number of man force.
• The Chinese man force in Siam took participation
  in serving ranging from royal court trade,
  construction, agriculture, traders to rickshaw
  coolie.

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• After Bowring Treaty in 1855, Siam entered modern
  world trade and commercialization process then
  proceeding to demand the labor to contribution
  the new era .
• And then, the Chinese became the entrepreneurial
  class of Chinese rice trade. Some of them became
  tax-farmers and became the noblemen of Siam
  society.
• With the frugality and hard work, they escalated
  their status to become the middle class of Siam
  society that premodern Siam society existed only
  elite class (King and family) and mass class
  (agriculturalists).

18
The assimilation in Siam society.

• The assimilation among Thais and racial groups in
  Siam took place naturally.
• The assimilation between Thais and the Chinese
  took place by intermarriage among the elite class
  and among masses class.
• Then, Thais and the Chinese had the closed
  relationship between them.

19
The close relationship between Thais and the
Chinese.
Thais
Chinese
Assimilation process
The admixture of race between Thais and the
Chinese by intermarriage
Elite class
Masses class
20
Nationalism policy

• The nationalism policy had been started from Rama
  VI (1910-1925) and strengthen during World War II
  and after in the Field Marshall Phibun Sonkraam
  regium.
• Being awareness of being occupied in economic
  sector by the Chinese and the nationalism
  consciousness was the main stream around the
  world at the time.
• During and after WW II, Phibun regium adopted
  full scale the policy of nationalism as the state
  policy to pressure on the Chinese economy and
  society.
• Especially, the Thais wanted to take over the
  economic sector from the Chinese but due to the
  limited time, it was impossible to succeed this
  mission.

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The portrait of Field Marshall Phibun Sonkhraam
1897-1964 Born at Nontaburi Privince. Educated
from France. Took political power between World
War II and after.
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• The government strengthened the education by
  development the feeling of Thai consciousness and
  Thai knowledge to Chinese schools that effected
  until nowadays.
• To cope with the policy, the Chinese adapted
  themselves by organizing together in form of
  trade association, business association and even
  secret society in order to negotiate with
  powerful government.

23
The new era of capitalistic development

• After 1960, Thai economic entered the new era of
  capitalistic development.
• The first five years national development plan
  was formed to aim to develop the country.
• The Chinese Thai who located in private firms
  have shifted their activity to contribute to the
  plan, from rice trader to be the constructor or
  exporting products of cassava, maize, jute.
• With the proceeding of economic development
  process, the Chinese Thai constitutes a large
  majority of middle strata in Thai social
  structure.

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Nationalism policy as socialization

• Typical Chinese traits
• Pride of race and culture
• Contempt for local people
• Political allegiance to China
• Etc.

• Thais

Socialization process by nationalism based on
Thai education from primary school to
university.
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Research Methodology

• Based on the research in the year 2000.
• Used anthropology approach by key informant
  interviewing, informal interviewing, participant
  observation and photographing, making maps.
• Sampling from 43 households in Boe Bae community
  by interviewing head of the families.

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The Boe Bae community location.
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Boe Bae - the Chinese community at the midst of
Bangkok.

• The official name of Boe Bae is Trok-Dhamma.
• Located between two official districts -
  Pratumvan and Pomprabsattruphai districts.
• Boe Bae expanded itself from the area called old
  market on two side,after that acrossing
  Krungsasem Road to the other side and further to
  tall building called Boe Bae Tower.
• Boe Bae is the most well-known wholesales
  ready-made -dresses market in Bangkok.

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• The exactly population is not recorded but
  consists of about 500 long-house shops, 1,000
  stall-shops in the daytime service and 100
  stall-shops for the nightime services from 02.00
  pm to 7.00 am.
• Boe Bae market had been settle down from about
  1930 by Chinese.
• During WWII, consumption goods were went out from
  the market then used clothes were brought into
  for sales or exchange to necessary goods such as
  eggs or sugar and etc.

32

• After WWII not only used clothes, others business
  was held and became handmade ready made dress in
  family business level.
• Now, it developed to machinery manufacturing
  level and exported to the world market.

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The institution in Boe Bae Community

• Institution of belief
• Institution of association
• Pung Tao Kong Association.
• Boe Bae Association.

Supernatural
Pung Tao Kong Shrines
1.
2.
Buddhism
Barom Niwat Temple
1.
2.
34
Baromnivat Buddhism Temple

• Established in the year 1794 in King Rama 3
  regium.
• Each year, 5 Buddhism ceremony will be held.
• In connection with Boe Bae market, the temple
  are the owner of land which the old market
  locates.
• The residents in the old market area have to pay
  to the temple for renting land but the amount is
  too tiny to account at present.

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• In return, according to the owner - renter land
  relation, when the temple held the ceremony, the
  temple requires supporter to spread news. It is
  old market association channel.
• The old association actively respond the temple
  both spread news and donate to the temple.
• This is a kind of reciprocal relationship.
• About residents consciousness in taking
  participation with shrines and temple, all of the
  sampling households take participation with
  shrines and about half take participation with
  the temple.

36
In the communal level the co-exist relation
between Chinese Shrine and Thai Temple
Pung Tao Kong Shrine
Barom Niwat Thai Temple
Reciprocal relationship
37
Boe Bae Association

• Officially settled since 28 March 1983.
• The function - as the information center of
  community, funeral, marriage and public services.
• Especially, informational distributor and
  promotor of ready made clothes to the
  international market level.
• Then, Boe Bae Association has the distinctive
  function of modern institution functioning for
  the residents in dealing with international
  market .

38
Pung Tao Kong belief.

• Protect community from disaster such as fire.
• God-Pungtaokong Supernatural belief of Boe Bae
  community.
• - 7 shrines scattering over all community
• - the oldest one is in old market area.
• - each shrine has their own association
  functioning in managing the donated money. Each
  shrine has one s own boundary where restricted
  residents are living in.
• Among 7 shrines, the old market shrines is the
  most active in activity.

39

• The association consists of permanent and
  contemporary committee.
• The permanent committee consists of 20 members
  who are senior and well known.
• The contemporary committee consists of 24
  members. These members are turned on December 5th
  ceremony each year.

40

• Through the ceremony, they are selected from the
  the permission of God Pung Tao Kong.
• In the ceremony, one of senior committee will use
  chopstick to pick up the householders name
  written and rolled in paper in front of God.
• Then, he throws a pair of Puak Puay (big wooden
  bean) to the air, if God prefer that person, it
  will be one side down and one side up.

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• The senior committee conducts this until it
  completes 24 members, then the list of new
  members will be announced at the front of God.
• After the ceremony, some of senior members will
  educate these new committee about the obligation
  of the association how to manage the donate money
  and distribute the authority among them.
• This is a kind of socialization process of the
  new member in organizing community.

42
The three principles belief of Thai village.
(syncretism)

• In order to understand the Boe Bae community,
  lets see the pattern of belief in Thai village.
• Buddhism, the belief of conducting merit (bun)
  and demerit (bap).
• - the next life exists according to
  conducting merit or demerit.
• - has temple to conduct Buddhism ceremony.
• Brahman, the belief to fulfill man spirit,
  conducting ceremony to thanks Rice-Spirit after
  cultivating seasons.
• Phe or supernatural belief, the belief to
  natural spirit and ancestor spirit, protects
  villager from bad spirit. Each village has shrine
  for worship supernatural phe.

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• Buddhism merit and demerit, the next life
• Brahman fulfill human spirit, ceremony
  correlation to rice spirit.
• Phe supernatural belief, preserving natural
  damage.

44
Chinese family system -pattern and transformation
Pattern.

• Patrilineal- head of family has absolute
  authority
• Structure- extended family.
• The oldest brother is priority in take care of
  familys business after father retired.

• Transformation.
• Patrilineal- housewife take more participate in
  decising making.
• Nuclear family - (from orientation family to
  procreation family.)
• No certain pattern in successor system. It is
  upon the appreciation of the head of family

45
Pattern Transformation

• The property of family will be divided equally
  among brothers.
• After marrige, patrilocal resident
• Chinese will preserve their own language.
• Chinese community is homogeneous society.
• In connecting with clan association and
  contacting with relative in China.

• There is no certain pattern. But sisters will be
  accounted in familys property too.
• Neolocal resident.
• Chinese-Thai gradually neglect their own
  language.
• Boe Bae community is heterogeneous society.
• Only a few connecting with clan association and
  contacting with relatives in China.

46
Pattern Transformation

• Conducting Chinese annual rite regularily.
• Chinese females status is lower than male.

• Continuing conducting annual rite but the
  frequency is lessen except Chinese New Year
  festival.
• According to the dividing property and
  education, Chinese-Thai female is equally in
  status with male.

47
Chinese Community Pattern.

• They do not naturally dispose the immigrants to
  assimilate into the host society.
• They form a closed, tight integrated,
  self-sufficient system.
• As long as the institutions remains intact, it
  acts as a strong deterrent to the assimilation
  process.

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In Boe Bae community case study results.

• Because of being business community, the
  connection with host society is inevitable.
• The residents of community are in busy business,
  most of them neither take part in social work nor
  afford mutual help among them.
• They have changed their name and surname to be
  Thai, speaking Thais as master language,
  educating in Thais education system.
• From now on, the next generation, they will be
  Thais absolutely.

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The Chinese rickshaw coolie
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The co-exits structure of Chinese community to
Thai host society and to international market in
communal level
In belief
Conventional Thai temple
Pung Tao Kong Association
Boe Bae community.
In marketing
Boe Bae Association
International market
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The condition to be multi racial society in
Thailand in the national level.

• Sustainable (in term of development) able to
  be maintain at a certain level without causing
  damage to the environment or depletion of the
  resource.
• In society sustainable can be interpreted in term
  of the stability of the entire society.
• Especially, the coexist of multi racial group in
  host society without conflict or trouble.

56
Chinese in Thailand successfully coexist with
host society sustainablely.

• Chinese and their descendants in Thailand attains
  merit in full scale in
• Security. no conflict within host
  society
• Social position. Take the high position
  in Thai society as Priminister and ministers.
• Economic opportunity. Successful middle
  class.
• Then Chinese in Thailand is Progressive in
  coexist with the host society.

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Thais and the Chinese in Thai society will be
sustainable coexistent .

• In Thailand, there is no deep-rooted
  anti-Chinese, nor have there been any of the
  serious racial conflicts.

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These man are the new members of committees
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