1940s Thai Nationalism

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King Maker
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1940s Thai Nationalism

#1

Post by King Maker » 03 Oct 2006, 04:52

http://www.2bangkok.com/06/nationalism.shtml
A programme to create a new, civilised Thailand thus began. As the Prime Minister himself put it, “we must be as cultured as other nations otherwise no country will come to contact us. Or if they come, they come as superiors. Thailand would be helpless and soon become colonised. But if we were highly cultured, we would be able to uphold our integrity, independence, and keep everything to ourselves.”

Another six cultural mandates followed between March 1940 and January 1942. Two stressed the importance of working hard and the need to assist aged-people or invalids, while one banned all men from appearing in public bare-chested or with loose shirt-tails. They must wear either uniforms or western-style suits. Women were also encouraged to adopt a more westernised appearance by wearing not only skirts and hats but also gloves with matching handbags and shoes. On September 8, 1940, a cultural mandate emphasising the need to use time efficiently was issued. Thais were instructed to organise their lives by dividing the day into three: between six and eight hours had to be allocated for sleep, the daylight hours to work, and the rest of the time to physical exercise, gardening, cultural pursuits and listening to the radio. It was also decreed that no more than four meals should be eaten per day, and the chewing of betel nut – which blackened teeth - was banned altogether, with provincial governors being instructed to destroy all betel trees unless some industrial use could be found for them.

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Paddy
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Re: 1940s Thai Nationalism

#2

Post by Paddy » 03 Oct 2006, 22:03

King Maker wrote:http://www.2bangkok.com/06/nationalism.shtml
A programme to create a new, civilised Thailand thus began. As the Prime Minister himself put it, “we must be as cultured as other nations otherwise no country will come to contact us. Or if they come, they come as superiors. Thailand would be helpless and soon become colonised. But if we were highly cultured, we would be able to uphold our integrity, independence, and keep everything to ourselves.”

Another six cultural mandates followed between March 1940 and January 1942. Two stressed the importance of working hard and the need to assist aged-people or invalids, while one banned all men from appearing in public bare-chested or with loose shirt-tails. They must wear either uniforms or western-style suits. Women were also encouraged to adopt a more westernised appearance by wearing not only skirts and hats but also gloves with matching handbags and shoes. On September 8, 1940, a cultural mandate emphasising the need to use time efficiently was issued. Thais were instructed to organise their lives by dividing the day into three: between six and eight hours had to be allocated for sleep, the daylight hours to work, and the rest of the time to physical exercise, gardening, cultural pursuits and listening to the radio. It was also decreed that no more than four meals should be eaten per day, and the chewing of betel nut – which blackened teeth - was banned altogether, with provincial governors being instructed to destroy all betel trees unless some industrial use could be found for them.
Do Thai people still chew the betel nuts nowaday? I was doing research about this habbit ten years ago. I found that beside Vietnamese, people in Taiwan, Guam, Phillipine, Malaysia, Indonesia, Cambodia also practice this habbit.

One misconception about this teeth blacken thing is probably false. In Vietnam, the teeth were chemically blackened to protect them. With multiple coating of this chemical, the teeth would last a life time.

Paddy.


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asiaticus
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Organizing time.

#3

Post by asiaticus » 04 Oct 2006, 11:26

Its interesting about the organization of the day, and work hour and restriction of meals.

Most cities in Europe had clock towers or at least ringing of church bells at reguar times through out the day from the Middle Ages on, even in the countryside within ear shot of a village church. So the days were organized that way for a long time. Was that sort of thing true in Siam before these regulations or was this really a big change?

Wisarut
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Re: 1940s Thai Nationalism

#4

Post by Wisarut » 06 Nov 2010, 06:52

Paddy wrote: Do Thai people still chew the betel nuts nowaday? I was doing research about this habbit ten years ago. I found that beside Vietnamese, people in Taiwan, Guam, Phillipine, Malaysia, Indonesia, Cambodia also practice this habbit.

One misconception about this teeth blacken thing is probably false. In Vietnam, the teeth were chemically blackened to protect them. With multiple coating of this chemical, the teeth would last a life time.

Paddy.
Nope - except very old ones.
BTW, betel nuts now mostly used for dye while the betel leaves are for herbal medicine

Wisarut
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Joined: 21 Jun 2009, 21:15

Re: 1940s Thai Nationalism

#5

Post by Wisarut » 07 Apr 2014, 10:03

Image
Cult of personality for Field Marshall plaek
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid ... =1&theater

Wisarut
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Posts: 129
Joined: 21 Jun 2009, 21:15

Re: 1940s Thai Nationalism

#6

Post by Wisarut » 08 Apr 2014, 15:29

Image
Here is another example of Ratthaniyom - no more walking barefoot
http://topicstock.pantip.com/library/to ... 36002.html


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