Abstract:
To study the concept that progressive intellectuals conducted a discourse of the 'Thai Nation' during 1950-1962 in which they identified alternative meanings for the 'history of the Thai nation', 'sovereignty of the nation' and 'enemy of the nation'. Two generations of progressive intellectuals have been identified by this research. The first group played a role from the 1930's until the 1950's, and the second group was active from the 1950's. The two generations of intellectuals came together by publishing in newspapers and journals during the 1950's. The print media became the means by which they communicated their ideas to each other and put forward new opinions gained from their understandings of Marxism. These were new theories which criticised and challenged the mainstream view of 'Thai nation'. Moreover, in the 1950's there was a turning point of opinion, both from within Thailand and outside the country, which affected the ideas of the progressive intellectuals. It led to their creation of a discourse of 'Thai nation' which claimed that the nation was formed from ethnic heterogeneity and that 'national Thai identity' was formed from cultural diversity. Progressive intellectuals further explained that the 'sovereignty of the nation' was implied in an independent foreign policy, that is not dependent on policies of powerful countries. Furthermore, the concept of 'enemies of the nation' was directed at 'the new empire' (United States of America) and at the Thai group of politicians and those in bureaucracy who considered that Thailand should have closer alliances with the American capitalists. The discourse of progressive intellectuals ended in 1958 when the state power arrested and jailed them under the 'Communist Act'. This action resulted in the loss of them and their works from the memory of Thai society. Their ideas could not be openly publicised from that time until the 1970's, when their works were reprinted by students and intellectuals before and after the uprising of 14 October 1973.