Abstract:
This dissertation aims to write a history of the construction of Thainess through studying the travel writing of the Thai elite in the 1890s to 1950s. It examines the relations between travel experience, methodology, and historical contexts of the authors. The study finds that the process of constructing Thainess by the elite in this period was a combination of the political and economic agendas, reference to the pre-existing knowledge, and use of empirical data obtained from traveling. As a point of departure of this dissertation, travel writing is one of the most important tools for constructing Thainess both in terms of creating definitions and disseminating knowledge.The findings of the study suggest that the elite contributed to the construction of Thainess in relation to four historical contexts. (1) the 1890s-1920s:ÿ when the challenges of modernity threatened their legitimacy to rule, the traditional elite relied on history and archaeology to research and establish the origins of the Thais and make a righteous claim over the land and the people. (2) the 1910s-1920s: the rise of capitalism and the post-World War I economic problems required the elite to explore resources and economic potential across the country. Agriculture was portrayed not only as the most important activity in Thai economic development. But it was also regarded as a symbol of Thainess that resulted from the accumulation of ancestral wisdom. (3) the 1920s-1930s: in the context of the 1932 regime change and territorial disputes with neighboring countries during World War II, new elites turned to embrace the concept of race to define Thainess. This attitude encouraged the travel to explore the “Thai race” outside the country and was used to claim back territories from the Western colonial powers. (4) the 1940s-1950s: the Thai government dropped the concept of race and adopted the uniqueness of Thai culture to define Thainess. This shift occurred as a result of Thailand’s adaptation to the new world order, the need to avoid conflicts with neighboring countries, and to counter the advance of the communist and separatist movements within the country. Thainess was now presented on the basis of "cultural unity on diversity"