This is a different kind of history book. Another exquisite piece of work by tour guide-turned-historian Krairoek Nana, King Chulalongkorn's Centenary Memorial wows its readers with a rare collection of photographs of the monarch sourced from newspapers, journals and magazines printed in Europe over the past two centuries. The author spent more than three decades assembling the material before deciding to compile it in book form.
A sketch of a garden party at Windsor Castle in 1907 appears on the cover of King Chulalongkorn's Centenary Memorial. The illustration, according to author Krairoek Nana, is important as it shows the honour given to the Siamese king by the western power. The book, published to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the beloved King's passing in 2010, will be officially launched today.The book, however, had a humble beginning.
A graduate in tourism and management from a British university, Krairoek joined MD Tours in 1978, and became a pioneer of out-bound tours to Europe, where his task was to take Thai tourists and show them around the Continent. A tour typically lasted 24 days, and on such trips boredom was never far away. He would regale patrons with stories and anecdotes, but better still he started digging into old archives and travelogues for new information he thought will be of interest to them.
Author Krairoek Nana.One source of interest was King Chulalongkorn's historic visits to Europe in 1897 and 1907. The common Thai, he knew, would be excited to learn what the monarch had done almost a century ago in the very cities they were now visiting.
``When on tour I would sneak out to at lunch to check out local archives, leaving my clients to eat their meals on their own. Joining them again, I would have great stories to tell or gorgeous photos to show. This way the trips became more fun,'' said the author, who has also penned other books on Thai history. Over the years his collection grew, as did his fondness for history.
The book's title in Thai, Roi Parb Roi Paendin, may be misleading. Some people may think it's a book with 100 photos, but the author said that the ``roi'' in the title connects the events that happened during a significant period of King Chulalongkorn's reign, starting with the young monarch's ascension to the throne under the shadow of the powerful Bunnag family in 1868; the rift between Wang Luang, the royal or main palace, and Wang Na, the front palace, under Krom Phra Ratchawang Bovorn Vichaicharn who is referred in the Western press as the second King of Siam; King Chulalongkorn's successful defence of Siam's sovereignty in the face of threat posed by colonial powers; and finally the last years of his life.
The book features how the King and his Kingdom were seen _ and interpreted _ by the press in Britain, France, Germany and Italy. Several photos and illustrations _ some from the illustrators' imagination _ depict historic events including the confrontation with the French in 1893 which in Thailand is known as Ror Sor 112.
It also sheds light on King Chulalongkorn's contemporaries, including Czar Nicholas II of Russia who played a significant role and became an amicable friend of Siam.
Krairoek said the czar, when he was crown prince, made an unscheduled visit to Siam during his Southeast Asia tour. King Chulalongkorn sent his half-brother, Prince Damrong, to meet the Russian crown prince in Singapore and persuade him to include Siam on his itinerary.
Later on, Krairoek said, it was the Russian czar who helped Siam out of trouble with France at a time the latter was trying to expand its influence in the region.
clockwise from left: - King Chulalongkorn posed with Czar Nicholas II, then crown prince, at the Bang Pa-in Palace in Ayutthaya.
- A historic photo of King Chulalongkorn and Czar Nicholas II. Historians believe the photo, which was published across Europe, is significant as it demonstrated the recognition the powerful Russian czar gave to his Royal friend.
- King Chulalongkorn gave a speech at the Mansion House in London.
- The western press paid close attention to Siam. This photo shows King Chulalongkorn, with the queen, open the railway in Bangkok.
``Unfortunately, few are aware of this part of history,'' he said. The Siam-Russian friendship drew the attention of the Western press, as seen from photos and cartoons appearing in the print media.
Krairoek said King Chulalongkorn himself attached great importance to the role of the press. ``On his orders a court official was appointed whose responsibility was to acquire every news report about Siam,'' he said, adding the King must have read all the items that appear in this book.
More importantly, the author noted, it's apparent the King was deft at manipulating Western reporters. His decision to choose Italy as the first leg of his European tour was simply brilliant: Italy was a middle-level power that could not afford to ignore his visit, and it received wide press coverage. He subsequently toured Britain, France and Germany, proceeding with great confidence.
``The Western press saw him as a charismatic King, with good manners and perfect command of English. He gave a beautiful speech at a banquet at the Mansion House in London.''
Krairoek said the trip was a great success during which he won acceptance just not from the press but also Western leaders, amply illustrated in one photo _ a garden party at Windsor Palace during his second visit in 1907 _ that firmly secured his and Siam's place among the nations of the world. The author chose this photo as the cover of his book.
clockwise from far left: - Le Petit Journal published an illustration depicting the royal funeral procession of King Chulalongkorn.
- An illustration shows King Chulalongkorn at the trooping the colour ceremony at Saint-Quentin.
- A cartoon demonstrated China’s attempt to resist world powers in their bid to cut the colonial cake.
- The French warship Jean-Baptiste- Say was sunk while two warships sailed through the Phra Chulachomklao Fort in Pak Nam during the French-Siamese confrontation in 1893.
- A sarcastic cartoon featuring French President Felix Faure and King Chulalongkorn in the wake of the royal visit mimicked the friendly kiss between the French president and Czar Nicholas II in Russia a week before the king arrived in France.
``The photo shows King Edward VII honouring our king, asking him to take the lead as they prepare to walk to a party, with our king holding the arm of Queen Alexandra.''
As a fourth-generation descendant of the Nana clan, Krairoek said there also was a sentimental factor to the book.
His great grandfather, a migrant from India, was a member of the Indian community that formed the reception when King Chulalongkorn returned from his first visit to Europe. And Krairoek has in his possession the original text of the speech delivered on the occasion. He said he had no the idea what to do with the document until the book project came up.
``The migrant community showed its gratitude to the King, who in return, thanked it for the warm welcome,'' he said.
Krairoek is hoping the book will help engender, particularly among the younger generation, more interest in our roots, and he would glad if it can inspire others to study this important chapter in our history in greater detail.
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