A brief history of Thailand : monarchy, war and resilience : the fascinating story of the gilded kingdom at the heart of Asia
Publication Information
Tokyo ; Rutland, Vermont ; Singapore : Tuttle Publishing, [2021]
Physical Description
320 pages, 32 unnumbered pages of plates : illustrations, maps ; 21 cm
Summary
"This book offers an engaging journey through Thai history -- from the kings of Siam and the Vietnam War to the invention of Pad Thai and the modern tourist invasion. Thailand's dramatic history includes its emergence as a prosperous Buddhist state, its transformation from a kingdom to a constitutional monarchy and its rise to prominence in Southeast Asian affairs. [...] With this book, historian Richard A. Ruth has skillfully crafted an accessible history that explains how Thailand became the only country in Southeast Asia to resist European domination, how Thai Buddhism has wrought profound political and social changes, how Thai cuisine has conquered the world -- and more recently, how the consequences of globalization and military rule continue to reshape Thai society" -- Back cover.
Contents
- Introduction: the cultural foundations of modern Thailand
- Of coups and kings : the making of modern Thailand
- King Mongkut : the threat of Western imperialism
- King Chulalongkorn : civilization and the modernization of Siam
- King Vajiravudh : a new Thai national identity
- King Prajadhipok and the overthrow of the absolute monarchy
- Diminishing democracy in postabsolutist Siam
- The difficult time of Phiburn Songkhram
- Thailand in World War II
- Taking sides in the Cold War
- Sarit Thanarat's regime
- Thailand in the Vietnam War : on the frontlines
- Student demonstrations and a right-wing backlash
- Military rule and the growth of a rural insurgency
- Populists and royalists in conflict
- Red shirts and yellow shirts : defining Thai-ness?
- A struggle for Thailand's political future.