Here I show six cartoons with explanations that bitingly criticized the royal-noble elite in Bangkok a hundred years ago.
The growth of readership in Bangkok from the 1920s prompted a rapid growth of local publishing houses. This was accompanied by the emergence of a number of popular newspapers and magazines that became a forum for public debate and discussion. Some magazines had circulations of 3-4.000, a lot for the time. Power and privilege were scrutinized and criticized by citizens who wanted to participate in the public life of the nation. Absolute monarchy and royalist privileges were vehemently criticized. The elite were portrayed as morally bankrupt, interested only in themselves, and in sex and money. Sometimes magazines were banned but they soon came out again.
Reverence and respect, often said to be deeply rooted in the Thai consciousness, called Thainess, were often completely absent from newspapers and magazines in the 1920s to 1930s. On the contrary, disrespectful and disparaging cartoons (and stories) were common in that time. The king was not spared either.
All this would lead to the revolution of June 1932 that converted the absolute monarchy into a constitutional one. This revolution was widely supported and challenged only by a group of royalists.
Barmé gives 27 cartoons in the chapter 'Visually Challenged' in his book 'Man, Woman, Bangkok' and I describe 6 below. The others are equally caustic and clear.
Next time on the 'polygamy question' The discussion on this connects the unequal sexual relations between men and women with the fate of the nation in general.
We see a giant of a man, clearly one phôe: yài (a Lord, literally a 'great man'), which a number phôe: nói (subordinates, literally 'little people') in his arms and on his shoulders while several others lick his legs and shoes.
The cartoon means that there is only one way for simple people to get ahead: to shamelessly flatter and slime your superiors.
A short, fat man in official uniform holds up a sack marked "money" as his pockets overflow with notes. He says: 'Calm down, everything will be fine'. The man bears resemblance to King Rama VI.
The message: money is the measure of all things, the source of happiness and peace and the way of loyalty for the absolute ruler(s).
This 1926 cartoon is titled 'Our Habit of Crawling'. A Siamese gentleman sits at a table with a Western man. The Western man points to the servants crawling between some dogs and says, "Aren't these your compatriots?" "Yes," says the Siamese gentleman, "but they are much poorer than I!"
A number of officials crouch down and reach for a number of pouches marked 'state money'.
It reads: 'With your mouth you profess your love for the nation, but what the devil are your hands doing?'
Here a policeman (?) hacks his way through the jungle wading in a swamp. The bushes read from left to right: 'gambling, opium, prostitution and counterfeit money'.
A group of women, described as wives of a prince, an aristocrat and a merchant, are gambling and say to each other 'My husband isn't home anyway'. A policeman peeks through a keyhole and says to himself 'Ha, ha, I didn't think so! Nothing wrong at all!'
The message: the ruling class that prides itself on its virtue is no better than others and the police will not intervene.
Source: Scot Barmé, Woman, Man, Bangkok, Love, Sex and Popular Culture in Thailand, Silkworm Books, 2002, Chapter 4
About this blogger
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Born in 1944 in Delfzijl as the son of a simple shopkeeper. Studied in Groningen and Curacao. Worked as a doctor in Tanzania for three years, then as a general practitioner in Vlaardingen. A few years before my retirement I married a Thai lady, we had a son who speaks three languages well.
Lived in Thailand for almost 20 years, first in Chiang Kham (Phayao province) then in Chiang Mai where I liked to bother all kinds of Thai with all kinds of questions. Followed Thai extracurricular education after which a diploma of primary school and three years of secondary school. Did a lot of volunteer work. Interested in the Thai language, history and culture. Have been living in the Netherlands for 5 years now together with my son and often with his Thai girlfriend.
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Tino, thank you for these images and explanation. Very topical today. Brave people, even then.
It has amazed me that 100 years ago this criticism of nobility and king was possible. Now you can view the inside of the prison for that. And how much has socially changed in the meantime?
I also found the photo on the cover of Barmé's book very typical of that time 'the roaring twenties'. A woman embraces two men, a man and a woman give each other a kiss. Just like that in public! One hundred years ago! Fortunately, the world has improved a lot since then. This is really no longer possible in Thailand.
I wouldn't criticize that.
And don't make comparisons with 100 years ago.
Not a single Thai is interested in your presence here and rightly so.
Find another country and spit out your bile!
André, you would be a good collaborator for the governments of Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Russia, China and even North Korea. I can name even more 'nice' countries where the government has told you to keep your mouth shut so there are still plenty of jobs for you.
And regarding your last line: perhaps it is better that you go to another country yourself, because you have not understood how the Thai people, except for a small group of brave people who go to prison or are killed, think about enslaving the population. Well, except for a group of elite, uniforms and ultra royalists or say: the big money.
Have you really not understood anything about the attack on the home of the wife of human rights lawyer Somchai, who disappeared 18 years ago?
Other
You were born in a free country where you can say and write whatever you want.
This is also evident because you can write in your response what you think about it.
And why shouldn't you criticize this.
There is a world of difference between the present and the past in this country.
Which is also apparent from these cartoons.
Close your eyes to that because you are visiting, of course not.
You also see that, but above all you want to express and impose your vision,
Happy freedom on your part.
And I can imagine that the Thai is not waiting for you.
But all those other farangs they've been waiting for for two years, they're happy to see them come.
And if you really knew the Thai you would know that they are also interested in us.
They just can't talk and discuss everything openly like you can.
Nice weekend
Piotr
Pjoter,
That born in a free country where you can say and write anything?
Should you make a justified comment as an autonomous Dutchman against a dark-skinned person, you will be immediately put down as a right-wing racist.
So don't claim that in the Netherlands everything is possible and can be talked about.
Nice weekend
What a strange comment Andre, of course I don't know to what extent you are integrated into Thai society, but this topic is now very topical and is becoming more and more topical.
Simply beautiful cartoons! And thanks to Scot Barmé, the otherwise abstract theory that in the decade leading up to the 1932 revolution there was very free and caustic criticism of society in general and in particular the establishment and the highest elite, comes with this selection of cartoons outstandingly expressed. That is why this book is on my bookshelf.
The question remains whether and when Thailand will see this freedom again… After all, free speech and criticism contribute to the (r)evolution of a society. It's the way forward.