The Journal of the Siam Society

Editorial & Contents

Nicolas Revire — 2024-12-06

In Memoriam

Olivier de Bernon — 2024-12-06

Nicolas Revire & Pitchaya Soomjinda, eds, Decoding Southeast Asian Art: Studies in Honor of Piriya Krairiksh

Forrest McGill — 2024-12-06

Caroline Ha Thuc, Research-Based Art Practices in Southeast Asia: The Artist as Producer of Knowledge

John Clark — 2024-12-06

Brooke Schedneck, Religious Tourism in Northern Thailand: Encounters with Buddhist Monks

Roger Casas — 2024-12-06

Ryoko Nishii & Shigeharu Tanabe, eds, Community Movements in Southeast Asia: An Anthropological Perspective of Assemblages

Jean Baffie — 2024-12-06

Jane M. Ferguson, Repossessing Shanland: Myanmar, Thailand, and a Nation- State Deferred

Nicola Tannenbaum — 2024-12-06

Jayeel Cornelio & Volker Grabowsky, eds, Regional Identities in Southeast Asia: Contemporary Challenges, Historical Fractures

Bernard Formoso — 2024-12-06

Jonathan Rigg, More Than Rural: Textures of Thailand’s Agrarian Transformation

Leedom Lefferts — 2024-12-06

Matthew Hunt, Thai Cinema Uncensored

Bruno Marchal — 2024-12-06

Paul Chambers & Nithi Nuangjamnong, eds, Beer in East Asia: A Political Economy

Jeffrey W. Alexander — 2024-12-06

Teddy Spha Palasthira, Siamese Anglophile: 50s British Schoolboy to 90s American Adman―My Life of Jobs

Tej Bunnag — 2024-12-06

The Amulet Culture of Thailand

Paul McBain — 2024-12-06

This introduction to the Special Edition on Thailand’s amulet culture provides an overview of the country’s vibrant and evolving landscape of amulet practices. It traces the historical development of diverse interpretations and uses of amulets in Thailand, highlighting how these practices have adapted over time. Additionally, the introduction discusses various theoretical frameworks that scholars have employed to understand why, in an era often said to be characterized by rationalism, such beliefs and practices not only endure but thrive. The introduction concludes by detailing how the articles in this Special Edition contribute to ongoing scholarly debates on modernity, enchantment, and the role of contemporary media.

Before the Amulet

Chris Baker — 2024-12-06

The practice of wearing buddha amulets has evolved significantly over the past century, with a notable surge in the last two decades. However, the concepts and methods behind these amulets trace back to the Ayutthaya and early Bangkok eras, as documented in literature, laws, and foreign accounts. To combat natural dangers, sciences were developed to predict and influence natural forces through words, numbers, natural substances, and constructed devices. Among these, yantras were especially versatile. Buddha amulets gained prominence first in the mid-19th century among elites, and later in the late 20th century as mass-produced items yet they remain deeply connected to their historical roots.

From Sacred to Profane

Saran Suebsantiwongse — 2024-12-06

In recent years, the Phra Khun Phaen amulet, usually featuring a seated buddha in the subduing Māra pose, has gained popularity among Thais and foreigners, especially Asians. Believed to bestow charisma, wealth, and sexual attraction, the amulet’s origins trace back to the Siamese literary work Khun Chang Khun Phaen from the Ayutthaya period. This article explores its evolution from early clay tablets to modern representations, emphasizing its shift from a Buddhist doctrinal tool to a necromantic symbol of wealth and power, shaped by economic conditions from the early 20th century to today.

Venerating Yi Koh Hong and Sian Pae Rongsi

Thomas Bruce — 2024-12-06

Sino–Thai history is often viewed through the lens of Chinese contributions to the Thai economy and their integration into Thai society, largely shaped by nationalistic policies. This article, however, explores the religious integration of Chinese migrants, challenging the assumption that they seamlessly adopted Theravada Buddhist practices. It delves into the deliberate hybridities involved, focusing on the deification of two Chinese immigrant figures, Yi Koh Hong, a tax farmer, and Sian Pae Rongsi, a virtuous rice miller. Their enshrinement in medallions, traditionally reserved for monks, reflects a key aspect of Sino–Thai religious and cultural synthesis.

Inventing Thai Amulets for the Chinese

Guanxiong Qi — 2024-12-06

This article explores the creation of the Nine-Tailed Fox amulet by Achan Meng Khunphaen (1957–2021), a Sino–Thai lay ritualist. Since 2010, Achan Meng adapted the Chinese fox cult into his controversial amulet, believed to enhance charisma and sexual attraction, gaining immense popularity among trans-Asian ethnic Chinese communities. Opinions about his legitimacy vary, with some viewing him as a swindling opportunist while others see him as a gifted ritual master. The Nine-Tailed Fox amulet reflects the inclusivity of Thai religious practices and the rise of “cults of charisma” since the late 2000s, bridging two cultural traditions.

Meaning Making and the Significance of Nang Kwak in Vietnam

Chari Hamratanaphon — 2024-12-06

In Vietnam, the demand for spiritual merchandise has surged, with a notable increase in the trade of foreign enchanted items, including those of Nang Kwak, the Thai female spirit or deity associated with wealth and prosperity. Despite seeming out of place in local culture and conflicting with the state’s anti-superstition stance, Nang Kwak is widely traded in Vietnam. This article explores the political economy of Thai enchanted items in Vietnam, focusing on how Nang Kwak’s meanings are perceived and negotiated. It identifies three key frameworks used by sellers to align Nang Kwak with local beliefs: Buddhism, female spirits, and the God of Wealth. The article also discusses how unequal exchanges between buyers and sellers influence Nang Kwak’s spiritual interpretation and highlights how cyberspace serves as a platform for negotiating its perceived superstition.

Beyond Rebirth

John Johnston — 2024-12-06

The materials used to create Thai amulets are significant and often symbolic, affecting their perceived efficacy. Recently, modern materials like recycled plastic and glass have gained popularity, reflecting societal concerns such as environmental sustainability. These innovative amulets offer a critique of consumerism in Thai amulet culture, forging connections between Buddhism and environmentalism. Recycled plastic amulets created by Qualy Design & Dots Design Studio exemplify how materiality conveys Buddhist concepts. Despite their modern composition, these amulets are still ritually activated by monks, illustrating the evolving relationship between Buddhist material culture and environmental consciousness.

The Gendered Allure of Nang Kwak

Al Lim — 2024-12-06

Nang Kwak, the “Beckoning Lady”, encapsulates the convergence of commercial ambition and spiritual devotion in Thailand. This article explores her role as a popular deity of prosperity and amid the country’s rich genderscape, how her allure is shaped by traditional female tropes of beauty, family devotion, and reassurance. By analyzing her depictions in lore, sacred objects, and contemporary media like NFTs, alongside insights from shopkeepers and amulet collectors, this study examines how her mythical representations as a daughter and worshipped mother intersect with Thai Buddhism. Nang Kwak’s potency works through her charm or sane (เสน่ห์), nuancing conventional notions of power and reflecting complex dynamics of gender, religion, and cultural reproduction.

Two Unpublished Letters of Jean Basset

Maëlle Pennéguès — 2024-12-06

This notice presents two previously unpublished letters by Jean Basset (1661‒1707), a young French Catholic missionary, written during his 1685 journey to Siam, as discussed in the previous issue of this journal. These letters offer valuable insights into Basset’s experiences and mindset as a newly dispatched missionary to Asia. Through his correspondence with his former superior, the letters provide a rare glimpse into the challenges he faced, the practical aspects of his advanced training, his relationship with peers including the Jesuits, and his adaptation to life both during the sea journey and in the new mission land.

An International Symposium in Honor of Professor MC Subhadradis Diskul (27–28 November 2023, Bangkok)

Sudawadee Chanpiwat — 2024-12-06

An International Symposium on HRH Prince Damrong Rajanubhab & Prof. George Coedès (15 May 2024, Paris)

Gregory Kourilsky — 2024-12-06

The Advantage in a Dustheap-rag

†Peter Masefield — 2024-12-06

This study begins by providing a brief overview of the Thai Buddhist tradition of bangsukun, in which discarded rag robes (paṁsukūla) are offered to monks as symbols of life’s impermanence (anicca) and to share merit (puñña). We then present a fresh new edition and English translation of the Paṁsukūlānisaṁsa, a rare Pali text composed in Thailand that details the spiritual benefits of offering dustheap-rag robes to buddhas and monks. Rooted in early Buddhist ascetic practices, the text adapts canonical themes to local contexts, highlighting the transformative power of simple offerings and underscoring the central role of merit-making in Buddhist society.