A History of the Thai Chinese (9780804859035)

The remarkable story of how a people and country embraced each other—and ultimately left their identities inextricably linked.

For many centuries, Chinese migrated to the ports, cities and provinces of Thailand. These immigrants included traders, skilled laborers, adventurers and the neardestitute who dreamed of a better life. Over time, they came to form one of the largest and most influential diasporas in the world. From tin mining to railway-building to rice trading, their skills helped the country develop and prosper. Some came to advise Thai monarchs, intermarry, and run businesses integral to the economy. One son of a Chinese father and Thai mother even became king. This community overcame many personal, cultural and social challenges to eventually become an integral part of almost all the kingdom's affairs all the way through to the present day. This book tells the extraordinary history of the Thai-Chinese.

"No country in Southeast Asia has been as successful as Thailand in integrating its Chinese community. This book provides deep insights into this process and should provide illumination reading for anyone interested in Southeast Asian success stories. It is a must-read." —Kishore Mahbubani, author of The Great Convergence


About the Author:
Jeffery Sng and Pimpraphai Bisalputra have dedicated much of their lives to the study of Chinese and Thai history. Sng studied philosophy and literature at Singapore University then attended Cornell University for postgraduate studies at the Institute of Southeast Asian studies. He has lived in Bangkok for over 30 years, writing articles about the Chinese Diaspora, the Thai Chinese business community, Chinatown and many other topics. Pimpraphai graduated from the London School of Economics and attended Cornell for her postgraduate studies. She has published extensively on the Chinese in Thailand. The pair previously collaborated on the book Bencharong & Chinawares in the Court of Siam, The Surat Osathanugrah Collections.