Royal Siam Society

Contents

Royal Siam Society The Royal Siam Society is a Bangkok-based learned society devoted to the study and promotion of Siamese and Southeast Asian history, culture, language, and archaeology. Founded in the 19th century, the society has links with international institutions and has played a role in scholarly exchanges involving the British Museum, École française d'Extrême-Orient, Royal Asiatic Society, and Smithsonian Institution. Its membership and activities intersect with figures and institutions such as Rama V, Rama VI, King Mongkut, King Chulalongkorn, and scholars attached to Chulalongkorn University, Thammasat University, and Silpakorn University.

History

The society originated during the reign of King Mongkut and expanded under King Chulalongkorn and Rama V as Siam engaged with United Kingdom, France, United States, and Germany through treaties like the Bowring Treaty and the Franco-Siamese Treaty of 1893. Early membership included diplomats from British Embassy, Bangkok, French Embassy in Thailand, and scholars from University of Oxford, University of Cambridge, École pratique des hautes études, and the University of Paris. Archaeological work coordinated with the Siamese Minister of Public Instruction and officials linked to Prince Damrong Rajanubhab, Franklin D. Roosevelt Library contacts, and collectors such as Sir John Bowring influenced collections that later appeared in institutions like the British Library, Vatican Library, and Library of Congress. The society navigated events including the Franco-Thai War, Siamese revolution of 1932, and World War II interactions involving Imperial Japan and United States Department of State cultural diplomacy. Postwar reconstruction saw cooperation with UNESCO, Ford Foundation, Asia Foundation, and scholars from Harvard University, Yale University, Cornell University, and The Australian National University.

The society's mission emphasizes preservation of manuscripts, epigraphy, and artifacts linked to the Ayutthaya Kingdom, Sukhothai Kingdom, Lan Na Kingdom, and regional polities such as Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya, Chiang Mai, and Nakhon Si Thammarat. Activities include fieldwork alongside teams from Fine Arts Department (Thailand), collaborations with Bangkok National Museum, and partnerships involving Prince Mahidol Award committees, Thai Studies Association, and centers like the SEAMEO SPAFA. Educational outreach has involved seminars with British Council, Alliance Française, Japan Foundation, and exchange programs with National University of Singapore and University of Tokyo. Conservation efforts coordinated with Getty Conservation Institute, International Council on Monuments and Sites, and ICOMOS have addressed temple restoration at sites such as Wat Phra Si Sanphet, Wat Phra That Doi Suthep, and Wat Arun.

The society publishes journals and monographs that have cited or been cited by works associated with Prince Damrong, George Coedès, David Wyatt, Chris Baker, Charles Higham, and Michael Vickery. Its periodicals have included articles on inscriptions in Pali, Sanskrit, and Old Khmer and studies referencing collections at Bangkok National Library, National Archives of Thailand, Royal Archives, and manuscript repositories like Wat Pho Library. Research topics span trade networks involving Malacca Sultanate, Srivijaya, Ayutthaya, and contacts with Portuguese Empire, Dutch East India Company, Spanish Empire, and Chinese Ming Dynasty envoys. The society's bibliographies and catalogs have been used by scholars at SOAS University of London, Leiden University, Università di Roma, and Universität Wien. Edited volumes have treated subjects including legal texts tied to the Three Seals Law, Buddhist commentaries connected to Theravada Buddhism, linguistic work on Thai language and Lao language, and art-historical studies of sculpture comparable to collections in the Metropolitan Museum of Art and Victoria and Albert Museum.

Governance has included presidents drawn from royalty, civil service, and academia such as members of the Thai royal family, professors from Chulalongkorn University, Thammasat University, and administrators formerly of the Ministry of Culture (Thailand). Advisory committees have featured epigraphists and archaeologists affiliated with École française d'Extrême-Orient, German Archaeological Institute, National Museum of Cambodia, and regional experts from Universiti Malaya and National Chengchi University. Funding and patronage have involved grants or support linked to Siam Commercial Bank, Thai Airways International, philanthropic foundations like the Ford Foundation, and bilateral programs with Japan International Cooperation Agency and U.S. Agency for International Development. Meetings and symposia have occurred in venues such as Ananta Samakhom Throne Hall, Suan Dusit Palace, and halls at Chulalongkorn University.

Membership categories include fellows, corresponding members, and honorary members drawn from Bangkok Post contributors, museum curators from Bangkok National Museum, diplomats from Royal Thai Embassy, and international scholars from University of London, Columbia University, Princeton University, University of California, Berkeley, and Australian National University. Recognitions have encompassed medals and prizes analogous to national honors such as the Order of the White Elephant and Order of the Crown of Thailand conferred upon distinguished contributors including epigraphists, conservators, and historians like Prince Damrong Rajanubhab and modern scholars celebrated at conferences alongside representatives from UNESCO and the International Institute for Asian Studies. The society remains a node in networks connecting institutions like Southeast Asian Studies Program (Cornell), Institute of Southeast Asian Studies (ISEAS), Asia Research Institute (NUS), and regional centers of scholarship.

Category:Cultural organizations based in Thailand