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Thailand is often called the "Land of Smiles", a nickname, which sounds pleasant and mysterious. This is a work on Thai society.

Pridi Banomyong (1900-83) was one of the greatest figures in twentieth-century Thailand. This title contains nineteen selections from Pridi's writings, speeches, and interviews which focus on his personal background and his active political career from 1932 to 1949. It also includes a fresh translation of the "outline economic plan" of 1932.

When British diplomats Captain William Couperus McLeod and Dr David Richardson set out on their missions to the Tai states, their aim was trade and friendship. This travelogue describes their journeys and diplomatic exchanges.

Offers an account of Thailand's diplomatic, military, and economic history between 1938 and 1948.

Boonlua Debhayasuwan was born into a noble Siamese family in 1911 and not only witnessed but participated in the great events of her century. Boonlua became one of the first Thai women to earn a university degree. As an official in the Ministry of Education, she worked to improve education and represent Thailand at international conferences.

Cambodia's long-time opposition leader and former finance minister is committed to establishing democracy in his homeland. He is currently in exile in France to avoid a 12-year prison sentence brought on politically motivated charges, and he is banned from contesting the forthcoming elections. This title recounts his early years in Cambodia.

Traces the evolution of the rural, Lao-speaking people of northeastern Thailand, now over a third of the nation's population, from a traditional peasantry into "cosmopolitan" villagers who are actively shaping Thai politics.

A rare and nuanced glimpse into the country and people of Laos as they stand at the crossroads of change

The diffusion of religious thought in Buddhist Asia has been marked by new modes of expression. Sometimes this has meant textual translation, as highlighted in chapters about Chinese and Japanese Buddhist texts or the analysis of manuscripts in northern Thailand. In other cases it has been cultural translation, such as local adaptations of jataka tales, legal concepts developed out of Theravada Buddhist teachings, or localization of art, inscriptions, and other material culture. Additional chapters study other types of engagement: the encounter of East and West in British geographical and anthropological exploration of Burma, and the place of Brahmanism in early Buddhist thought as expressed through the jatakas.Together these contributions recognize that beyond being isolated by sectarian divisions, disparate Buddhist traditions have flourished through their simultaneity.

SiamΓÇÖs great folk epic, The Tale of Khun Chang Khun Phaen, has entertained readers and audiences down through the centuries, with its rich and earthy portrayal of life and relationships. Here, a mix of Thai and Western scholars present five critical essays that uncover hidden layers and expose new themes using theories and approaches developed mainly within the field of Western literary criticism.The first two essays arose out of the crucible of ThailandΓÇÖs social upheaval and student protest movement in the early 1970s, while the remaining essays are more recent.

Part fact, part fiction, part myth, and part legend, this book brings to life the kingdom of Ayutthaya from its roots in the kingdom of Sukhothai to its eventual destruction by the Burmese in 1767. It is the turbulent story of both the kings and their kingdom, from its birth to its downfall.Robert Smith retells this history by reimagining and dramatizing the exploits of AyutthayaΓÇÖs rulers, building his account around a framework of documentary evidence and hints in the historical record. Intrigues and deception wind through the tale as do ingenuity, honor, and the will to greatness that made Ayutthaya a major regional power for centuries. This account of the development of a nationΓÇöand the stories behind itΓÇöshows how the old kingdom of Ayutthaya was a crucial precursor to the foundation of modern-day Thailand.

Kaing Guek Eav was an ordinary man growing up in Cambodia in the mid-twentieth century. But then, adopting the alias "Duch," he joined the Khmer Rouge and took charge of S-21, the infamous secret security center where in less than four years at least 14,000 "enemies" were interrogated, tortured, and executed. After the government's collapse, Duch fled to the Cambodian frontier, where he lived in anonymity until he was finally unmasked and sentenced to life in prison for his crimes.With remarkable and chilling precision, Duch describes firsthand the Khmer Rouge movement and his own role in the paranoid irrationality of the regime. An introduction and epilogue delve unflinchingly into Duch's character and motivations, our common humanity, and the sometimes uncomfortable implications of global justice.

Naomi Appleton is a chancellor¿s fellow in religious studies at the University of Edinburgh. Sarah Shaw is a member of the Faculty of Oriental Studies at the University of Oxford and an honourary fellow of the Oxford Centre for Buddhist Studies.

This book contains nine contributions at the intersection of scholarship, activism, and sociocultural politics in mainland Southeast Asia, inspired by the remarkable career of Achan Chayan Vaddhanaphuti, an academic who has worked tirelessly in Thailand and beyond to foster critical social-science scholarship that engages with marginalized communities. The research in this volume is both highly personal and academically rigorous, born out of the authorsΓÇÖ experiences studying and working with communities and individuals who are too easily pushed to the margins of mainstream politics and culture, including Khmu migrant laborers, Wa communities in Shan State, meditating Thai hermits, and the fighters and bystanders in the complex violence in southern Thailand, among others. This willingness to support such underprivileged groups through meticulous scholarship is a hallmark of the engaged scholarly activism Achan Chayan has spent a lifetime encouraging.

This manual lays out techniques of the Keluarga Pencak Silat Nusantara (KPSN), one of the leading pencak silat organizations in Indonesia. Moving from the fundamental elementsΓÇöstances and strikesΓÇöto exploring complex series of moves for exercise, self-defense, and competition, the manual shows the richness and uniqueness of this still relatively unknown martial art. For each technique covered, concise text accompanies clear, hand-drawn illustrations, making this guide an easy learning tool for beginners or enthusiasts looking to expand their knowledge and practice of pencak silat.The late Master OΓÇÖong Maryono was a world champion, international trainer, and recognized martial arts expert. Author of the seminal book Pencak Silat in the Indonesian Archipelago, he was an indomitable advocate for the preservation and development of pencak silat.

Transnational labor migration often begins with the dream of securing a more stable and prosperous future, a chance to survive. This book reveals some of the complex phenomena and processes that operate in the lives and dreams of Thai male migrant workers living abroad.

This companion volume to the translation of The Tale of Khun Chang Khun Phaen includes alternative chapters and extensions, Prince Damrong's prefaces and reference lists of Thai terms

Explores literature by migrant writers which has emerged as a powerful medium for describing the ways in which global forces are experienced at the personal level

An unlikely tale of Buddhism, politics, and the creation of modern Thailand

The first English translation of the Thai epic poem, written in lively prose, completely annotated, with over 400 original line drawings and an afterword explaining the work's historical background, social context and poetic style

Preserves the folklore of sacred sites in the mountains of northern Thailand.

Written by the author who as a young lieutenant was sent on what was no less than a spying mission in 1888 to find out the most accessible route through Siamese territory to the disputed Shan State of Keng Tung. This book describes the land through which he passes and the characters whom he meets.