Description
Book SynopsisUnlike its Southeast Asian neighbors, Thailand was never colonized by an imperial power. However, Siam (as Thailand was called until 1939) shared a great deal in common with both colonized states and imperial powers: its sovereignty was qualified by...
Trade Review"Subject Siam is a deeply engaging and exceedingly well-written book that provides highly original, interdisciplinary perspectives on Thailand. Tamara Loos successfully changes conventional wisdom concerning Thailand's historical trajectory and overall social location on the world stage since the mid-to-late nineteenth century. She combines a rigorous and innovative reanalysis of the role of the monarchy in navigating the shoals of European colonialism with a fresh look at the 'family laws' and legal regimes that were negotiated both for the country's Buddhist majority and for the Muslim minorities in the southern provinces. There isn't another book like it. Subject Siam is a great tribute to the author's scholarly acumen." -- Michael G. Peletz, W. S. Schupf Professor of Anthropology and Far Eastern Studies, Colgate University
"This book breaks new ground in the field of Thai history. The close links between the creation of modern legal codes and institutions and the drastic changes in the discourses on gender and family are previously unexplored and unexpected. Tamara Loos demonstrates the idea of an alternative modernity that is clearly gendered. The condition under which these changes took place—the 'semi-imperial, semi-colonial' Siamese state—is a fascinating one." -- Thongchai Winichakul, University of Wisconsin–Madison, author of
Siam Mapped
