Description
Book SynopsisIn 1856, just months after Britain and Siam had finalised the historic Bowring trade treaty that would prevent the countries colonisation, the violent death of a Siamese official at the new British consulate threatens to scuttle the deal and lead to war. The King and the Consul explores UK and Thai archives to reveal the twists, turns and tensions of this little-known episode that pitted Thailand’s renowned King Mongkut, Rama IV, against the first British Consul, Charles Hillier. The crisis was resolved without war, but not without cost for the participants who suffered unintended tragic outcomes. By examining the background to this tragedy, the book reveals how history has often overlooked the importance of an issue that lay behind it the right of foreigners to own land in the country, and issue that continues to be a thorn in the side of Thailand’s foreign relations to this day.
“The tragic deaths in 1856 of the first British consul to Siam and a Siamese official had an unusual impact on Thailand‘s property law and Britain’s diplomatic presence in the country. This intriguing book could only be written by someone with long residence in Bangkok, through knowledge of Thailand’s property law, and enthusiasm for history. Simon Landy gives us a slice of legal and diplomatic history with close attention to its human dimensions. An unusual and lovely read" - Chris Baker
Table of ContentsCast of characters 9 Introduction 17 Chapter 1: Bowring’s “total revolution” 25 Toasting change 25 Resisting change 27 Inviting change 29 Advocating change 33 The commissioners 36 Negotiating change 39 Treaty outcomes 43 Chapter 2: Parkes and property rights and wrongs 49 Parkes returns to Bangkok 49 Pre-Bowring property rights 55 The Portuguese diplomat 60 Burney and the Scottish merchant 63 Roberts and the first Protestant missionaries 69 Protestant missionaries at the end of the Third Reign 74 Protestant missionaries at the beginning of the Fourth Reign 77 The Bowring treaty solution 83 Parkes measures boundaries 88 Chapter 3: The Hilliers in Bangkok 93 The Hilliers arrive in Bangkok 93 The Hilliers in Hong Kong 98 Bangkok society, 1856 103 The diplomatic community 111 Eliza settles in 115 Chapter 4: Hillier gets to work 121 Hillier’s instructions 121 Hillier struggles to gain respect 124 Hiller establishes his priorities 129 Site selection 132 Procrastination 135 The nobleman’s land 139 Resolution 143 Chapter 5: A “paroxysm of passion” 149 Hillier gets a change of air 149 The arrest of Ai-fung 151 Captain Puddicombe 154 Puddicombe’s land lease 157 The arrest of Seng 159 Hillier returns to Bangkok 160 The death of Seng 162 Meeting of the consuls 163 The death of Hillier 166 Chapter 6: The king manages the consequences 171 Nai Kham’s report 171 The king’s atonement 174 Managing the narrative 179 Gingell builds the consulate 184 Chapter 7: Legacies 193 The Seng affair in history 193 The Seng affair and foreign property rights 196 Moving with the times 205 Hillier’s shadow 212 Glossary 216 Source notes 218 Acknowledgements 234 References 236 Index 244
