Luang Wichit Wathakan : official nationalism and political legitimacy prior to World War II

Abstract

One of the things that even the casual observer in contemporary Thailand is apt to notice are the endless nationalist appeals by the state calling for unity and co-operation among the Thai public in order for the nation to progress. These official exhortations, which stress loyalty, duty and sacrifice, reflect a phenomenon that first became manifest on a mass level in the turbulent years immediately following the overthrow of the absolute monarchy in 1932. The present work examines the role of the little-studied writer and politician, Luang Wichit Wathakan, in the development of state nationalism during this period of political upheaval and conflict. The study, based upon a range of archival materials, diplomatic dispatches and newspapers, together with a series of interviews, traces Wichif's emergence as the preeminent intellectual figure in pre-World War II Thailand. This involves an examination of his work in relation to the wider social and political environment both before and after the change in government. Under the monarchy it is shown that Wichit acted as an important conduit of various Western notions into Thailand while at the same time promoting the official nationalism articulated by King Vajiravudh (Rama 6). In the latter period it is argued that Wichit was instrumental in formulating an official notion of 'Thai' identity on behalf of the military-dominated state, and helped to have this deployed on a broad scale via the media and through the expanding school system. Show more