Prepared By: Manigbas Cederio Ubungin Yares Oling Garong

Prepared by:
Manigbas
Cederio
Ubungin
Yares
Oling
Garong
 This article examines three approaches to the study of nations,
nationalism, and ethnic identity: primordialism, instrumentalism,
and constructivism. The discussion relies primarily on qualitative
methods consisting of documentary and explanatory research to
consider the strengths and weaknesses of each approach. More
importantly, an attempt is made to understand Thai nationalism
and ethnic identity. Applying each theoretical framework to
explain the Thai nation, nationalism, and ethnic identity, this
article finds that each approach has both pros and cons. This
article thus proposes the mechanism of the political entrepreneur
to discuss how Thai political leaders define and utilize Thai (or
‘Thai-ness’) as well as Thai nationalism.
Brief History of Thailand. The Thai people established
their own states in the early 20th century, with the Ayutthaya
kingdom showing itself to be the most dominant for a time.
... The current military leaders at the time of World War II
opted to allyThailand with Japan to avoid becoming a victim
in its path.
Thailand was the only country in South East Asia which was
not colonized by Europeans. All of its neighbors were
controlled by either the British or the
French.Burma and Malaysia being British colonies
and Laos and Cambodia being French.
 This ancient temple was built during the 14th
century, but was reduced to ruins in 1767 when
the Burmese army invaded Ayutthaya, the
capital of Siam. The temple was destroyed by
the Burmese who also vandalised many of the
Buddha images in Ayutthaya by lopping off the
heads. The area remained abandoned and
overgrown until the 1950s when the
Department of Fine art began restoration work
in Ayutthaya. Nobody knows for certain how
the Buddha head became entwined in the
roots of the tree. One theory suggests that the
tree simply grew around the Buddha head
during the period when the temple lay
abandoned and overgrown. Another theory is
that a thief moved the Buddha head away from
the main temple to hide it. This may have
happened in the early 1900s when it is known
that one of the remaining areas of the temple
collapsed and consequently led to treasure
hunters digging in the area. After moving the
stone Buddha head away from the ruined main
temple, it is possible the thief never returned
for his treasure or couldn’t move it any further
beyond the walls that surround the temple.
Instead, the stone Buddha head was
abandoned by the wall not far from the
entrance of Wat Mahathat where it can be seen
today nestled in the tree roots which have
grown around it.
 It is the political, economic, and cultural center of Thailand.
Much of Thailand's culture comes from the ethnic Thai people.
One of the most important influences on Thai culture has been
Buddhism. Many of the traditions and beliefs of the people in
Thailand stem directly from Buddhist principles.
 Family first
 Sufficient is enough. ...
 Keep your cool. ...
 Wear your smile. ...
 No worries. ...
 Inject some fun. ...
 Respect yourself and others. ...
 Generosity and hospitality.
 Culture pride
 Shoes off
 Central to an understanding of Thai foreign policy are a
number of historical factors which stem from the
Kingdom’s role within the larger international political-
economic system as well as from internal forces unique to
Thailand. As the only nation of Southeast Asia never to be
formally colonized, Thailand has not shared the
xenophobic traditions of its neighbors. This first historical
factor helps explain the remarkable assimilative character
of the Thais. The lack of colonial experience allowed the
Thais to adapt and adopt those aspects of Westernization
which they deemed appropriate to their traditional culture.
Thus Thailand’s evolution from a traditional to a modern
society has been relatively smooth.
 The culture of Thailand has evolved greatly over time,
from its relative isolation during the Sukhothai era, to its
more contemporary Ayutthaya era, which absorbed
influences from all over Asia.
Strong Indian, Chinese, Burmese and other Southeast
Asian influences are still evident in traditional Thai
culture.[1] Buddhism, Animism and Westernization also
play a significant role in shaping the culture.
 Thai national culture is a recent creation in that what is
considered to be traditional Thai culture today did not
exist in that form more than a hundred years ago. Its
origin can be traced to the reign of
King Chulalongkorn in the late-19th century.
Chulalongkorn adopted the European trend of
nationalism and centralization that was then prevalent
and implemented it in Siam. Some of the actions that he
took were to attempt to clearly define Siam's borders,
promote a civic religion based on the Chakri Dynasty,
the palace-controlled council of monks, and the culture
of central Siam. The promotion of civic culture faced
some temporary setbacks during the coup which
brought about the end of the absolute monarchy in the
1930s and during a few years after World War II.
 This article examines three approaches to the study of nations,
nationalism, and ethnic identity: primordialism, instrumentalism,
and constructivism. The discussion relies primarily on qualitative
methods consisting of documentary and explanatory research to
consider the strengths and weaknesses of each approach. More
importantly, an attempt is made to understand Thai nationalism
and ethnic identity. Applying each theoretical framework to
explain the Thai nation, nationalism, and ethnic identity, this
article finds that each approach has both pros and cons. This
article thus proposes the mechanism of the political entrepreneur
to discuss how Thai political leaders define and utilize Thai (or
‘Thai-ness’) as well as Thai nationalism.
kob-khun ka
Thank you

Prepared By: Manigbas Cederio Ubungin Yares Oling Garong

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