Thianwan Wannapho (1842–1915) was a Thai

merchant A merchant is a person who trades in goods produced by other people, especially one who trades with foreign countries. Merchants have been known for as long as humans have engaged in trade and commerce. Merchants and merchant networks operated i ...

, attorney, and

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of modernization.

Early career

Thianwan was born as Thian () in 1842 to a commoner family in

Thonburi __NOTOC__ Thonburi () is an area of modern Bangkok. During the era of the Ayutthaya Kingdom, Kingdom of Ayutthaya, its location on the right (west) bank at the mouth of the Chao Phraya River had made it an important garrison town, which is ref ...

with claims of distant noble ancestry, and was educated in the temples and at court. He started his career as a merchant, traveling as far afield as Singapore for trade, before pursuing a second career as a lawyer. During his legal career, he was an advocate for the poor against the abuses and corruption of the Thai upper class. His outspokenness drew the antipathy of the powerful ruling class, and he was sentenced to life imprisonment on a technicality in 1882, but was released in 1898.

Advocating modernization

After his release from prison, Thianwan became a vigorous advocate of modernization and Westernization. He wrote under the pseudonym ''Tor Wor Sor Wannapho'', and several of his critical writings prompted responses from the ruling king,

Rama V Chulalongkorn (20 September 1853 – 23 October 1910), posthumously honoured as King Chulalongkorn the Great, was the fifth Monarchy of Thailand, king of Siam from the Chakri dynasty, titled Rama V. Chulalongkorn's reign from 1868 until his ...

. He called for the establishment of an elected parliament, prohibition of gambling, opium, and betel, and abolition of slavery and polygamy, though he also criticized the economic domination of Thailand by European nations. He also argued for significantly increased access to education and engagement in civic life for women. Apart from these more substantive critiques, he also adopted Western-style dress, including a beard, and claimed to be the first man in Siam with a Western-style haircut. He passed away in his own house in Woeng Nakhon Khasem during ''Rattanakosin Sok'' 133 (1914/1915 AD).

Legacy

Many of the policies called for by Thianwan were eventually implemented. King Rama V abolished slavery in the latter part of his reign, and later polygamy was also formally banned (though persisting in practice). Even Thianwan's sartorial preferences became widespread, with many forms of traditional dress being discouraged by

order Order, ORDER or Orders may refer to: * A socio-political or established or existing order, e.g. World order, Ancien Regime, Pax Britannica * Categorization, the process in which ideas and objects are recognized, differentiated, and understood ...

of the Phibun administration.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Wannapho, Thianwan Thianwan Wannapho Thianwan Wannapho 1842 births 1915 deaths