Teak logging operations in SiaM
In the first half of the nineteenth century, the Siamese empire was more powerful in trading with slight European participation due to the trade restrictions of the Burney Treaty. In 1855, the decisive Bowring Treaty was signed and changed free trade. The concessions that Thailand was forced to make to the West affected commercial logging in the country.
Source: Teak Museum, Phrae Province, Thailand
During the nineteenth century, six foreign logging companies dominated teak logging in Northern Thailand including four British-owned companies, one Danish, and one French. From 1882 the Borneo Company had agents in northern Thailand and by 1885 the company had become the largest operation in the kingdom. The demand for timber for local construction and fuel increased the demand for tropical hardwoods resulting in the development of colonial forestry industries throughout the region.
Local people as a part of world trading history
After the commercial logging concession in Thailand in 1960, the teak logging business became a state monopoly fully controlled by the government. However, one can still see the evidence of the European companies in the form of office buildings and wood cutting equipment. The logging business in Northern Thailand operated by British merchants and Burmese people under British-rule set up branch offices in local areas. The European companies ran the business by having teak concessions under the local elite land ownership. The local elite had a very important role in Northern Thailand politics and took part in the teak forestry business with European companies.
In the case of Phrae Province in Northern Thailand, Phrae city became famous for logging business from the past until today. Phrae was a major teak logging center in the 19th century. The logs were shipped downstream on the river to the central region and Bangkok. There were two main logging companies in this area during the nineteenth century including Bombay Burma Trading Corporation Company and East Asiatic Company. The Bombay Burmah Company had a logging concession in the western part of Yom river and the East Asiatic Company operated the logging business in the Eastern part of the river. Both companies had their own offices in Phrae City, which became the first forestry school in Thailand in 1936 and a local museum nowadays.
During this time, Ginger-bread style housing was a status symbol for local elites in Phrae province (Jintapitak and Jintapitak 2017). Specifically, this is a combination of the Lanna arts and craft and the Victorian architecture styles. They became the heritage sites which demonstrate a flourishing teak logging industry during the colonial era.
Ancient houses in Phare Province
(From top left to right : Khum Chao Luang, Khum Vongburi Museum, Wichai Ratcha Residence
From bottom left to right : Ban Chao Nan Chaiwong, Ban Luang Sriklanukul, Luang Sriklanukul Guesthouse)
Source: Adisorn Photography
(From top left to right : Khum Chao Luang, Khum Vongburi Museum, Wichai Ratcha Residence
From bottom left to right : Ban Chao Nan Chaiwong, Ban Luang Sriklanukul, Luang Sriklanukul Guesthouse)
Source: Adisorn Photography
The lost traces of world economy history
An office building that belonged to the Bombay Burmah Trading Company, which was granted a logging concession on the western Yom River in 1889, was torn down as a part of a restoration project of the forestry learning center. The building, over a century old, is part of a historical legacy of Phrae province. The demolition of the ancient teak house angered the local community. Local people, conservationists, and historians in Phrea province requested a committee to investigate the demolition of the house. They also challenged the Natural Resources and Environment Office to rebuild the house to the same original structure.
For the community, the building is not only an office of a European company, it is a part of a century of Phrae local history. The loss of this building means the loss of world economic history as well as a historical legacy of Phrae province.
Phrae people had a protest about the heritage building demolished on June 2020
Source : Nations TV
Source : Nations TV
Phrae citizens were angry and protested the demolishing of the old house. They questioned why their history was wiped out by the Natural Resources and Environment Office. Recently, the local people, historians, archaeologists, and architects gathered together for an important event to provide information regarding the history of The Bombay Burmah Trading Company Building and update the restoration process.
‘It’s not just a house, but history and community.’
Local people gather together and have a seminar about Bombay Burmah Heritage Building.
Local people gather together and have a seminar about Bombay Burmah Heritage Building.
Seminar about the Bombay Burmah Building by local people.
Source: Associated Network of Phrae Ancient Town (ANPAT)
Source: Associated Network of Phrae Ancient Town (ANPAT)
References
- Dixon, C. (1991). South East Asia in the world-economy . Cambridge University Press.
- Lohmann, L. (1993). Land, Power and Forest Colonization in Thailand. Global Ecology and Biogeography Letters, 3(4/6), 180–191. https://doi.org/10.2307/2997768
- Jintapitak, M., Jintapitak, N., & Jintapitak, M. (2017). Gingerbread and Teak House Heritage Studies: Phrae, Northern Thailand. Advanced Science Letters, 23(2), 745–749. https://doi.org/10.1166/asl.2017.7493
- Laohachaiboon, S. and Takeda S. (2007). Teak logging in a trans-boundary watershed: an historical case study of the Ing river basin in northern Thailand. Journal of the Siam Society, 95, 123-141.
- B. (1898). Siam: L’exploitation du bois de teak. Revue Française de l’étranger et des colonies et Exploration gazette geographique 23: 544–547
- Terwiel, B.J. (1989). The BowringTreaty: imperialism and the indigenous perspective. Paper presented at the ASAA, CAS and ISEAS Conference, Singapore (February 1989).
©2020 Asia Collection, Thomas Hale Hamilton Library, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa