Thianwan Wannapho
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Thianwan Wannapho (1842–1915) was a Thai merchant, attorney, and advocate of modernization.


Early career

Thianwan was born as Thian ( th, เทียน) in 1842 to a commoner family in
Thonburi __NOTOC__ Thonburi ( th, ธนบุรี) is an area of modern Bangkok. During the era of the 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 i ...
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 ( th, จุฬาลงกรณ์, 20 September 1853 – 23 October 1910) was the fifth monarch of Siam under the House of Chakri, titled Rama V. He was known to the Siamese of his time as ''Phra Phuttha Chao Luang'' (พร ...
. 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 later 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 A folk costume (also regional costume, national costume, traditional garment, or traditional regalia) expresses an identity through costume, which is usually associated with a geographic area or a period of time in history. It can also indicat ...
being discouraged by order of the Phibun administration.


References

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