The Rise and Decline of Thai Absolu

This book examines the development of Thailand from the integration of Siam into the European world economy at the beginning of the nineteenth century, up to the emergence of Thailand as a modern nation state in the twentieth century. It concentrates in particular on the reign of King Chulalongkorn (1868-1910), during which period the state was modernized, the power of the great nobles was subordinated to the state, and a modern bureaucracy and education system were created.

Kullada Kesboonchoo Mead teaches at the Faculty of Political Sciences, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok. Her present academic interests lie in the transformations of Southeast Asian political and economic systems. She focuses on Thailand in relation to the world and regional orders.