SELF AND THE WEST IN THAI PHILOSOPHICAL DISCOURSE*

Thailand was never colonized. This historical “fact,” although not beyond debate, has created a cultural environment wherein antiwestern sentiment does not exist. This does not mean that the Thai people do not “fear” the West, if imitation necessarily includes certain elements of fear. It is beyond the scope of this paper to explore the complex historical relationship between Thailand the West. What is attempted here will be limited to a brief exposition of two major movements of “modernization” in the Bangkok period. The first movement was initiated by King Rama IV and Rama V in the late 19th and early 20th century