Luang Wichitwathakan
Encyclopedia
Major-General Luang
Wichitwathakan (also known as just Wichit Wichitwathakan) (Thai
หลวงวิจิตรวาทการ, วิจิตร วิจิตรวาทการ; Chinese
金良) (August 11, 1898–March 31, 1962) was a Thai
politician, playwright and historian. He was the chief ideologue and creator of cultural campaigns during the pre-World War II
military rule of Field Marshall Plaek Pibulsonggram
, aimed at increasing the sense of nationalism
of the Thais.
, .
In a 1986 interview, his cousin Witun Wathanaparueda, a former Thai ambassador to Brazil
and South Vietnam
, said their paternal grandfather was an ethnic Chinese
, adding that their family had been culturally assimilated into Thai ways.
Throughout his political life, however, Wichitwathakan would deny having any Chinese ancestry, claiming his Chinese birth name was due to a custom of the local Thais, in which parents give their Thai children Chinese names.
Luang Wichitwathakan was prominently engaged in politics and the modernization of Thailand. He played an important role in establishing the Thai national identity
and in changing the name of the country from Siam.) He was also a prolific writer and playwright.
He received his primary education in a Buddhist temple school in Uthaithani. He continued the Buddhist education at Wat Mahathat
in Bangkok. He excelled in Buddhist studies, reaching a high stage of Prien
and graduating first in the kingdom. He received an award from King Vajiravudh for academic excellence.
While still a monk in Wat Mahatat, Wichitwathakan wrote extensively in papers which he circulated among the monks. The papers were written in English, French, or German and were sometimes inflammatory regarding temple rules and regulations. This was finally stopped by the abbot, who prohibited the use of western languages . In 1913, Wichitwathakan adopted the surname Wathanapreeda (which literally means development of happiness), following the royal decree issued by King Vajiravudh
for all Thais to have surnames.
Wichitwathakan had a keen interest in English and French, and translated some original Thai literary works into English, which he published through a Chinese curator, but which met with little commercial success. Between 1921-1927 Wichit studied at the University of Paris
.
At the age of 20, Wichitwathakan decided to leave the monkhood in favor of secular life and was admitted to the Ministry of Foreign affairs as a junior clerk. From this position in 1918, Wichitwathakan rose, through his own exceptional capability and diligence, to become Minister of Foreign Affairs in 1942.
(equivalent to present-day embassy) in Paris, France, as Third Secretary. During his five years in Europe, Wichitwathakan served as a member of the Siamese delegation that attended and participated in deliberations of the League of Nations
in Geneva, Switzerland. He also studied Law and Political Sciences at the University of Paris
. It was in Paris that he developed close friendships with the future revolution
aries, Pridi Phanomyong
, also studying Law at Sorbonne
, and Plaek Pibulsongkram, a military officer studying Artillery
in France.
Wichitwathakan was chairman of the committee which proposed changing the country's name from Siam to Thailand at the state convention in 1939. He led an irredentist
campaign after being presented a map produced by Ecole Francaise d'Extrene Orient showing the Thai race inhabiting the areas of Siam, Burma and Southern China. Wichitwathakan estimated from this map that there were approximately 60 millions Thai inhabiting the lands of Southern China and Southeast Asia
, and through his personal crusade as both a historian and a politician, was instrumental in effectuating the name change from Siam to Thailand when the state convention ratified the committee's proposal in 1939.
(People's Party), he consulted with former Thai students from Paris including Field Marshal Pibulsongkram, Prayun Phamonmontri and Thatsanai Mitraphakdi and Wichitwathakan. Pridi Phanomyong specifically asked Wichitwathakan to join this secret association whose purpose was to overthrow the absolute monarchy. Wichitwathakan at this point in time still maintained loyalty to King Prajadhipok and was in favor of a conciliatory approach with regard to the Siamese royalty. Concerned about the socialistic and communistic ideology
of Pridi Phanomyong, Wichitwathakan joined a royalist and free enterprise party called Kana Chart (National Party) while continuing to attend the clandestine meetings of the Ratsadon Party.
When King Prajadhipok indicated his willingness to support the armed royalist challenge to the People's Party and gave his blessing to Prince Bovoradej to mobilize his soldiers and attack Bangkok, Wichitwathakan forsook his loyalty to the King to align himself with the representative government as a member of the national assembly. While Pibul fought the insurrection of Prince Bovoradej militarily, Wichitwathakan played an important political role by being in charge of convincing the public and uncommitted military forces in the provinces to side with the government.
during the remainder of World War II
, being stationed in Tokyo
. Upon the unconditional surrender of Japan to the Allies at the end of the World War II conflict, Wichitwathakan was arrested by the American occupying forces along with the German Ambassador, Italian Ambassador and the entire Japanese Cabinet. His wife, Khunying Wichitwathakan requested and obtained a personal audience with General Douglas MacArthur during which she succeeded in explaining to him that as Foreign Minister, her husband had no alternative but to negotiate a treaty of free passage in exchange for maintaining the independence of Thailand. General Douglas MacArthur released Wichitwathakan from imprisonment and allowed him to return to Thailand on an American airplane. However, upon arrival to Bangkok, Wichitwathakan was rearrested and imprisoned by the new postwar government of Prime Minister Kuang Apaiwong. Wichitwathakan was incarcerated along with former Prime Minister Field Marshal Pibulsongkram, to be tried in Thai court as war criminals. Subsequently, all charges were dropped and they were both acquitted and released from incarceration.
Then in the year 1948, Luang Wichitwathakan assisted Field Marshal Pibulsomgkram in staging a coup d'état which toppled Kuang Apaiwong from power. Wichitwathakan served in the new government as Minister of Finance and Minister of Economic Affairs and subsequently became Ambassador to India in 1952 and Ambassador to Switzerland, Austria and Yugoslavia in 1953. He also promoted the unification and nationalism of the people of Thailand by composing a series of nationalistic theatrical works, known as the Anupap series, which were performed at the National theater. This series of plays, titled Anupap Porkoon Ramkamhaeng (Power of King Ramkamhaeng), Anupap Haeng Kwam Seasara (Power of Sacrifice), Anupap Haeng Kwam Rak (Power of Love) were composed at the urging of Prime Minister Pibulsongkram with the purpose of strengthening the unity and cohesiveness of the Thai people.
In 1958, Luang Wichitwathakan participated in the coup d'état staged by Field Marshal Sarit Thanarat and removed Field Marshal Pibulsongkram from power. Wichitwathakan assumed the title of Paladbunchagarn of the Prime Minister's Office, equivalent to the position of Chef du Cabinet, or Secretary General of Office of the Prime Minister. He served Field Marshal Sarit as his closest confidant and advisor and politically played an active role in promoting the nationalism of the people of Thailand.
Wichitwathakan died in 1962 at age 64 years after a long cardiac illness.
1942-1943. Minister of Foreign Affairs
1943-1945. Ambassador to Japan
1951-1952. Minister of Finance
1952. Minister of Economic Affairs
1952-1953 Ambassador to India
1953-1957 Ambassador to Switzerland, Austria and Yugoslavia
1957-1962 Paladbunchagarn (Special Assistant) to the Office of the Prime Minister Field Marshal Sarit Thanarat
Thai royal and noble titles
Thai royal and noble titles are the royal and noble styles signifying relationship to the King introduced by King Trailokanat, who reigned 1448 to 1488. The system is rooted in the Thai language equivalent of feudalism, .It is somewhat similar to that of peerage, but is complicated and usually not...
Wichitwathakan (also known as just Wichit Wichitwathakan) (Thai
Thai alphabet
Thai script , is used to write the Thai language and other, minority, languages in Thailand. It has forty-four consonants , fifteen vowel symbols that combine into at least twenty-eight vowel forms, and four tone marks ....
หลวงวิจิตรวาทการ, วิจิตร วิจิตรวาทการ; Chinese
Chinese language
The Chinese language is a language or language family consisting of varieties which are mutually intelligible to varying degrees. Originally the indigenous languages spoken by the Han Chinese in China, it forms one of the branches of Sino-Tibetan family of languages...
金良) (August 11, 1898–March 31, 1962) was a Thai
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
politician, playwright and historian. He was the chief ideologue and creator of cultural campaigns during the pre-World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
military rule of Field Marshall Plaek Pibulsonggram
Plaek Pibulsonggram
Field Marshal Plaek Pibunsongkhram , often known as Phibun Songkhram or simply Phibun in English, was Prime Minister and virtual military dictator of Thailand from 1938 to 1944 and 1948 to 1957.- Early years :...
, aimed at increasing the sense of nationalism
Nationalism
Nationalism is a political ideology that involves a strong identification of a group of individuals with a political entity defined in national terms, i.e. a nation. In the 'modernist' image of the nation, it is nationalism that creates national identity. There are various definitions for what...
of the Thais.
Early life
Wichitwathakan was born Kim Liang (Chinese: 金良), the son of a merchant in Uthai Thani ProvinceUthai Thani Province
Uthai Thani is one of the provinces of Thailand. Neighboring provinces are Nakhon Sawan, Chai Nat, Suphan Buri, Kanchanaburi and Tak.-Geography:...
, .
In a 1986 interview, his cousin Witun Wathanaparueda, a former Thai ambassador to Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
and South Vietnam
South Vietnam
South Vietnam was a state which governed southern Vietnam until 1975. It received international recognition in 1950 as the "State of Vietnam" and later as the "Republic of Vietnam" . Its capital was Saigon...
, said their paternal grandfather was an ethnic Chinese
Thai Chinese
The Thai Chinese are an overseas Chinese community who live in Thailand. Thailand is home to the largest, oldest, most prominent, and most integrated overseas Chinese community in the world with a population of approximately 9.5 million people...
, adding that their family had been culturally assimilated into Thai ways.
Throughout his political life, however, Wichitwathakan would deny having any Chinese ancestry, claiming his Chinese birth name was due to a custom of the local Thais, in which parents give their Thai children Chinese names.
Luang Wichitwathakan was prominently engaged in politics and the modernization of Thailand. He played an important role in establishing the Thai national identity
Thaification
Thaification is the process by which people of different cultural and ethnic origins living in Thailand become assimilated to the dominant Thai culture, or more precisely, to the culture of the Central Thais...
and in changing the name of the country from Siam.) He was also a prolific writer and playwright.
He received his primary education in a Buddhist temple school in Uthaithani. He continued the Buddhist education at Wat Mahathat
Wat Mahathat
Wat Mahathat is the common short name of several important buddhist temples in Thailand. The name may refer to:* Wat Mahathat Yuwarajarangsarit , Bangkok...
in Bangkok. He excelled in Buddhist studies, reaching a high stage of Prien
Prien
Prien may refer to:*Prien am Chiemsee, a municipality in Bavaria, Germany*Prien, Louisiana, a place in Louisiana, United States*Günther Prien, a U-Boat captain from World War Two...
and graduating first in the kingdom. He received an award from King Vajiravudh for academic excellence.
While still a monk in Wat Mahatat, Wichitwathakan wrote extensively in papers which he circulated among the monks. The papers were written in English, French, or German and were sometimes inflammatory regarding temple rules and regulations. This was finally stopped by the abbot, who prohibited the use of western languages . In 1913, Wichitwathakan adopted the surname Wathanapreeda (which literally means development of happiness), following the royal decree issued by King Vajiravudh
Vajiravudh
Phra Bat Somdet Phra Poramentharamaha Vajiravudh Phra Mongkut Klao Chao Yu Hua , or Phra Bat Somdet Phra Ramathibodi Si Sintharamaha Vajiravudh Phra Mongkut Klao Chao Yu Hua , or Rama VI was the sixth monarch of Siam under the House of Chakri, ruling from 1910 until his death...
for all Thais to have surnames.
Wichitwathakan had a keen interest in English and French, and translated some original Thai literary works into English, which he published through a Chinese curator, but which met with little commercial success. Between 1921-1927 Wichit studied at the University of Paris
University of Paris
The University of Paris was a university located in Paris, France and one of the earliest to be established in Europe. It was founded in the mid 12th century, and officially recognized as a university probably between 1160 and 1250...
.
At the age of 20, Wichitwathakan decided to leave the monkhood in favor of secular life and was admitted to the Ministry of Foreign affairs as a junior clerk. From this position in 1918, Wichitwathakan rose, through his own exceptional capability and diligence, to become Minister of Foreign Affairs in 1942.
Service in France
In 1921, Wichitwathakan was posted to the Royal Siamese LegationLegation
A legation was the term used in diplomacy to denote a diplomatic representative office lower than an embassy. Where an embassy was headed by an Ambassador, a legation was headed by a Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary....
(equivalent to present-day embassy) in Paris, France, as Third Secretary. During his five years in Europe, Wichitwathakan served as a member of the Siamese delegation that attended and participated in deliberations of the League of Nations
League of Nations
The League of Nations was an intergovernmental organization founded as a result of the Paris Peace Conference that ended the First World War. It was the first permanent international organization whose principal mission was to maintain world peace...
in Geneva, Switzerland. He also studied Law and Political Sciences at the University of Paris
University of Paris
The University of Paris was a university located in Paris, France and one of the earliest to be established in Europe. It was founded in the mid 12th century, and officially recognized as a university probably between 1160 and 1250...
. It was in Paris that he developed close friendships with the future revolution
Revolution
A revolution is a fundamental change in power or organizational structures that takes place in a relatively short period of time.Aristotle described two types of political revolution:...
aries, Pridi Phanomyong
Pridi Phanomyong
Pridi Banomyong was a highly revered Thai politician. He was a former Prime Minister and Senior Statesman of Thailand, and was named one of the world's great personalities of the 20th century by UNESCO in 2000.-Family background:...
, also studying Law at Sorbonne
Sorbonne
The Sorbonne is an edifice of the Latin Quarter, in Paris, France, which has been the historical house of the former University of Paris...
, and Plaek Pibulsongkram, a military officer studying Artillery
Artillery
Originally applied to any group of infantry primarily armed with projectile weapons, artillery has over time become limited in meaning to refer only to those engines of war that operate by projection of munitions far beyond the range of effect of personal weapons...
in France.
Marriage
While in Paris, Wichit took French lessons from Lucienne Laffitte (née Guillaume), a cultivated French lady who was well-read and musically gifted. They subsequently married and together returned to Siam in the year 1927. While Wichitwathakan continued to work at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Madame Lucienne collaborated with him in several of his important historical publications, notably Prawatsart Sakon ("Universal History" - in this context means international or world history). Despite this creative partnership and the births of a son and a daughter, the marriage dissolved six years later and Madame Lucienne returned to France with her two children. Luang Wichit subsequently married Prapapan Rapipan (Khunying Prapapan Vichit-Vadakan), a teacher of history and daughter of Khoon Vorasarndarunkit who was in charge of education in northern Siam under King Rama V.In Siam
After his return to Siam, Wichitwathakan met again with Pridi Phanomyong and Plaek Pibulsongkram, the conspirators of the Siamese coup d'état of 1932;.Wichitwathakan was chairman of the committee which proposed changing the country's name from Siam to Thailand at the state convention in 1939. He led an irredentist
Irredentism
Irredentism is any position advocating annexation of territories administered by another state on the grounds of common ethnicity or prior historical possession, actual or alleged. Some of these movements are also called pan-nationalist movements. It is a feature of identity politics and cultural...
campaign after being presented a map produced by Ecole Francaise d'Extrene Orient showing the Thai race inhabiting the areas of Siam, Burma and Southern China. Wichitwathakan estimated from this map that there were approximately 60 millions Thai inhabiting the lands of Southern China and Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia, South-East Asia, South East Asia or Southeastern Asia is a subregion of Asia, consisting of the countries that are geographically south of China, east of India, west of New Guinea and north of Australia. The region lies on the intersection of geological plates, with heavy seismic...
, and through his personal crusade as both a historian and a politician, was instrumental in effectuating the name change from Siam to Thailand when the state convention ratified the committee's proposal in 1939.
Revolutionary role
Although Wichitwathakan did not participate in the revolution against King Prajadhipok, he performed an important role in the conversion from absolute monarchy to constitutional monarchy. When Pridi Phanomyong started the clandestine party called Khana RatsadonKhana Ratsadon
Khana Ratsadon , frequently mistakenly written as Khana Rat , was a Siamese group of military and civil officers, and later a political party, which staged a bloodless coup against King Prajadhipok and transited the country's absolute monarchy to constitutional monarchy on 24 June 1932.-The...
(People's Party), he consulted with former Thai students from Paris including Field Marshal Pibulsongkram, Prayun Phamonmontri and Thatsanai Mitraphakdi and Wichitwathakan. Pridi Phanomyong specifically asked Wichitwathakan to join this secret association whose purpose was to overthrow the absolute monarchy. Wichitwathakan at this point in time still maintained loyalty to King Prajadhipok and was in favor of a conciliatory approach with regard to the Siamese royalty. Concerned about the socialistic and communistic ideology
Ideology
An ideology is a set of ideas that constitutes one's goals, expectations, and actions. An ideology can be thought of as a comprehensive vision, as a way of looking at things , as in common sense and several philosophical tendencies , or a set of ideas proposed by the dominant class of a society to...
of Pridi Phanomyong, Wichitwathakan joined a royalist and free enterprise party called Kana Chart (National Party) while continuing to attend the clandestine meetings of the Ratsadon Party.
When King Prajadhipok indicated his willingness to support the armed royalist challenge to the People's Party and gave his blessing to Prince Bovoradej to mobilize his soldiers and attack Bangkok, Wichitwathakan forsook his loyalty to the King to align himself with the representative government as a member of the national assembly. While Pibul fought the insurrection of Prince Bovoradej militarily, Wichitwathakan played an important political role by being in charge of convincing the public and uncommitted military forces in the provinces to side with the government.
Wartime service
In 1942, Wichitwathakan became Minister of Foreign Affairs under Prime Minister Field Marshal Pibulsongkram and was responsible for negotiating free passage for the invading Japanese army in exchange for maintaining the sovereignty and independence of Thailand. He then assumed the duty of Thai Ambassador to JapanJapan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
during the remainder of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, being stationed in Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
. Upon the unconditional surrender of Japan to the Allies at the end of the World War II conflict, Wichitwathakan was arrested by the American occupying forces along with the German Ambassador, Italian Ambassador and the entire Japanese Cabinet. His wife, Khunying Wichitwathakan requested and obtained a personal audience with General Douglas MacArthur during which she succeeded in explaining to him that as Foreign Minister, her husband had no alternative but to negotiate a treaty of free passage in exchange for maintaining the independence of Thailand. General Douglas MacArthur released Wichitwathakan from imprisonment and allowed him to return to Thailand on an American airplane. However, upon arrival to Bangkok, Wichitwathakan was rearrested and imprisoned by the new postwar government of Prime Minister Kuang Apaiwong. Wichitwathakan was incarcerated along with former Prime Minister Field Marshal Pibulsongkram, to be tried in Thai court as war criminals. Subsequently, all charges were dropped and they were both acquitted and released from incarceration.
Post-war service
After having been granted freedom, Luang Wichitwathakan temporarily dissociated himself from politics and became a nationally prominent playwright, author and historian. Most of his plays, songs, fictions as well as history and religious books were composed during the four years following his release from incarceration.Then in the year 1948, Luang Wichitwathakan assisted Field Marshal Pibulsomgkram in staging a coup d'état which toppled Kuang Apaiwong from power. Wichitwathakan served in the new government as Minister of Finance and Minister of Economic Affairs and subsequently became Ambassador to India in 1952 and Ambassador to Switzerland, Austria and Yugoslavia in 1953. He also promoted the unification and nationalism of the people of Thailand by composing a series of nationalistic theatrical works, known as the Anupap series, which were performed at the National theater. This series of plays, titled Anupap Porkoon Ramkamhaeng (Power of King Ramkamhaeng), Anupap Haeng Kwam Seasara (Power of Sacrifice), Anupap Haeng Kwam Rak (Power of Love) were composed at the urging of Prime Minister Pibulsongkram with the purpose of strengthening the unity and cohesiveness of the Thai people.
In 1958, Luang Wichitwathakan participated in the coup d'état staged by Field Marshal Sarit Thanarat and removed Field Marshal Pibulsongkram from power. Wichitwathakan assumed the title of Paladbunchagarn of the Prime Minister's Office, equivalent to the position of Chef du Cabinet, or Secretary General of Office of the Prime Minister. He served Field Marshal Sarit as his closest confidant and advisor and politically played an active role in promoting the nationalism of the people of Thailand.
Wichitwathakan died in 1962 at age 64 years after a long cardiac illness.
Appointments
1934-1942. Director General of the Department of Fine Arts1942-1943. Minister of Foreign Affairs
1943-1945. Ambassador to Japan
1951-1952. Minister of Finance
1952. Minister of Economic Affairs
1952-1953 Ambassador to India
1953-1957 Ambassador to Switzerland, Austria and Yugoslavia
1957-1962 Paladbunchagarn (Special Assistant) to the Office of the Prime Minister Field Marshal Sarit Thanarat