Is nationalism our ‘Love Destiny’?

By PHATARAWADEE PHATARANAWIK 
THE SUNDAY NATION

 

 

THE astonishing popularity of the television period drama “BuppeSanNivas” (“Love Destiny”) has contributed to a boom in digital TV, tourism, food and beverage retail, fashion and even literature.

 

The series has been a massive hit, sparking a mania among Thais to visit the Ayutthaya Historical Park where scenes for the soap opera were shot and have their photos taken in classical costumes from those times.

 

So many people are flocking to Wat Chaiwattanaram within the park that its visiting hours have been extended into the evening.

His Majesty the King joined in the nostalgia for what are widely regarded as “the good old days”, inviting citizens last month to an “Oun Ai Rak Klai Kwam Nao” (“Love and Warmth at Winter’s End”) festival in the Royal Plaza.

More than a million people donned the clothing of a bygone era.

 

Now the government wants to keep the ball rolling, promoting Thai culture and nationalism as a match for the Bt100-billion “Thai Niyom Yangyuen” (“Sustainable Thainess”) programme it launched earlier this year. Government officials have been encouraged to wear clothing made of Thai fabric during work hours, though the move has drawn complaints that those who don’t comply face discrimination. 

 

The Culture Ministry and Tourism and Sports Ministry dived into the “creative economy” concept with the goal of celebrating “Thainess”.

Anyone wearing traditional Siamese attire has been admitted to national museums and historical parks during Historical Thai Heritage Conservation Week, which ends today. 

 

The TV series has been the talk of the town since its debut on BEC World’s Channel 3.

 

The series, which will end later this month, is about a kind-hearted woman, “Kedsurang”, whose soul is transported back in time to the Ayutthaya period to live inside the body of a beautiful woman called “Karaked”. Karaked was initially a wicked woman, who plotted a murder and was cursed. 

 

“It’s been an interesting phenomenon – it’s got the younger generation watching TV soaps again,” notes Asst Professor Yukti Mukdawijitra, a lecturer at Thammasat University’s Faculty of Sociology and Anthropology.

 

“It reflects nostalgia, a yearning for the past, especially for ‘the good old days’. But the belief that the past was better than the present has been linked to biases in memory.

 

“It shows the mental illness of our society,” Yukti says. “Today we’re living in conflict, especially on the political front. Watching comical and fantasy soaps can temporary heal people’s hearts. In reality we remain divided, and the fantasy is that we are united.”

 

The show’s history is woven into a contemporary plot and features a modern, liberated woman as its heroine, touching on issues of feminism and democracy, but it is also steeped in nationalism and conservative attitudes. Due to the series’ massive popularity and the government’s endorsement of it as a valuable vehicle for preserving traditional Thai attitudes, Channel 3 is working on episodes for a second season.

 

And the Culture Ministry is planning to co-produce similar historical dramas evoking Thainess.

 

The whole “phenomenon” has its critics. It’s been pointed out that Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha’s Niyom Thai effort bears a striking resemblance to the Rath Niyom (State Customs) cultural mandates issued by his predecessor of the 1930s through 1950s, the dictatorial Field Marshal Plaek Phibunsongkhram.

 

“Nationalism and conservativism are political tools to unite the nation,” says Yukti, “but the revival of Thainess cannot solve society’s root problems. Democratic election is the key.”

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/national/30342706

 

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2018-04-08

 

13 minutes ago, rooster59 said:

with the goal of celebrating “Thainess”.

doubt many thais could articulate a definition of that; one of the true disappointments here was learning as much as i needed to know of that word

 And the Culture Ministry is planning to co-produce similar historical dramas evoking Thainess.

 

There was a story a couple of years ago where Prayuth was planning on writing and producing a thai soap.  I presume this his work.

38 minutes ago, rooster59 said:

“It reflects nostalgia, a yearning for the past, especially for ‘the good old days’.

Perfect for a govt trying to take the country back to the 1950's. 

 

41 minutes ago, rooster59 said:

It shows the mental illness of our society,”

All too obviously truthful. People with their heads glued to a screen rather than the reality of daily life. 

28 minutes ago, Thechook said:

 And the Culture Ministry is planning to co-produce similar historical dramas evoking Thainess.

 

There was a story a couple of years ago where Prayuth was planning on writing and producing a thai soap.  I presume this his work.

Yes, he did write a few soap operas...they were called "The Road Map To Democracy" and "Returning Happiness to the People"

Edited April 7, 20188 yr by PatOngo

in my humble opinion ,it is thailands ''Demise''..

Edited April 7, 20188 yr by mok199
speliing

Gee..they are pumping this for all that it is worth and then some.

1 hour ago, rooster59 said:

And the Culture Ministry is planning to co-produce similar historical dramas evoking Thainess.

I remember the topless spoiler on their website. Can't wait! 

39 minutes ago, lamyai3 said:

I remember the topless spoiler on their website. Can't wait! 

I wonder what this thing is about topless women.

 

Depending on the season many women historically went topless,usually in hot countries in the world.

 

South America,Oceania,Africa and parts of Asia to name just a few.

 

Generally speaking it was white male Christian missionaries that forced them to cover up or (in the case of Protestants) their even more boorish wives.

 

Has anyone seen the ancient Cretan paintings/pottery of the lithesome young women leaping the bulls?It must have been truly amazing to see.

 

See Sigmund Freud; 'Civilization and it's Discontents.'

Edited April 8, 20188 yr by Odysseus123

1 hour ago, Odysseus123 said:

Gee..they are pumping this for all that it is worth and then some.

Either they are desperate for distractions, or some person very high up the food chain has made a wise investment in a factory making "traditional costumes"...

1 minute ago, JAG said:

Either they are desperate for distractions, or some person very high up the food chain has made a wise investment in a factory making "traditional costumes"...

But having watched a few episodes of 'Love Destiny' I see that they really don't have a peg to hang them on...

This is a masterstroke of the junta, funding a tv series like that brainwashing the Thais to go back to the old days when there were no corrupt politicians. Just army and royalty and serfs. 

 

Now soon a pro junta party is launched called "back to the simple days" and it will get 95% of the votes and all will be well again in Thailand. Pesky foreigners get beheaded same as a few dissident Thais and there will be eternal peace and everyone will be happy. 

The last thing the Thais need is more silly nationalism:  pride in vapid and vacuous 'Thai-ness' is precisely one of the main retrograde elements that are cementing this country in feudal times. What have the Thais ever contributed to world culture, philosophy, science, technology, profound literature, etc. to make them so proud of their 'culture'? Everything in it was basically stolen. No innovation or originality at all!

 

All this  resurgent Thai nationalism (fostered to keep the masses ignorant of the outside world, slave-like and stupid) is so ridiculous - and potentially dangerous. Have the Thais learned nothing from the past? No. Many of them think that Hitler was a 'superhero' (and they even paint his image as a superhero on murals at Chulalongkorn University - I kid you not!).

 

 

Just now, Eligius said:

The last thing the Thais need is more silly nationalism:  pride in vapid and vacuous 'Thai-ness' is precisely one of the main retrograde elements that are cementing this country in feudal times. What have the Thais ever contributed to world culture, philosophy, science, technology, profound literature, etc. to make them so proud of their 'culture'? Everything in it was basically stolen. No innovation or originality at all!

 

All this  resurgent Thai nationalism (fostered to keep the masses ignorant of the outside world, slave-like and stupid) is so ridiculous - and potentially dangerous. Have the Thais learned nothing from the past? No. Many of them think that Hitler was a 'superhero' (and they even paint his image as a superhero on murals at Chulalongkorn University - I kid you not!).

 

Nationalism in general is a bad thing, it creates wars and it makes people treat other people .....   

 

Agreed Thais don't need more of it, it is holding Thailand back. But loads of other countries are nationalistic too you see it here on the forum. 

A proud Thai.dreaming of the good old days.....

Superior to any foreigner...!!

38 minutes ago, Eligius said:

The last thing the Thais need is more silly nationalism:  pride in vapid and vacuous 'Thai-ness' is precisely one of the main retrograde elements that are cementing this country in feudal times. What have the Thais ever contributed to world culture, philosophy, science, technology, profound literature, etc. to make them so proud of their 'culture'? Everything in it was basically stolen. No innovation or originality at all!

 

All this  resurgent Thai nationalism (fostered to keep the masses ignorant of the outside world, slave-like and stupid) is so ridiculous - and potentially dangerous. Have the Thais learned nothing from the past? No. Many of them think that Hitler was a 'superhero' (and they even paint his image as a superhero on murals at Chulalongkorn University - I kid you not!).

 

 

A Thai university student proudly demonstrating her ignorance.......

Meet Donald McHitler.

2 hours ago, Lungstib said:

Perfect for a govt trying to take the country back to the 1950's. 

 

I thought this country had never exited the 1950's

15 minutes ago, JOC said:

A Thai university student proudly demonstrating her ignorance.......

Meet Donald McHitler.

don't think that was made here. just something they found and stuck stickers on as a mock up collection box by the looks of it. also, nothing to suggest she's a student. most thais i see like taking photos next to random crap even in the malls whilst doing silly poses. (my mrs included. always asking me to take photos whilst she poses next to giant bears and stuff. i just refuse, tell her your 40 years old for gods sake, grow up)

Edited April 8, 20188 yr by Happy enough

Mr Johnson explained quite clearly :

 

Patriotism is the last refuge of a scoundrel

I emailed Prayut and suggested a production containing important European history.....

Can't understand why he declined....

3 hours ago, rooster59 said:

The series, which will end later this month

Hallelujah 

 

17 minutes ago, janclaes47 said:

 

I thought this country had never exited the 1950's

Surely we are talking  about the 1650s when it comes to the wishes and hierarchichal social attitudes of Thailand and its backward-marching 'elites'!!

Nationalism relies on fantasies, follies, fabrications and falsehoods. Arthur Schopenhauer (German philosopher)put it like this: "Every miserable fool who has nothing at of which he can be proud, adopts as a last resource pride in the nation to which he belongs; he is ready and happy to defend all its faults and follies tooth and nail, thus reimbursing himself for his own inferiority"

 

In this context, Thailand is not alone. Its unknown past seems to be one long story of the military sweeping up or down, replacing warriors on raging elephants.....

A post containing a disallowed reference to the PM has been removed. 

Democratic election is the key?

Like in the EU, for example?

Or in the US?

Where people now say: "I was never asked".

Democracy, as we know it, is highly overrated, and has been degraded to a four year circus while nothing changes.

32 minutes ago, JOC said:

Nationalism relies on fantasies, follies, fabrications and falsehoods. Arthur Schopenhauer (German philosopher)put it like this: "Every miserable fool who has nothing at of which he can be proud, adopts as a last resource pride in the nation to which he belongs; he is ready and happy to defend all its faults and follies tooth and nail, thus reimbursing himself for his own inferiority"

 

In this context, Thailand is not alone. Its unknown past seems to be one long story of the military sweeping up or down, replacing warriors on raging elephants.....

Yours is a very good post.

 

However I think also that Nationalism grows out of a fundamental sense of tribalism-a case of US against THEM even if it just the other lot over at the next waterhole.

 

Armies are,after all,built on competitive tribalism,the best,platoon,regiment,division etc so it is not surprising that a bunch of generals are propagating the idea..

 

However the idea of "Making our waterhole great again" is certainly not limited to Thailand.

Can't be long and in every Mall, BTS and public places we will hear the Karaoke King singing his rendition of an old Chris Andrews hit:

 

I'm a yesterday man
Well my friends that's what I am
That's what I am, a yesterday man

 

The only solace is- sweet songs never last too long on broken radios.

 

3 hours ago, robblok said:

This is a masterstroke of the junta, funding a tv series like that brainwashing the Thais to go back to the old days when there were no corrupt politicians. Just army and royalty and serfs. 

 

Now soon a pro junta party is launched called "back to the simple days" and it will get 95% of the votes and all will be well again in Thailand. Pesky foreigners get beheaded same as a few dissident Thais and there will be eternal peace and everyone will be happy. 

 

3 hours ago, robblok said:

Nationalism in general is a bad thing, it creates wars and it makes people treat other people .....   

 

Agreed Thais don't need more of it, it is holding Thailand back. But loads of other countries are nationalistic too you see it here on the forum. 

I'm not so sure that most of the population see it as any more than a costume drama to be enjoyed, rather than a lifestyle to aspire to! Alarmingly the current regime certainly aspire to it, but the general population, who realise just how bloody life is at the bottom of the pile in C21 Thailand will, I should imagine, have no desire to go back 300 years. 

 

I remember, back when that soap opera about the army was being hyped, muttering to myself about the bizarre action scenes, and my wife telling me to shut up, "it is only a movie!"

 

As for nationalism, yes, in excess it is definitely not a force for good, but I see nothing wrong with knowing, and being proud of the achievements of one's own country.

Edited April 8, 20188 yr by JAG

7 minutes ago, JAG said:

 

 

As for nationalism, yes, in excess it is definitely not a force for good, but I see nothing wrong with knowing, and being proud of the achievements of one's own country.

Agree with you, JAG. But in connection with the nation of Thailand, the question naturally presents itself: 'What achievements?!'

9 minutes ago, JAG said:

desire to go back 300 years. 

While the kids constantly ask: "aren't we there yet?"