Thai historians suggest changes to history book

[webfact]

Historians suggest changes to history book
Visarut Sankham
The Nation

BANGKOK: -- Thai history experts yesterday called for improvement of the new "Thailand History Book" in terms of language and content. It should cover stories that have already ended or resolved, and hence the political conflict involving the red and yellow shirts as well as the 2014 coup do not qualify, they said.

History expert Suphawat Kasemsi, who is a member of the Thai history book revision committee, told a seminar yesterday at Bangkok's National Theatre that the history book, launched a couple of months ago, should not cover recent political conflicts, as the book does in its last chapter, because such events haven't been resolved yet. As a historian, he believes that stories or events appropriate for academic discussion should have occurred more than 50 years ago.

Suphawat said the content of a history book should consist of facts and not ideas, because inserting a writer's ideas in a book would put it at risk of being criticised or sued.

"The book should cover other dimensions of history that were already stable, such as the country's development in the previous century or the way of life of people. Meanwhile, the more the variety in content in a book the more the opportunities to bring about changes in future," he said.

Praising the storytelling narrative that makes it easier to understand for people who have not studied history before, he said the book contained rather difficult technical terms and grammar as well as content that was rather short.

Thanet Aphornsuvan head of Thammasat University's Asean studies department, told the seminar that a history book should be an integrated work among Asean countries, as a country's history could be clearly related to neighbouring countries. "So we could get a book with better variety of content and more in-depth detail," he said.

Thanet said the new history book might have been written with the idea of uniting the country or inculcating nationalism, and that there was no new knowledge it. He also suggested that the book should cover minority groups also considered Thai, such as descendants of Malay Muslims, Mon or Lao in Thailand as well as the country's relationships with China, Japan and the Netherlands.

"Histories that occurred outside the metropolis should also be added in the book, not just what happened in the city," he said.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/Historians-suggest-changes-to-history-book-30274210.html


-- The Nation 2015-12-03

[tbthailand]

While it is clear that the history book should be revised, but he is a bit over the top when talking about recent events, ...

As a historian, he believes that stories or events appropriate for academic discussion should have occurred more than 50 years ago

so no Thanom staging a coup against his own government and making himself supreme leader, no 14 October 1973 uprising, ... no 1976 Thammasat massacre, ... no 1992 military junta general promising to not become PM, and then becoming PM, ...

Guess it just needs to end with Field Marshal Sarit and his amazing military corruption ....

or not...

[Somtamnication]

Marvel or DC should volunteer to write the many times-revised Thai history.

[ezzra]

Those event only happened few year ago and they already relegating it to ' history ' ? it should be more

under civil current affairs, as this ' history ' will likely change at any time, so don't rush to includes them

in any ' history ' books....

[trogers]

"As a historian, he believes that stories or events appropriate for academic discussion should have occurred more than 50 years ago."

He is suggesting that participants of past events should have all been buried or cremated before calling such events 'History'...

[Rocceao]

History expert Suphawat Kasemsi,

Meaning of expert;

X; is an unknown quantity.

Spert; is a prick under pressure.

[NongKhaiKid]

Events more than 50 years old !

Will Thailands's role in WWII finally be properly explained ?

Didn't think so.

[TerminalVelosity]

They switched sides more often than I change the oil in my car!!

[taony]

Make sure you only include the version of events that no one is left around to contradict

[animatic]

History starts YESTERDAY.

full stop.

Just because all outcomes of history are not fully fledged doesn't mean it is not important to tell what is known so far. You can go edit the books in another 10 years, but between now and then kids can study and learn from them. If a player in the ongoing story has something to feel ashamed about, that is THEIR problem not the books. Dowager Dinosaur politicians in their dotage 80's should not be protected from their stupidity or calumny. They made the bad and good choices and must live with them as FACT.

The last 20 years are filled with HUGE histories that are totally relevant for Thai kids to know and understand. For instance the Asian Tiger melt down and who did what and what happened.

Bangkok Bank of Commerce, Saxina, and who was running the government then and the decisions they made.

Thaksins 2 governments and their downfalls and the Thailand bailout, are now history also at 10 years.

Thaksin's rearranging of Thai political groupings to 'purchase prior to election',

rather than 'horse trading after election', should be a major point of study for any poly-sci major.

If he means that, the major players must be dead, and not just brain dead,

is a line in the sand that must not be crossed, that is just foolishness.

This is shear foolishness ;

at best, aimed to not let the guilty living lose face,

at worst, a white wash of recent history till it can be rewritten by those with vested interests,

and the majority having no clue to dispute them because it was ignored actively for too long.

This 'Historian', should remove the label from his resume,

he is not a proper historian, because he clearly does NOT understand the concept.

Edited December 3, 2015 by animatic

[DavidOxon]

The last time I looked at a Thai history book (with pictures, in English) it ended with the coronation of their current monarch!

[JAG]

Perhaps they a should omit " book ".

"Thai historians suggest changes to history."

Edited December 3, 2015 by JAG

[Artisi]

They switched sides more often than I change the oil in my car!!

Or underpants....

[Emster23]

How about this for complete text: "Stuff happened" followed by lots of photos of happy people and meaningless maps

[skildpadden]

"As a historian, he believes that stories or events appropriate for academic discussion should have occurred more than 50 years ago."

I am as well a university graduated historian and I strongly disagree with that view.

I know Thai history students are taught a short course in historiography, but they might be interested in studying the subject of historical method (usually a 2 semester heavy course) to learn a scientific approach to history, methodology and source criticism.

If he is a prime example of Thai historians then that discipline is in a very sad state in this country.

[Lupatria]

Is he more likely a Pre-Historian?

[oneday]

This article wasn't what I thought it was going to be about.

I completely agree with History expert Suphawat Kasemsi. History is something that is over and done with...finished. The only reason to place anything about the CURRENT Red and Yellow shirt conflict into history books is so the current controlling government can put their VERSION into the book. This is always the case, the victor in any battle always writes the history books.

[jaywalker]

I tried to tell my wife that the chili pepper was originally from Brazil, and that the Portuguese brought it to Thailand.

Her answer? "BAH!"

[trainman34014]

What a laugh....change all of its history if it suits whatever the Hi So's want it to be. So typically Thai !

[londonthai]

this book is the "official" version of thai history, written on order from junta by their own, selected historians. So it's good, it's being criticised.

there should not be one, state-sponsored history book. It would you biased from the beginning.

however, all historians in thailand are censored/selfcensored, so if anybody want's to know all the facts, have to get books published abroad. They are available also online, sometimes are even free to download a pdf or to read online.

for many historians in thailand, history is about nationalistic propaganda, as one of them clearly stated on the original post

Edited December 3, 2015 by londonthai

[jerojero]

Haha, yes. Revise historical facts! Cannot make up this stuff. Constant entertainment from these bozos.

[Srikcir]

"It should cover stories that have already ended or resolved"

I'd say that in view of 12 coup d'etats and 20 constitutions since 1932, governance of Thailand has not been resolved. Therefore, no mention of Thai governments and elections beyond the absolute monarchy under the Chakri dynasty should be made.

[h90]

Events more than 50 years old !

Will Thailands's role in WWII finally be properly explained ?

Didn't think so.

They won the second WW...First they defeated China with little help from Japan. Than they defeated Japan single handed.

My guess is the history book won't differ much from that.

[stickylies]

Good for them...

ps. ever bothered to read Thai wikipedia pages?

[lineofentry]

This guy is doing the best he can while walking on eggshells. What he's trying to say is that 'you cannot be subjective with the facts when involved parties still have a grip on your plums'.

[Bluespunk]

"History expert Suphawat Kasemsi, who is a member of the Thai history book revision committee, told a seminar yesterday at Bangkok's National Theatre that the history book, launched a couple of months ago, should not cover recent political conflicts, as the book does in its last chapter, because such events haven't been resolved yet. As a historian, he believes that stories or events appropriate for academic discussion should have occurred more than 50 years ago."

How convenient for all.

I studied History as part of my degree and never came across that distinction before.

[slipperylobster]

so much for learning by studying past mistakes...

leaves the future open to just about anything. Sort of like find and replace the word "hub" with blanks. The book would be empty.

If only the USA could rip out the pages of the last fifty years...and call them irrelevant as well.

Scarey stuff

Edited December 3, 2015 by slipperylobster

[GeckosDiving]

But but but....... The yellow shirts......

[Radar501]

"......Suphawat said the content of a history book should consist of facts and not ideas...."

Facts???? The pages of history are always written by the victors.

[slipperylobster]

Next idea....

mandatory sunglasses the filter the colors of red and yellow