Different countries got their names through various means. And Thailand is not an exception as there are some stories behind why Thailand is called Thailand. So, in this post, we will shed light on where and how this Southeast Asian got its name.
As stated by The Culture Trip, Thailand is called Thailand because the name means “Land of the Free” as this country was never colonized while Western superpowers took over other countries in Southeast Asia and other places around the world. Hence, it is only befitting for this country to be called Thailand as this name showcases its independence. Even the national anthem of this country highlights the meaning of the name “Thailand”.
However, you should understand that there are numerous other things to be known about why Thailand is called Thailand. Therefore, we will take the time to explain everything you need to know about this particular topic.
Reasons behind the name “Thailand”
Now, let’s explain why Thailand is called Thailand in detail.
- It shows the independence of the country during the colonial era
In the 19th and 20th centuries, numerous western powers colonized many countries in Africa, Southeast Asia, and other places. The colonization went on for so long that it was difficult for any smaller country to survive it. However, Thailand didn’t experience this colonization.
It is noteworthy that some Western powers wanted to colonize Thailand. But through diplomatic approaches and other techniques, the leaders of Thailand were able to avoid colonization throughout the colonial era.
According to slumberpartyhostels.com, when it was time for the name of the country to be changed, the leaders boasted of their ability to prevent colonization. Hence, the country was renamed Thailand. In the people’s native language, “Thai” means “free”. Therefore, the name “Thailand” can be directly translated as the “Land of the free”.
Due to the significance of this name, the name “Thailand” has always been used as a thing of pride by many individuals in the country.
- It could be because of the Tai people
Although everyone agrees that Thailand means “Land of the free”, there are suggestions that it could also mean “Land of Tai people. This is because Tai is a well-known ethnic group in this nation. Therefore, the term “Thailand” could actually be used for indicating the nation that the Tai people live in.
Nevertheless, there are other ethnic groups in the country. Therefore, it is quite debatable that the whole country is named after only an ethnic group.
What’s the former name of Thailand?
Before the name of the country was changed, some people had been living in the area several centuries before the period. Therefore, the country was bearing another name before.
Basically, Siam is the former name of Thailand. Numerous kingdoms came together to become Siam; hence, it was a large kingdom that had lots of prosperities in the past.
Although Thailand is no longer called Siam, there are still lots of things associated with the name. For instance, there are Siamese cats, which are some common cats found in the Land of Siam.
In addition, Siamese twins are another name for conjoined twins. The name came from Thai twin brothers (Chang and Eng) who lived throughout their lifetime as conjoined twins. While these brothers were born in Siam, they moved to the USA and became popular as they performed at the circus in different areas of the country.
When did the country start bearing the name “Thailand”?
From its inception, the country was referred to as Siam. However, in 1939, the rulers of the nation deemed it fit to change the name to Thailand. However, this initial name change was short-lived as it was reverted to Siam from 1946 to 1948. In 1948, a conclusive decision was made to start calling the country Thailand. From then till now, the nation has remained Thailand.
Why was the name changed from Siam to Thailand?
Although the meaning of Thailand is great, the name change had a controversial history. According to History Today and some other credible sources, the name change began a few years before it was finally implemented. After the formation of the People’s Party, a radical political party in Thailand, some of its members started demanding numerous changes to the system of the country.
Firstly, these political members wanted to end the monarchical system of government of the country as they preferred using the western-style democracy. Although they couldn’t achieve the main aim, Luang Phibunsongkhram (Phibun) took control of the country as a dictator. Notably, Phibun was the leader of the 1932 coup that wanted to dethrone King Chakri.
Phibun started the move to change the name of the country as he felt the Chinese had too much influence on his people. According to this dictator, his goal was to modernize his people and help them to showcase their real identity. He went against most of the leading and successful Chinese businesses in the nation and also reduced how Chinese immigrate to Thailand.
Similarly, Phibun restricted the use of Mandarin in Chinese schools in Thailand to only 2 hours per week. In addition to all these things, he changed the name of the country to Thailand to display the independence of his people from Chinese and Western powers.
After this dictator was forced to leave the helm of affairs of the country in 1944, the country’s name was changed back to Siam in 1946. However, this powerful and forceful nationalist regained power in 1948 and ruled till 1957 when his rivals took over the country.
Therefore, it was during the second reign of Phibun that the name was changed to Thailand for the second and final time. Although this dictator had died in Japan since 1964, the name has continued bearing Thailand for the last 7 decades.
Conclusion
As shown above, Thailand is called Thailand because of two possible reasons. The first and most acceptable reason is to mean “Land of the free” as a way to show that the country was never colonized. The second reason is to “Land of Tai people” because an ethnic group in the country is known as Tai.
