Siam Samai

The จดหมาย เหตุ สยาม ไสมย (Chotmaihet Siam Samai) newspaper, or Siam Samai, was published from 1882 to 1886.

The title can perhaps be translated as “Siam Times” but it must not be confused with the another newspaper named Siam Times (สยาม ไตมส์) published in 1863. The word ไสมย is an archaic spelling of the modern Thai สมัย, meaning “era, time or period”. Bradley, in his contemporary Siamese Dictionary of 1873 defines ไสมย as:

ไสมย ฯ แปล ว่า กาละ ว่า คราว, ความ คล้าย กับ ระดู มี ระดู ร้อน เปน ต้น

Samai means time, period, or similar to season, such as hot season.

The content of สยาม ไสมย differs from Bradley’s earlier Bangkok Recorder which had been shut down following the loss of a liable case brought by the French Consul Gabriel Aubaret. While Bradley’s paper contained a lot of political and social reform commentary, Smith focused on more easily read subjects, literature and much less on “social crusades.” It was a safe way to gain an audience without offending diplomats or the palace.

Of the editor, Samuel John Smith, known to the Siamese people as หมอสมิธ (Dr. Smith):

Before leaving Burma, the Reverend and Mrs. Jones adopted an English boy, Samuel John Smith. Smith was sent to be educate in the United States, where he was ordained, joining the Baptist mission in Bangkok in 1849. From 1869, he operated an independent pressing office, where he edited and published in English the Siam Weekly Advertiser (1869-86), the Siam Repository (1869-84), the annual Siam Directory and (in Siamese) Sayam Samai (1882-86), an English-Siamese grammar, a Siamese-English grammar, an arithmetic textbook, a Christian catechism, a comprehensive Anglo-Siamese dictionary, and a comprehensive Siamese-English dictionary (which was ready for the press at the time of his death but was never printed). He printed Siamese prose and poetry in great quantities, making the printed page a very common commodity and selling presses and fonts of type to Siamese and Chinese job printers, who opened presses everywhere in Siam.

International Book Publishing: An Encylopedia. Altbach & Hoshino, 1995

Project Notes

• This newspaper has not (yet) been manually proofread. There are likely to be mistakes in the automated transcription.

• See this article for a guide to Thai Lunar dates.

Volume 1 - ใบ ๑

• เดือน ๙ ขึ้น ๒ ค่ำ, ๑๒๔๔
  New newspaper launch and subscription details / King Rama V’s royal travels and activities / Grand National Exhibition showcasing Thai culture / Muslim religious celebrations and social gatherings / Concerns regarding public safety and armed robbery / Sun movements and seasonal weather patterns / Educating Thai youth on global geography / British military intervention in Egyptian conflicts / Global news via international telegraph reports / Political tensions and wars across various continents.

• เดือน ๑๐ ขึ้น ค่ำ ๑, ๑๒๔๔
  Newspaper subscription and distribution logistics management / Royal ceremonies for the new Chakri Palace / Diplomatic relations between Siam and Great Britain / Public rewards for capturing dangerous local robbers / International conflict and war updates from Egypt / Maritime shipping incidents and rice harvest reports / Economic history and ownership of rice mills / Buddhist missionary journey from Siam to Lanka / Promotion of classical literature and educational books / Modern education offerings at Siam University Bangkok

• เดือน ๑๑ ขึ้น ๖ ค่ำ, ๑๒๔๔
  Royal speech celebrating the King’s birthday / Administrative reforms for city and provincial security / Development of modern telegraph and canal infrastructure / Land surveys and agricultural documentation for citizens / Diplomatic expansion and permanent international embassies / Centennial celebrations of the Rattanakosin era / Global news reporting on the Egyptian war / Crime suppression and regulation of secret societies / Scientific observations and education regarding astronomical events / Historical record of the Ayutthaya Kingdom’s layout.

• เดือน ๑๒ ขึ้น ๕ ค่ำ, ๑๒๔๔
  US Diplomatic Envoy Meets the Siamese King / Expanding Global Communication via New Telegraph Lines / Royal Participation in Traditional Buddhist Religious Festivals / International News Reports on Egyptian Military Conflicts / Concerns Regarding Local Flooding and Celestial Events / Importation of Foreign Livestock for Royal Use / Public Health Notices Regarding Cholera Medicine Ads / Growth of Local Printing and Educational Opportunities / Condemning Gambling During Local Community Boat Races / Reporting Regional Fires and Large Chinese Processions

• เดือน ๑ ขึ้น ๓ ค่ำ, ๑๒๔๔
  Strengthening diplomatic ties with Western nations / King grants religious freedom to foreign missionaries / Global reports on colonial conflicts and politics / Modernizing Bangkok roads and improving urban infrastructure / Commemorating royal coronation anniversaries and religious rituals / Managing public safety, fires, and patrol duties / Moral campaigns against alcohol, opium, and gambling / Economic growth through exhibitions and international trade / Promoting formal education for future government service / Observing natural phenomena and scientific global exploration

• เดือน ๒ ขึ้น ๒ ค่ำ, ๑๒๔๔
  Royal promotion of the King of Chiang Mai / The King’s royal excursion to the coast / Historical records of major comet sightings in Siam / Urban fires and fire brigade response efforts / Executions of violent criminals and local thieves / River patrols returning lost boats to owners / Rewarding students and promoting modern formal education / Public hardships and corruption in tax collection / Global political updates and international telegraph news / Commercial advertisements for books and banking services

• เดือน ๓ ขึ้น ๗ ค่ำ, ๑๒๔๔
  Death of Somdej Chao Phraya Sri Suriwongse / Royal ceremonies and traditional Thai festivals / Maritime safety and modern torpedo technology / International diplomacy and foreign treaty negotiations / Expanding regional telegraph and communication networks / Surveying the potential Kra Isthmus canal / Global political conflicts and overseas news / Scientific explanations of Earth’s atmosphere / Economic notices regarding currency and trade / Educational opportunities and printing house services

• เดือน ๔ ขึ้น ๖ ค่ำ, ๑๒๔๔
  Decree defining death terms by social rank / Career tribute to the late Siamese Regent / Expanding telegraph infrastructure connecting to Bangkok / Political turmoil and ministerial changes in France / International maritime regulations for the Suez Canal / British parliamentary debates regarding Irish civil unrest / Poetic description of a European royal wedding / Traditional dates for Siamese New Year festivities / Educational values and moral conduct for students / Commercial advertisements and local business service notices

• เดือน ๕ ขึ้น ๔ ค่ำ, ๑๒๔๕
  Royal funeral rites for the Siamese Princess / Royal compassion toward foreign missionary families / Global political conflicts and civil unrest / Astronomical calculations for Thai New Year / Expansion of maritime trade and steamships / International economic shifts and trade tariffs / Reporting local fires and urban incidents / Diplomatic missions and European royal weddings / Commercial advertisements for photography and auctions / Promotion of modern education and literacy

• เดือน ๖ ขึ้น ๓ ค่ำ, ๑๒๔๕
  German royalty visits Siam for diplomatic friendship / Elaborate royal funeral ceremonies at Sanam Luang / Reorganizing import and export tax collection systems / Violent crimes and river safety concerns addressed / Global political developments reported via international telegraph / Dangerous traditional fireworks during Songkran festive celebrations / Christian moral lessons regarding sin and redemption / The Royal Gazette returns to inform the public / Advertisements for photography and diverse book sales / Records of high-ranking officials and noble genealogies

• เดือน ๗ ขึ้น ค่ำ ๑, ๑๒๔๕
  Royal appointments and granting of titles / Hosting high-ranking foreign dignitaries in Bangkok / Traditional ceremonies and royal elephant hunting / Natural disasters damaging palaces and temples / Arrival of British and French warships / Global news reported via international telegrams / Observations on Chinese immigration and labor / Public safety notices regarding lost property / Expansion and evolution of local print media / Emerging commercial services and educational opportunities

• เดือน ๘ ขึ้น ๗ ค่ำ, ๑๒๔๕
  Royal cremation and biographies of monks / Readers praising newspaper’s impartiality and truth / Managing silver currency and international exchange / New laws for land and debt / Global telegraph news and military conflicts / French colonial expansion in Southeast Asia / Diplomatic missions and royal gift exchanges / Public health reports regarding cholera outbreaks / Religious and educational books for sale / Promotion of modern schooling in Siam

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