|
The Beginning of Relations with Buropean Nations and Japan
France
Contacts between Thailand and France commenced when Monsignor de la Motte Lambert, the Bishop of Berytus and a member of the French Roman Catholic mission, arrived in Ayutthaya in 1662. He died, however, the following year, in 1663. In 1664, Monsignor Pallegoix, the Bishop of Heliopolis, along with a number of French Jesuit missionaries, arrived in Ayutthaya to propagate their religion. These missionaries were granted land and lodgings, besides being accorded facilities to build a prayer hall. In 1668, a group of Islamic missionaries arrived from Acheen (or Aceh) in Sumatra but were unsuccessful in their efforts to propagate their religion. The French missionaries were heartened by this and took it as an indication that the Thais might be inclined towards Roman Catholicism. In 1669, Monsignor Laneau, the Bishop of Metellopolis, arrived as head of a Roman Catholic mission in Indochina, with headquarters at Ayutthaya.
In 1680, a ship was sent by the French East India Company to trade with Thailand and was warmly received by the Thais. Phya Pipatkosa was dispatched as the first Thai envoy to France to forge friendly relations with that country. The Thais intended to offer Songkhla (which at the time was rebelling against Thai rule) to the French, but Phya Pipatkosa 's ship was wrecked and he died before ever reaching France.
It has already been mentioned that Phaulkon had converted from the Anglican faith to Roman Catholicism in 1682. He tended to socialise with the French Jesuits, who wielded considerable influence over King Louis XIV. These Jesuits hoped to convert King Narai to Christianity, particularly, Roman Catholicism. Phaulkon, meanwhile, aimed to promote friendly relations and trade with France since he was not on good terms with the English East India Company. In 1684, Thailand sent her second diplomatic mission to forge friendly ties with King Louis XIV, passing through England on the way to France. Frere Tachard, a French priest, acted as interpreter. This time, the Thais sent lower ranking officials, Khun Pijaiwanit and Khun Pijitmaitri, for the sole purpose of asking France to appoint an embassy to Thailand to sign a treaty of friendship. In 1685, the French sent the Chevalier de Chaumont as ambassador to sign the said treaty. He was accompanied by the Abbe de Choisy. The primary aim of the French Embassy was to try to convert King Narai to Christianity, while the Thais sought to conclude a treaty of friendship and trade with the French. King Narai refused to change his religion but agreed to sign a convention with France which facilitated French trade with the Royal Warehouse Department. The French were required to pay the usual customs and dues. They were also given a monopoly over the tin trade in Thalang (Phuket). At the same time, Songkhla was ceded to the French. The manager of the French company was also given the authority to punish company employees who were guilty of criminal offenses.
The above convention was only a provisional document. Thailand dispatched a third diplomatic mission to France, headed by Phra Wisutsuntorn (Kosapan), and astute diplomat, and accompanied by de Chaumont. The French wished to acquire Mergui instead of Songkhla, but Kosapan pointed out that Mergui was a long distance away from the Thai capital. Contacts by sea would have to take a detour around the Malay Peninsula, while trips by land would consume a lot of time. Upon consulting their map, the French found this to be the truth. In actual fact, however, Mergui was a port of great importance to Thailand since it provided an outlet to the Indian Ocean. Some historians believe that the Thai mission aimed to ask French troops to come to Thailand but there is no evidence to support this theory. What the Thais actually sought were experts in various fields, including military affairs, although it is doubtful that this included French troops.
The Thai delegation returned with a second embassy from France, headed by Simon de la Loubere and Claude Ceberet du Boullay. 1,400 French troops also arrived, under the command of General Desfarges, along with 300 skilled artisans. Father Tachard also accompanied the mission. The agreement, which was concluded in 1685, was a commercial treaty which granted a number of special privileges to French companies, such as exemption from customs and duties in trading with Ayutthaya. The exemption did not, however, include prohibited goods such as white saltpetre, black saltpetre, sulphur, fire arms and other weapons, for which permission had to be sought. The French company was given a monopoly over the tin trade in the town of Thalang Bangklee and was permitted to establish branches on the islands near Mergui. Moreover, if employees of the Company were involved in a legal dispute, the matter was to be decided by the Company 's Chief stationed in the town of the dispute, who had been accorded judiciary power by the French king. In cases in which company employees were embroiled in a dispute with individuals not connected with the company, such dispute was to be decided by a Thai judge, sitting with a French representative.
The Thais did not of their own free will give the French Company Chief the authority to decide legal cases in Thailand since this constituted a violation of Thai sovereignty. The administration of foreigners residing in Thailand at the time involved dividing such foreigners into separate categories, based on their nationality. An officer was appointed as the head of each category and was placed under the supervision of Thai government officials, who answered to the Phra Klang. This arrangement was aimed at resolving problems which could arise since each people had a different culture.
Therefore, the granting of judiciary authority constituted a special privilege which did not correspond with Thai traditions. The Thais had only acquiesced because of Phaulkon, who was a key figure in the negotiations, not to mention the presence of a large number of French troops in the country. Thailand 's only objective was to seek friendly relations and trade ties with France, while the French had political aims, that is, to convert the Thai king to Christianity. The stationing of French troops in Thailand also posed a threat to the independence of the Thai nation. For this reason, King Petraja decided to get rid of Phaulkon and the French in order to maintain Thai independence. The move was clearly not due to any animosity towards foreigners on the part of the King since the Portuguese and the Dutch were allowed to go about their business peacefully. Ties with England, meanwhile, had been severed because the English had tried to capture Mergui, as earlier mentioned. Even in the case of the French, King Petraja (1688 - 1703) agreed to consider entering into a new treaty when Tachard returned for negotiations in 1968. However, Tachard kept insisting on building a French fort at Tenasserim and therefore agreement could not be reached with the Thais. Nevertheless, the Jesuit missionaries were permitted to continue preaching their religion in Thailand.
|
|
|
| 
Home
| 
Site
map
