Fantasy, not nostalgia
THE phenomenon generated in Thailand by the TV series Buppesannivas (“Love Destiny”) has included a fashion fad as Thais dress in period costumes. We believe this might be good for commerce, but it’s politically incorrect. The soap opera is a massive hit, sparking mania among Thais of all generations, who are flocking to the filming locales in historical Ayutthaya. People have their photos taken in classical costumes, not only at the shooting sites but also for their national ID cards.
However the military-led government under Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha is wrong to interpret this phenomenon as a revival of Thai nationalism. The government wants to seize the momentum to promote Thai culture and nationalism as a match for its 100-billion-baht “Sustainable Thainess” program launched this year.
Officials have been encouraged to wear clothing made of Thai fabric during work hours. The Culture Ministry and Tourism and Sports Ministry dived into the “crea- tive economy” concept with the goal of celebrating “Thainess”. Anyone wearing traditional Siamese attire was admitted to national museums and historical parks during Historical Thai Heritage Conservation Week, which ended on Sunday.
Buppesannivas is set during the reign of King Narai of the Ayutthaya Kingdom. That was three centuries before the concept of a “nation-state” was adopted in this land. The series, which ends later this month, is about a kind-hearted woman named Kedsurang whose soul is transported back in time to the Ayutthaya period to live in the body of a woman called Karaked, who is cursed for plotting a murder.
Hundreds of period films have been produced over the years, but few have found an audience. Buppesanmivas became a hit because it’s about ordinary people. Scholars have said the soap opera reflects nostalgia. Thais have been told for generations that their kingdom was far better in the past than it is today. Education and entertainment have rein- forced this mistaken belief, implanting it in the Thai mindset to help the established elite maintain the status quo. The elite always say “Thainess” is preferable to Western ways.
However, Prayut and the Culture Ministry need to realise one thing, that Ayutthaya during King Narai’s time was already Westernised in many aspects.
The Thailand of the distant past was no Heaven on Earth. Inequality was prevalent. There were masters and slaves. There were no such ideas as democracy or rights. The pursuit of “Thainess” might be a disguised attempt to restore such inhumane values.
Rather than talking about “the good old days”, the government should remember it has a vision for the future that requires adherence to modern values. There’s nothing wrong with watching soap operas and dressing in costumes, but it’s incorrect for the government to exploit the current fad to mislead people about a past that never existed.