Stunning 125-Year-Old Photos Show Thailand Before The Tourism Boom

Pictures showing beautiful Thailand in the early 1890's have surfaced depicting the country before it became the tourist destination it is today. These pictures show us the beautiful structures of Thailand unhindered by the clutter and crowds of modern tourism.

King Of Siam

The King Chulalongkorn, immortalized in the musical film The King and I, was the first Siamese King to have a full western education. He was taught by Anna Leonowen, an English writer and traveler from colonial India hired by the council of Singapore to teach King Mongkut's wives and children. This education was key in King Chulalongkorn's ability to keep Siam from becoming a European colony.

Birthday Celebration

Locals are gathering in preparation to celebrate the King's birthday in 1892. Many people came to enjoy the performances, arts, and food. King Chulalongkorn was well liked by the people of Siam because of his efforts in diplomatically keeping Siam from becoming a European colony. Successful in his efforts, he was called the 'great beloved King'.

King's Palace

Still existing today, this palace was constructed in 1768 and has been turned into a museum and tourist attraction. This impressive building is usually covered in vibrant yellows, oranges, gold, green, and purple which are not picked up by the black and white photo. The elephant statues adorning the front of the palace are a symbol of status and power. The more elephants a ruler has (more importantly white elephants), the more important they are.

Thailand Temples

Now being the go-to sites for people visiting Thailand, these rare photographs were taken with little to no people around them. These Buddhist temples were visited frequently for worship and also for education. During the 19th century, the primary education for people came from monks in the temples. A few years after these photographs, the Compulsory Elementary Education Act was proclaimed and a more typically modern school system was introduced.

Travel

These ports of Thailand were visited by American soldiers in the 1960s while taking a break from fighting in Vietnam. Before the soldiers spread the word about Thailand's paradise and before long-haul fights were made commercial, these waters remained calm with little traffic. At this time, around 600,000 people lived in Bangkok and used these canals as their main source of transportation.