Continuing from the last time when I write about Phibunsongkhram background and how he rised to power. All this information came from my university lecture and I hold no credit of researching it myself.
Phibunsongkhram Administration
During his administration Phibunsongkhram government intend to do massive social engineering project involving all citizen of Thailand.
Public and Private divide became extremely low. What you do in your life affect the state as the government claim. How you act in life will affect how other country perceive the state.
One of the first action happen when Minister of fine art Luang Vichitvadakan travel to French Indochina and look at various archeological dig site and claim that there are evidence that Thai (or Tai) are an ancient race that dominate South East Asia, of course this is rather pseudoscientific. Thus Siam must change it name to Thai in honor of the main ethnicity of the country. From now on all Siamese must call them selves Thai.
During his administration Phibun bring his policy into reality through “Rattaniyom” (State decree). This decree does not need the approval of the parliament. One of the decree is that Thai must pay respect to our flag and anthem (We still do it even today).
Ok lets talk about some of his social engineering project
First is the promotion of food. Thai children must be fed properly, healthy children will grow up to be strong citizen thus strong army. During this period there are also the so call “Protein mania” where the government wish for the Thai people to eat more protein (thinking that Thai people eat too much carbohydrate), thus house hold are encourage to raise chicken so they can get fresh egg.
Protein mania also coincide with the promotion of masculinity. Body building competition are held, women and men are promoted to workout and gain muscle. Even the art of this period have people being masculine.
Now we reach one of the more unsavory bit of the regime. With the increase of ethnonationalism sentiment came the discrimination against the Chinese. Chinese were dub as jews of the east by regime main propagandist Luang Vichitvadakan (even though he have Chinese grandfather). Though it need to be said that a lot of important business are run by Chinese. One of my Chinese ancestor even gain logging right here in Thailand (and we devastated the forest in that province...). Chinese community during that time was rather insulate, they speak Chinese, they called themselves Chinese, they go to Chinese school. Thus the government decide to intervene. Government declare that certain occupation can only be occupy by Thai (Barber, Coal Seller, Hat maker, Knife maker, Shoes maker). As well as banning foreigner from entering certain province, for example province that have logging industry. Imagine being Chinese national that run a logging company in that province and now you are barred from entering it. Thai government even create state run company to compete with existing Chinese company. Chinese culture were suppress, and Chinese newspaper were raided.
However unlike the Nazi and the Jew Thai government did give Chinese people a chance. They can became Thai if they abandon their Chinese name, learn to speak Thai, sending their children to Thai school, treat Thailand as their fatherland, as denounce their loyalty to China. Many Chinese businessmen who accept the deal goes on to play important role in Thai government through their economic expertise. My Chinese ancestor was also assimilate during this time period.
The regime also heavily try to reshape how Thai people act in public and in private.
One of the more well known one are things like promoting western style cloth, wearing Thai style cloth is consider barbaric. Lots of rural Thai sometime are topless and shoeless, this is not tolerate and people can be arrest for being topless and not wearing shoes. Phibun view that as long as we act like the way we did we will never be accepted as equal to the westerner. One of the popular motto of the time is “Wearing hat will turn Thailand into a superpower”. Government promote this by hosting fashion competition where people who wear “trendy” western cloth are rewarded.
Even people house is taken into consideration. The government does not want people to live in shack and hut. People room should be well organized, there should be separated room in house for various activities (cooking and sleeping).
The state even try to change how people spend their freetime. Now people are promoted to have high tea and wearing suite when relaxing.
As with normal fascist regime military expansion was to be expected. Soldier are treated as hero. The youth are mobilize through “military youth program”. It begin with highschool student being taught military skill if they wish, the program later expand to include primary school as well as female student. Speaking of female role in military, Phibunsongkhram era also create program for female cadets school. Sadly post Phibun era government canceled the program. So in a way fascist government is more progressive than the democratic one.
Cult of personality gain prominence after franco Thai war raise waves of nationalist sentiment. Concept of nation as human body emerge, Leader as the brain, leader as embodiment of people will, every house is encourage to have Phibun portrait. During this era Phibun wife also gain a lot of popularity, she is a symbol of change and show that women can gain prominence in politic.
Any way this is just various policy of his government before Japanese assert their dominance over Thailand, so I guess this era can be view as what Phibun really want to do without being influenced by outside factor.
I really wonder how TNO will represent him since he is very complex character
