INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
Exploring five centuries of shared history in a single day
The symposium "500 years: Europeans in Siam" has been too long coming for Bangkok's expat community. Many might have been hoping that the day-long event would finally dispel the myth that farang is the Thai word for both "foreigner" and "guava" since both smell a bit funny and grow in places you don't really want them to, but the origin of the word continues to elude etymologists.
NMV president Bozena Mazur (right) presents a bouquet of flowers to Somsuda Leyavanija, director-general of the Fine Arts Department, to mark the centenary of the department’s foundation.
In any event, the symposium, organised by the National Museum Volunteers and held at the National Theatre last Thursday, did an admirable job of charting the impressive historical contributions made by Europeans to Thai society and culture over the past half millennium.
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About the author
- Writer: David Seidler
- Position: Writer
