A Study On The History Of The Associations Of Ethnic Chinese In Thailand

Based on the materials collected both in China and Thailand's fieldworks, including the special issues, the issues, the publications of Associations and archives of the Republican period, the paper is about the history of Associations of ethnic Chinese in Thailand since the mid-19^th century. It analyzes how the political situation of Thailand, the transformation of social environment, the adjustments of Thailand government policy, the Sino-Thai relations, the changes of Chinese-Thai society and other factors impact on Associations of ethnic Chinese in Thailand. It also discusses internal and external growing motivities, the organization system and main functions of the Associations, and brings out the characteristics and transformative directions of each period.The paper consists of the following six parts.Introduction reviews and comments on academic history, and explains the significance and objectives of studies and some crucial relevant concepts, and introduces methods, the thesis structure and main creations.Chapter One introduces the history of the Associations of ethnic Chinese in Thailand before 1910. Since the mid-19th century, the Associations began to appear, but they were small. Then the paper analyzes how the Associations of Chinese-Thai shaped and developed by the reality including the Chinese immigrant population growth, Siam government's policies toward Chinese and Chinese secret societies.Chapter Two deals with the history of Associations of ethnic Chinese in Thailand from 1910 to 1945. Part one presents the general situation of the associations. Part two introduces organization system and social function of them. Part three adopts population, economic strength and other factors to analyse the internal causes for the associations of ethnic Chinese in Thailand, and centres on the influences that the associations exerted on the overseas Chinese society in Thailand. Part four focuses on the relations between the associations and external causes.Chapter Three and Chapter Four expound the history of the Associations of the ethnic Chinese in Thailand after the Second World War. During this period, the number of the Associations of Chinese-Thai has been rising, the associations began more and more comprehensive. It analyzes the developing situations and activities of the hometown Associations, the clan Associations, the Business Associations, the Cultural Associations, the Charitable Associations and other type of Associations. At last, it discusses social function of the associations in the perspectives of modernization in Thailand.Chapter Five gives the summary to the full thesis, and puts forward some questions to further study.