Dressing the Thai Sisters: Constructing the Modern Thai Woman, 19th Century to the Present

Apparel and public appearance have been at the centre of Siam/Thai nation building since the 19^th century. Rulers and regimes use clothing as political instruments in raising the global status of Siam and Siamese Kings, transforming the Kingdom of Siam into the Nation of Thailand, reviving the popularity of the monarchy, promoting national unity, and provoking political opponents.This study examines previously neglected propaganda materials, government documents, and other cultural ephemera produced during the first Phibunsongkhram regime (1938 – 1944) to illustrate the ways in which sartorial nation building has asymmetrically burdened women and that Thainess as a construct has been gendered since its inception. Further, the endless policies to govern public appearance have, over the past 150 years, normalized the policing of Thai bodies and self-presentation for the sake of the nation and promoted patriotism and nationalism as popular culture.