The Voyages of the “Sea Adventure” to Ayutthaya, 1615–1618

The English East India Company and its Siam–Japan Trade

Bibliographic Data

ID11281794
AuthorsDhiravat Na Pombejra (corresponding author)
Year2013
Volume37
Issue3
Pages49-69
Publication date2013-12-01
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueItinerario (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0165-1153 • E-ISSN: 2041-2827
PublisherCambridge University Press (CUP) (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1017/s0165115313000818
OpenAlexW2019630069
LanguageEN
Citations received2
References cited2

The English East India Company (EIC) first arrived in Siam in 1612, when its traders were given a royal audience by King Songtham (r. 1610/11–28) in Ayutthaya. Peter Floris and Lucas Antheuniss, Dutchmen working for the EIC, came to Patani on the Globe and then branched out to other ports, exploring the possibilities of trade in mainland Southeast Asia. Armed with a letter from King James I, the EIC employees led by Antheuniss and Thomas Essington were able not only to approach the court, but also to observe for themselves the possibilities of trade in Siam. This first sojourn in Ayutthaya marked the start of over a decade of Anglo–Siamese contacts, through the establishment and maintenance of an EIC factory in Ayutthaya. During this first phase, the EIC was to stay in Ayutthaya for only eleven years, closing its factory in 1623. It was not until the 1660s, after a gap of around thirty years, that the company returned to trade in Siam. After a troubled stay, the EIC once again left Siam in 1685, and was engaged in war with the court of King Narai (r. 1656–88) over several disputes. The only English merchants coming to Siam after 1688 were “country traders” mostly based in India

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