Speaking Back to National History in Thailand

Lanna Historiography and the Question of Colonialism

Bibliographic Data

ID12349589
AuthorsTinakrit Sireerat (Chiang Mai University), Søren Ivarsson (0009-0009-4414-0965, Chiang Mai University, corresponding author), Waraporn Ruangsri (Chiang Mai University)
Year2026
Pages1-19
Publication date2026-03-26
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueAsian Studies Review (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1035-7823 • E-ISSN: 1467-8403
PublisherRoutledge (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/10357823.2026.2641175
OpenAlexW7140724474
LanguageEN
References cited16

This article examines how the term ‘colonialism’ has been employed in the historiography of Lanna, a historical region in Northern Thailand. It traces the evolution of scholarly debates surrounding Siam’s incorporation of Lanna and analyses how the colonial lens has influenced interpretations of state domination and local resistance. Some scholars explicitly adopt colonialism as a critical lens to highlight asymmetrical power relations and cultural suppression. Some regard it as mere contextual background or a neutral temporal marker for economic branding. Others reject it altogether, instead emphasising the unevenness of modernisation and its socioeconomic consequences. Recent studies have increasingly used the colonial lens to critique Siamese policies, drawing parallels between Siam’s state-building strategies and European colonial practices. However, this article also highlights the potential pitfalls of replacing the teleology of nationalism or modernisation with that of colonialism by overemphasising Siam’s colonising agency, which risks obscuring the uneven, negotiated, and at times resistant engagement of Lanna actors with the Siamese state.

Colonialism · Historiography · National history · National identity · Post-Colonialism · Asian Studies and History · Philippine History and Culture · Southeast Asian Sociopolitical Studies

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