If you have ever traveled to Thailand you probably noticed that they drive on the left side of the road. But why is this? They were never a British colony or under British influence like other countries throughout the world that also drive on the left. Thailand is the only country in the region that was not colonized or taken under the influence of a European power. Yet, they chose to have left-handed traffic rather than the common standard.
To understand the reasoning for the Thais driving on the left hand side, one must go back several generations of monarchs to the rule of Rama V (1868-1910). Now even if you are not familiar with the Thai monarchy, you are bound to know Rama V or at least his father Rama IV, also known as King Mongkut. Rama IV decided to have his wives and children given a European education. He hired Anna Leonowens to be their tutor. Her memoirs have been made famous by Margaret Langdon’s book Anna and the King of Siam and the musical The King and I. Although this book and play are banned in Thailand for painting Rama IV in a negative light, it did give the Siamese monarchy international fame among contemporary circles.
At the young age of fifteen Rama V was coronated. Having a European education, he was well versed in European colonial affairs. Many of his children were sent to Europe to receive their education as well. Rama V was constantly urged to change his government to a Constitutional Monarchy like that of Japan, but he simply stated that the country was not ready. He remained neutral in the 3rd Anglo-Burmese War, but agreed to supply the British troops with food. Following in the footsteps of his predecessors, he aspired to work with the British and guarantee his country’s sovereignty.
The nations surrounding the then Kingdom of Siam were all being colonized. The British had taken Burma and parts of Malay. French Indochina included Vietnam, Cambodia, and parts of Laos. The one thing Siam had going for them was being a buffer state between the English and French colonies. This worked to their advantage and helped them keep independence. But the borders and the European colonist troops were closing in.
French troops continued to expand French Indochina, which eventually led to them taking lands in Laos demanding all lands east of the Mekong River. This led to the Franco-Siamese War of 1893. The Siamese army battled the French in Laos, but after the death of the Prince, negotiations were to be held. The French asked for outrageous demands that the King refused. Rama V did however eventually cede the Laotian lands to avoid further conflict. With the French remaining aggressive in taking lands and refusing to leave others, Rama V decided to go to Europe. This was the first time a Siamese king had done this. Rama V wanted to show the British monarchy that Siam was an independent nation and a proper power. His trip to England was a success and Rama V impressed the British monarchs. He was able to form an alliance with Britain and with their support keep Siam an independent nation.
From his travels in Europe, he brought back many ideas and made major changes to his country. He abolished slavery (although slavery in Siam was not like in other colonies and was primarily voluntary to work off debt and was not race based, Anna Leonowens claims to have influence on this decision by discussing human rights with him as a young boy). He created the Royal Naval Academy of Siam. He created a state system, getting rid of the former city-states with local rulers and differentiating what is Siam from what is foreign, including absorbing the old Lanna kingdoms in the north (Chiang Mai being the most prominent). Railways were built, the first power plant was built, a central education system was created, and land ownership was allowed, along with many other new reforms. The year before his death, Rama V signed the Anglo-Siamese Treaty of 1909, this treaty essentially guaranteed Siamese independence and sealed an alliance with the United Kingdom.
Among the many things that Rama V brought with him from the United Kingdom, outside of the ideas and new innovations, was an automobile. And as roads are being built throughout the kingdom, so that every part is accessible by Bangkok, they are being built based on the King’s car. The King’s car, which was a gift from the British monarchy, would have been driven from the right side. Therefore, the roads in Thailand were developed to accommodate the King. Driving on the left-hand side is a daily reminder for the Thais of what Rama V did to preserve their independence.
