Newspapers in Siam

Auckland Star, Volume XXIV, Issue 178, 29 July 1893, Page 4 (Supplement)

Newspapers in Siam

Some interesting information on the newspapers of Siam appears in the ' Siam Free Press.' It says;— This is no land for newspapers; the history of the press o^ Siam is a novel one. There are now two English papers published thero, the

'Times,' semi-weekly, at $20 per annum, and tho ' Advertiser,' weekly, at §24 per annum. They represent tho two oxtromes, one favourable to the Siamese and tho other in decided opposition, For half a century the missionaries have endeavoured to keep pace with the times by publishing a calendar and newspapers. By their efforts several papers have been started, but they somehow have always beon brought up in the Consular Courts charged with libel on tho most frivolous pretexts aud suspended.

Early Ventures,

In 1864 a Mr Chandler, an American, started the Siam • Times,' but Genera

Partridgo, our Consul, not liking his style, tho ' Times' soon ceased to circulate. Dr. Bradley then started the Bangkok ' Recorder,' but the Amorican Consul, who, it appears, did not like newspapers, at the conclusion of a libel suit brought by tho French Consul against the /doctor docided that he was libellous and must be fined because he had published a report current in the Palace that tho French Conßul had demanded the removal of tho Prime Minister. As the papor was not paying, and the doctor had to eettle tho bill, he concluded thai running a paper was not a part of Ma mission, and the 'Recorder' slept the sleep that knows no awakening, not even issuing another number to record its demise. Tho ' Siam Monitor ' then sprang up, but the American Consul having come to the conclusion that Bangkok was an unhealthy city for newspaper enterprise, tho • Monitor' went out with the mango showers. The Rev. Sam. J. Smith then stepped to the front and started the 'Siam Weekly Advertiser,' which he continued to publish for 17 years, but supposing that the era of libol had passed, he was startled when he was brought up by a round turn and mot the fate of his predecessors, for when ho was called upon to pay 1,500d01a by tho English Consul for publishing a communication that he had not written, or even endorsed, not .libellous in a general sense, he shut up shop, and said that fcho paper could go to a warmer place than Siam, that the proud privilege of running a papor was exhausting his exchequer, and he would have no more of it; in fact, it had never paid. This ended the efforts of tho missionaries to keep up a papor.

An Eccentric Genius,

Appreciating the power of the press if properly handled, tho Siameso officials endeavoured to keep the ' Advertiser ' afloat by offering to subscribe for 150 copies, provided they would be allowed to exorcise censorship over its columns, but tho proprietor had had enough of glory, and tho paper still remains with the honoured dead. Then an eccentric genius, a cosmopolitan, as much at homo in Paris as in Singapore, who had had some exporionce on tho lions;kong papers, drifted into Bangkok, stood in with the Siamese officials, and now publishes in fact tho first newspaper that has ever been published in tbVciby. During its existence it has published more libellous articles than any of ita predecessors, but ib still livos. To counteract ita influence, a Germau, who had a grievance wich the Siamese Govornruont, started the 'Mercantile Gazette.' He made things hot all along the line, mado his paper readable, bub ho wbb soon arrested for libelling the Siamese by publishing an article clipped irotn an English paper and other assaults on the King. He was trisd before the German Consul, fined and ■ imprisoned. The

'Gazette' then shortly followed the others, his speculation proved a failure, but another paper has been started with tho same material.

Natives Prefer Novels.

The Siamese have, strictly speaking, no regular newspaper, only a Government Gazette, printed in Siamese, which contains Court proceedings, proclamations, ceremonies, promotions, etc., containing no political or other news of importance, and has but a limited circulation. A native journal was started by Nai Pleng, a well oducated Siamese who had passed a very creditable examination afc the English Bar, and who acts as one of the advisers of the Government, His paper was rapidly bocoming popular but his remarks were trenching on dangerous grounds, in fact, he had commenced toad vocate that the Chinese were becoming too numerous in Siam, which was something that His Majesty thought should not bo lot alone, so his paper venture was nipped in the bud just as it was blossoming oub into usefulness. Mr Smith, editor of the defunct 'Advertiser,' edits and publishes a Siamese paper from his office which is interesting from the native correspondence appearing in its columns. A monthly journal is published under the auspices of one of the leading nobles, which aims at Western ideas in its endeavours to give the current news, but it receives but a meagre support, having a very small circulation. The Siamese are groat readers, bub.it is the most trashy stuff, strictly oriental, and frequently of the repulsive nature. They are not far enough advanced to appreciate newspapors, caring but little for the news of the outside world.