Imagining Ayutthaya: A recent transformation in the Thai collective identity of the past

Abstract

The story of the Ayutthayan kingdom has been an important source of Thai identity and pride. However, the image of Ayutthaya has not remained static but is full of dynamism in accommodating the changing political, economical, and international context. This study will explore the transformation of the Ayutthayan image as projected by the Thai state through its representation in school textbooks and museum exhibits during the 1960s and 1990s. It aims to demonstrate the relations between national interest, the image of the past, its dynamism, and the use of Ayutthayan history as a mechanism in socializing and cultivated desirable citizens.