Sex in Siam thru the Ages

[Guest MonkeySee]

SEX THROUGH THE AGES

By: Story PICHAYA SVASTI

 

When it comes to sex, marriage and virginity, many Thais believe the conservative values they grew up with are the same as those that were present in old Siam.

 

This belief is a myth, says academic Chalidaporn Songsamphan in her research paper, "History of Sexuality: Sex and Related Issues in Thai History".

 

"Sexuality is dynamic. Its components, definitions and moral standards fluctuate and vary from one period to another," explains Chalidaporn who teaches at Thammasat University's Faculty of Political Science.

 

Her research highlights the old Siam's concept of virginity, sex, marriage, polygamy, sex-related laws and punishment.

 

According to Chalidaporn's research, Thai people's definitions of sex has changed over time. Frowning on sex for pleasure is also a recent phenomenon, she notes.

 

Sujit Wongthes, an authority on Thai culture, writes in his book that the belief that sex is for reproduction, not for physical pleasure, is a Victorian value imported only a century ago. This theory is shared by many Thai feminists.

 

Chalidaporn shows in her research that the Siamese in the old days did not view sex as dirty, but as a natural thing in the secular world.

 

Many local folklores and songs incorporate a lot of sexual words and content, which makes sex sound hilarious, not rude, according to middle class standards. For example, the Northeast's klon lum poems uses words about sexual organs and intercourse in a funny way.

 

Moreover, sex-related topics found their place in murals at several Thai temples. These paintings reflect fashion, ways of life and sex between women and men, women and women, and men and men both humourously and erotically. They depict people revealing parts of their bodies such as womens' bosoms. Also they feature courtship and sexual intercourse, such as a mahout touching a court lady's bosoms (Wat Suwannaram in Bangkok) and Peeping Toms watching people having sex (Wat Chong Nonsi in Bangkok).

 

Another example is an ancient book called Phook Nippan Lokee (Book on Sexual Nirvana). The book features different traits of men and women's sexual organs, sexual postures, cuddling techniques and auspicious times for having sex.

 

Chalidaporn's research also refutes the belief that arranged marriages were the norm in old Siam. In fact, the freedom to select future spouses and terminate marriages differed according to social classes and status, she says.

 

Village folk generally had the freedom to choose future spouses. Often, girls would run away with their lovers and later return to apologise to their parents and tie the knot. Termination of marriage wasn't forbidden but there was a law banning incest and marriage among siblings.

 

Meanwhile, a marriage among the elite was a symbol of creating economic and political alliances within the state and with other states. So, upper-class ladies had no freedom to choose future husbands, she points out.

 

Historian Nidhi Eoseewong also shares the belief that the Siamese women, except for the upper class and urban dwellers, had the freedom to choose future spouses. According to his article, Yoo Kon Taeng (Living Together Before Marriage), published in Matichon in 2005, this way of life was reflected in Thai proverbs such as "plook ruan tamjai phuyoo phook oo tamjai phunon" (houses must be built in line with dwellers' needs) and "khom khao kho khuen hai kin ya (forcing oxen to eat grass). The religious belief that merits from previous lives will bring men and women together as married couples again in this life also supports the idea of love marriage.

 

The belief that Thai women in the old days had to preserve their virginity until their wedding day is false, she adds.

 

"As a matter of fact, we have no foundation for beliefs that gave importance to virginity. This is because men in Siam would move into their wives' houses after their wedding, unlike in the Western world where bloodlines and inheritances were and are still passed via paternal kinship," she says.

 

For this reason, there were no serious sexual restrictions for Siamese women and their social status was not inferior to men's. However, sexual intercourse was not something temporary. Since it could lead to serious relationships and marriage, women were taught to think and decide carefully before having sex with men.

 

"The Siamese were actually practical about virginity. There were beliefs against premature sex, but this didn't mean an absolute guarding of virginity as a sacred thing. They could have sex with their lovers if they were sure about future commitments," says Chalidaporn.

 

A few ancient documents on people's ways of life and beliefs in Siam confirm that sex was not limited to marriage and that women didn't have to preserve their virginity until the wedding day.

 

In his Description du Royaume Thai ou Siam (1854), J.B. Pallegoix wrote: "The nature of this tropical country leads to plenty of premarital sex. They marry so young, usually at ages 15 to 17. The regulation must have been carefully drafted because the longer they wait, the more young women will be seduced and run away from their parents' homes with their lovers. It is common for women to run away with their lovers."

 

Social critic and writer Sujit Wongthes is quoted in Chalidaporn's research paper as saying, "Teachers often name heroines in literatures as role models for Thai ladies. But they never say all of these heroines had sex at the age of 14 or 15 - the early stage of the productive age - when they felt like having sex while they had no idea about birth control."

 

Meanwhile, sex without marriage contained different meanings for different social classes. To the elite, marriages were for forging political alliances, stability and power and focused on the importance of legitimate children. Upper-class ladies were, therefore, brought under control sexually. Their social activities, such as leaving home alone and meeting people, were restricted. Sexual misconducts would be subject to serious punishment. However, quite a few upper-class women went out of line and were punished. In the 16th century during the Ayutthaya Period, they would be sold to brothels, according to some historical documents.

 

According to Chalidaporn's research, sex without marriage was sinful for the Siamese in theory, but not in reality.

 

Francois Henri Turpin wrote in his Histoire Civile et Naturelle du Royaume de Siam (1771) that the Siamese had strict religious and sexual taboos to follow, but they always violated them. Only rape and adultery were considered immoral and violators would be publicly condemned and tortured. However, the law was lenient with consensual man-woman sex without marriage while imposing severe punishment for "unusual" sex and incest.

 

Incest disgusted the Siamese most and those found guilty of it would be tied up together and thrown into the sea so "the land shall not be tainted with such dirty blood", reads Turpin's memoir.

 

In his Du Royaume de Siam (1691), Simon de la Loubere wrote that adultery was scarce in Siam, adding that some men killed their unfaithful wives, had them raped by horses or sold them as slaves. He also wrote about a man who bought upper-class women: "This man controls up to 600 female prostitutes who are all the daughters of major bureaucrats. He also buys and enslaves unfaithful wives from their husbands."

 

When it came to monogamy and polygamy, social classes mattered. In the past, upper-class men had several wives to prove their wealth, charisma, sexual prowess and leadership while lower-class men opted for monogamy due to economic restraints.

 

Some foreign memoirs interestingly mention polygamy in Siam. Turpin believed that those in power had many wives in order to showcase riches rather than liking to do so while de la Loubere wrote, "A number of Siamese men have several wives, but know well that having only one wife is better. Therefore, only the rich will have more than one wife in expression of pride rather than sexual prowess."

 

In addition, these memoirs reflect that prostitution was regarded as a grave sin, but it was legalised in Siam during certain periods.

 

Although homosexuality is considered abnormal by many people under the mainstream concept of sexuality, it was neither regarded as a serious misconduct nor subject to severe punishment in Thai history. Homosexuality was prone to gossip and gentle ridicule rather than serious penalties or death sentences, according to the foreign memoirs.

 

A number of Siamese court ladies were lesbian, but faced no penalty. A law issued during the reign of King Rama V (1868 to 1910) imposed punishment for sodomy by men against women, not between men and men, according to Chalidaporn's research.

 

But sexual values and practices in Siam have dramatically changed since the reign of King Rama VI (1910-1925) with the adoption of many Victorian values in the palace. The Thai bourgeoisie adopted them accordingly, which shaped later social values about sexuality.

 

Another turning point was the Pibulsongkram regime in the 1930s when the government introduced wathanatham phua mia (married couples' culture) and supported marriages. The Pibulsongkram administration also promoted a belief in life-time marriages, imposed a ban on infidelity among state officials and censored novels that mentioned adultery.

 

"Thai society is highly individualistic," says anthropologist Chalardchai Ramitanond of Chiang Mai University. "In fact, there has long been diversity in sexual orientation, but we have been trying to hide it so that our society would look nice."

 

[Guest fountainhall]

Phew. That took some reading - and only 2 short paragraphs about gay sex

[Guest MonkeySee]

Phew. That took some reading - and only 2 short paragraphs about gay sex

That was some read! Yet, I found it interesting. Funny how western influence has changed Thailand through the years.

[Guest fountainhall]

Funny how western influence has changed Thailand through the years

 

It changed customs and habits in many more Asian countries - usually for the worse in matters relating to sex.