Books published by Silkworm Books / Trasvin Publications LP

The Pa-O, one of Burma's many ethnic minorities, engaged in a forty-year insurgency against the government of Burma which ended in a cease-fire in 1994. This book draws upon historical accounts, contemporary writing, and personal interviews to present the mythological and historical background of the Pa-O in Burma and Thailand.

Combining intellectual history and economic history, this book argues that the emergence of a market economy in the early Bangkok era (1782-1855) was the driving force behind a major change in mentality and worldview seen in poetry, early prose works, biographies of the Buddha, scripts for chanting the Jataka tales, language primers, and more.

Presents the history of the northern Thai culture and kingdom of Lan Na. This book chronicles the era of the city-states before the rule of Phaya Mangrai, the rise and decline of the Lan Na kingdom, the Burmese rule, the submission to Siamese authority, the impact of Western imperialism, and Lan Na's integration with the rest of the country.

Although southern Thailand is a dynamic and diverse region socially, politically, and economically, it received little attention until the escalation of violence and instability. This book highlights the distinctive characteristics that make this region unique and the variety of cultures that contribute to its dynamic diversity.

An account of old Siam written by the Dutch merchant Jeremias Van Vliet. It features his writings in English translation including, a chronicle of Siam's history and a description of the kingdom's geography, economy, society, politics, and religion. It includes details on Van Vliet's life, the Dutch community, and, the city of Ayutthaya.

An 18-day bus pilgrimage to 60 pagodas across Myanmar.

Essential dictionary for anyone stepping into the fascinating world of South and Southeast Asian art

Translator Susan F. Kepner makes these tales available for the first time to English-language readers. She introduces the tales with a lively discussion of the writer and her context, retells the plotline of the classical Ramakian, and then presents the translated tales, in which the demon king, contrary to expectation, is a most gentle and endearing demon. Finally, she reveals the humor embedded in these tales of family life, and in Sida''s, or Everywoman''s, marriage to the demon king.

On January 25, 1997, a coalition of rural villagers and urban slum dwellers from every region of Thailand commenced a mass demonstration in front of Government House in Bangkok. This book chronicles the development of a national protest movement, analyzing its origins, strategies, and goals within the context of a growing democratic society.

Discloses the public discourse among educated, urban Southeast Asians in Thailand, Indonesia, and the Philippines, and considers how these people conceive of their society and its problems and process. This study examines basic patterns of thought, the opinions of public intellectuals, and the assessments of novelists.

Begins with the question, 'Does Islam tolerate non-Muslim minorities?', considering it from historical, political, and religious perspectives within the Indonesian context. Using Cianjur as a case study, this work surveys the views of non-Muslims on shariah as it has been applied over the last several years.

Includes essays which form a collage of the central Mekong basin spanning nearly 1,400 years of history. This title covers topics such as basic structural problems in writing Lao history; political geography from the 600s to the 800s; the Lao-Tay-son alliance in the late 18th century; and, Lao millenarian movements and French colonial rule.

Takes the reader on a stroll through Thailand's intellectual history - the thoughts of the people of Siam, and the products of their thought, through history. The author touches upon political and religious thought, but also upon such "artistic" thought as that demonstrated in novels, paintings, and historical writing.

Presents statistics on the ethnography of Vietnam. This title analyzes ethnic composition of the population, identifying each of the 54 ethnic groups and sub-groups by name, geographical distribution, and linguistic origin. It provides geographic distribution statistics for each ethnic group, showing the process of migration and redistribution.

Two years after the 1685 French embassy to Siam led by Chaumont and Choisy, King Louis XIV sent a second embassy to Phra Narai led by the two envoys La Loubere and Ceberet, and a third unofficial emissary, Father Tachard. This title presents, in English translation, three important accounts of that second French embassy to Siam in 1687.

A history of northern Thailand between the 13th and 16th centuries.

Explores how urban Southeast Asians view and manage their social life. By comparing the ways they live with their religious representations, with intimate and more distant others, and with their rapidly changing environment, the author demonstrates the marked similarities in the perception of individual and society in three civilisations.

Describes the physical characteristics of the weights and their relationships, their manufacture, standardization and usage as well as the various motifs, their origins and transference to Burma. This title also includes a discussion of the different animal shapes and their symbolic significance.

The village existed before capitalism and before the state. It has its own culture which owes little to urban influence. It took the Buddhism that came from outside and subordinated it to local beliefs. This book states that the Thai rural economy was a subsistence economy and remained so much longer than is commonly thought.

Positions Southeast Asia on the stage of world history.

Philip Hirsch is a senior lecturer in geography at Sydney University.

States that changes in educational policy and approach are moving Thai education away from transmitting and producing knowledge and scholarship, and away from developing and honing individual abilities to think and learn. This book offers theoretical and analytical tools as well as firsthand information - both quantitative and qualitative.

Suitable for foreign investors as well as those considering relocating or retiring in Thailand, this book introduces the major investment choices in Thailand - real estate, gold, stocks, bonds, managed funds, and investment in a business - and gives details of past performance and investment procedures.

Laos is a land of festivals. Every village, every temple, and every ethnic minority not only holds its own special festivals but joins the wider Lao community in celebrating the national ones as well. This book explores the most important festivals of Laos and offers a glimpse into the spiritual and communal life of the Lao people.

What is a Buddhist response to political oppression and economic exploitation? Does Buddhism encourage passivity and victimization? This book addresses these questions, and many more, through the lens of the Buddhist teachings on karma. It also critically re-examines related teachings on equanimity (upekkha), generosity (dana), and merit (punna).

Examines the dynamics involved in implementing Islamic law in Southeast Asia, and how this issue has become a source of conflict in Kelantan, Malaysia and Aceh, Indonesia. Using textual and fieldwork methodology, this study compares and contrasts the collective experience of trying to apply Islamic law in these two locations.

Each year during the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, Indonesian television stations adopt Muslim themes in virtually all of their programmes, ranging from religious teaching to quiz programs to cooking shows. Using audience ethnography, the author shows how women and Islam have been 'framed' by the media in transitional Indonesia.