Greater Thai Movement(03)The patriotic song "Rak Muang Thai (Love Thailand)

Greater Thai Movement(03)

The Greater Thai Movement gave voice to the aspirations of those who were beginning to think of a cultural, if not of a national, unity among the scattered sections of the T’ai family of people. In 1935 Luang Vichitr put forward his theory.

The patriotic song "Rak Muang Thai (Love Thailand)

composed by Luang Vichitr

…the Thai peoples, who sprang from one and the same racial stock, speak varieties of one and the same parent language and profess all of them the same form of Buddhist faith, are said to have been forced southwards by their enemies from southern-western China, where, centuries ago, they had founded a kingdom of their own. They are represented today by the Shans…; by the Laos…; and by the Siamese…the total number of this distinct racial group…between 20 and 30 millions of which about 12 millions(excluding Chinese) form the population of Siam.

This movement also dad a politico-military aspect which became manifest after the collapse of France in June 1940 and the consequent vigorous pressing of Thai territorial claims upon Indo-China.

Luang Vichitr wanted all the T’ai speaking regions of Asia outside Thailand—whether under French, British or Chinese rule—to come under the sway of Bangkok and he reinforced his racial and cultural argument by the contention that Thailand “ must become a Power or Perish.” He based his contention upon what he alleged to be the opinion of Premier Phibunsonggram.