Love and Death of King Ananda Mahidol of Thailand

Pavin Chachavalpongpun is an Associate Professor at Kyoto University’s Center for Southeast Asian Studies, where he teaches on Southeast Asian politics. Holding a PhD from the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London, he is the author of several books, including “A Plastic Nation: The Curse of Thainess in Thai-Burmese Relations” and “Reinventing Thailand: Thaksin and His Foreign Policy.” He is also editor-in-chief of the online journal “Kyoto Review of Southeast Asia,” in which all articles are translated from English into Japanese, Thai, Bahasa Indonesia, Filipino and Vietnamese .

• 1. Introduction.- 2. Romance à Lausanne.- 3. The Death of King Ananda.- 4. Restriction on Interracial Matrimony.- 5. Cases of Castigation.- 6. Banned in Literature.- 7. Conclusion.

“In this new era of shattered taboos, nothing is off limits, and Pavin’s exploration of the life and death of a young monarch opens the door for more. Scholarship on the monarchy, despite the risks, is growing but it requires additional stimulus, which makes this book all the more compelling.” (Mark S. Cogan, Journal of Contemporary Asia, June 6, 2022)