Chanthaburi has had some illustrious citizens
Chanthaburi province, on the east coast of Thailand, has a long, intriguing history dating back over a century, and it involves the families of some of the country's top leaders, past and present, whose ancestors arrived here from overseas.
Many of these forebears of today's prominent families were immigrants from the southern parts of mainland China. Others, including those of Chinese descent, came from Vietnam and what was then French Indochina, the French colonies of the territory now occupied by Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam.
These Chinese ancestors in Chanthaburi, formerly known as Chanthaboon, settled down and earned their livings from fishing, orchards and trading. Many later moved to the Siamese capital of Bangkok and other parts of the country.
But few people today are aware of the history of their own families, immigrants who arrived at the port town of Tha Mai, part of Muang Chanthaboon, which was noted for its racial variety, according to local historian Montree Pongcharoen.
While the Siamese, Laotians and Khmers came to Chanthaburi by land, others came by sea. The Chinese and Vietnamese became the most affluent last century, and their wealth did not go unnoticed by "gangsters" who had emigrated from the same areas. "Kickbacks were demanded and paid," said Mr Montree.
The families of three prime ministers, past and present, settled in the seaside town. Former premier Thaksin Shinawatra's and the late Samak Sundaravej's forebears emigrated from southern China, while Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva's Chinese ancestors came from northern Vietnam, according to Mr Montree.
Thaksin's and Samak's forebears departed from China by boat and arrived in Chanthaburi, at Tha Mai. The historian declined to confirm if Mr Abhisit's ancestors came directly from Vietnam, or arrived somewhere else in Siam before moving to Chanthaburi.
Though Thaksin was born and raised in Chiang Mai, his father, Boonlert or Lert Sae Khu, was born and raised in Tha Mai, and the deposed premier's forebears came from Sae Khu.
Samak's ancestors came from Sae Li. A graveyard for Samak's ancestors, with tombstones inscribed in Chinese, was built in the area.
The Chinese immigrants who came to Tha Mai to live included the families of Sae Chen, Sae Zheng, Sae Cai, Sae Lin, Sae Ding, Sae Huang, Sae Liu, Sae Khu and Sae Li.
One former premier, Thawee Boonyaket, best known as the country's shortest-serving PM, was a son of Phraya Trang, who once ruled Tha Mai, and was raised and educated in the town, although he was not born there.
Pol Maj Thammarong Phetkaew, a distant relative of the current premier, who lives in Chantaburi with his family, said his Chinese great grandfather, Yok, first arrived at Chaiya, a western seaboard town in the south, and later sailed across the Gulf to Chanthaburi to join his relatives. The Chinese man arrived in what today is Tha Mai district.
Accompanying him were his wife, an unnamed Siamese woman who had left Bangkok for Chaiya, where they had met, and his brother, Yam, said the local historian.
Prapatpong Vejjajiva, an ex-Chanthaburi MP and ex-cabinet member who has been living in Khlung district, joined Pol Maj Thammarong to dismiss statements recently made in parliament that the Vejjajiva family's ancestors were of Vietnamese origin.
They said their ancestors may have done business with the Vietnamese in Chanthaburi, and while Mr Prapatpong said he did not know much about his grandfather, he pointed out that the family were Buddhist Chinese, whereas most of the Vietnamese villagers here were Christians.
The Vejjajiva family first came to prominence in the time of Mr Abhisit's great grandfather, Phra Bamrad Naradura, or Long Vejjajiva, who served as public health minister around 50 years ago, and who was the founder of the Bamrad Naradura hospital in Nonthaburi. The family name Vejjajiva, granted by King Rama VI, translates as "medical profession".
Mr Abhisit was born and raised in Newcastle, England, where he lived with his father, Attasit Vejjajiva, and was said to know very little about his heritage and his family's history in Chantaburi, which is currently represented in parliament by MP Pongvej Vejjajiva, son of Mr Prapatpong and the premier's cousin.
Ratchanee Phetkaew, a great granddaughter of Phra Bamrad Naradura, said she did not find it particularly interesting to be distantly related to the current premier, since members of the Vejjajiva family are scattered around the country and hardly keep in touch with one another.
Pol Maj Thammarong said Mr Abhisit is currently too busy with his official duties to pay a private visit to his forebears' home in Tha Mai, but he might possibly do so when he is no longer in power.
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