Comments on: Review of Brummelhuis http://asiapacific.anu.edu.au/newmandala/2009/05/27/review-of-brummelhuis/ New perspectives on mainland Southeast Asia Mon, 23 Nov 2009 15:28:26 +1100 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Les Abbey http://asiapacific.anu.edu.au/newmandala/2009/05/27/review-of-brummelhuis/comment-page-1/#comment-653468 Les Abbey Fri, 29 May 2009 01:59:03 +0000 http://asiapacific.anu.edu.au/newmandala/?p=5352#comment-653468 I only had the chance to scan through this book looking for some specific information, but there were two parts where I did stop and read, and smile. The land speculation in the Rangsit area linked to the Borisat and their license to dig canals to bring land into cultivation was the forerunner of the Bangkok land speculations to come in the last 20 years or so. When Bangkok acquaintances tell you how their families own land out by the Rangsit numbered klongs you can smile at where this came from. The other part was when van der Heide had problems with the farmers living near my local klong, Klong Prawet Buriram, over the level of water in the canal. There was a clash between the needs of navigation and the flooding of farmland probably due to lack of locks. The farmland had been sold by the then king to finance the canal digging. I only had the chance to scan through this book looking for some specific information, but there were two parts where I did stop and read, and smile.

The land speculation in the Rangsit area linked to the Borisat and their license to dig canals to bring land into cultivation was the forerunner of the Bangkok land speculations to come in the last 20 years or so. When Bangkok acquaintances tell you how their families own land out by the Rangsit numbered klongs you can smile at where this came from.

The other part was when van der Heide had problems with the farmers living near my local klong, Klong Prawet Buriram, over the level of water in the canal. There was a clash between the needs of navigation and the flooding of farmland probably due to lack of locks. The farmland had been sold by the then king to finance the canal digging.

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