Letters from Thailand

by Supa Sirisingh

Letters from Thailand

Written by Supa Sirisingh, Letters from Thailand relates the story of a young Chinese man who left China to seek fortune in Thailand in late 1945. The story is a collection of letters written by this Chinese man to his mother in China. 

After publication, this novel is a masterpiece and received the SEATO Literary Award in 1969. However, there were many criticisms from both Thai and Chinese living in Thailand when the story was published. 

Please note that the story was published in Thai before it was translated into English 13 years later after its publication. 

The Author: Supa Sirisingh

Supa Sirisingh is a Thai author who writes under the pseudonym Botan. She was born on August 13, 1945, in the Phasi Charoen District of Thonbori. Her father was a Chinese immigrant from southern China while her mother was a Chinese descendent born in Thailand. 

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She first worked as a teacher before becoming a magazine editor. In 1965, she was working as a writer for a Thai women's magazine named Satrisan. Her well-known novel is Letters from Thailand (Chotmai Chak Muang Thai).

China in 1945: An Overview

  • The Sino-Japanese War (1937-1945) left China in chaos and her economy in tatters.

  • The American bombardment in the final year of the war left millions of people in the Japanese-occupied north, east, and south of China dying from hunger and becoming refugees.

  • The victory in 1945 did not end this tragedy but ignited the old flame of the civil war between the Kuomintang and the Communist Party of China (CCP), further turning the country upside down.

  • Because of this, many Chinese fled the country to many Southeast Asia countries, and one of the major destinations was Thailand. This was because this country [Thailand] was peaceful and prosperous compared to other Southeast Asia countries.