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Story by : Yuwadee Tonsakulrungruang
Photo by : Bunkit Suthiyananon
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Western journals chronicle that the port in Bangkok was even more densely packed than the port in Belfast during the reign of Rama the Vth in the Rattanakosin period. Although the Chinese nationals in the Kingdom then
numbered what is now considered a mere 85,000 if compared to the innumerable who have thoroughly integrated into Thai society today, their presence at that time and in the years to come was anything but meager. |
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Pioneering the "convenience stores" that catered to the cultural, traditional and culinary needs of the overseas Chinese who had immigrated to the Kingdom, the Cantonese established a business that flourished beyond
expectations. From the import of Chinese goods and products, to the necessity of establishing their local production after the Communist adaptation of China (which prompted a flood of Chinese immigrants into the Kingdom resulting in an
increased demand for the goods and products), to the successes of the companies producing such goods and products that have become staples of Thai cuisine, the Cantonese have flourished in a society that has accepted them without
hesitation and resistance. Besides being accredited as the forerunner of small and medium enterprises, which are slated to comprise part of the backbone of an economic revival by the current administration, the "convenience stores"
operated by the Cantonese in the past have often been considered an integral part of Thai society. |
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But as such ease of integration may seemingly have smoothed over distinctions between the varying Chinese communities and the Thais, and as this age of globalization and convenience store sophistication threatens to
fable the original, let us pay tribute to the innovation, hard work and contributions of the immigrant Cantonese. |
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