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Story: Pracha Suveeranont
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Tracing the development history of Thai typeface in conjunction with the history of social and culture transformation in Thailand. the article identifies 10 typefaces which have played an integral part in shaping the face of the Thai nation for the last 160 years.
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In the beginnig, the introduction of the first printing press together with Thai movable typeface in 1893 by American Baptist missionaries in Thailand prompted the development and standardization of the Thai alphabet into Thai print. This set a new foundation for the Thai language. The once individualized means of communication prevalent mostly in religious study became a universal tool accessible to an immensely wider audience.
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During the King Rama V, mass printing and Thai typeface was instrumental to the King's successful construction of the Thai modern nation. A uniform and standardiz thai typeface used for all official documents helped bolstering the authority of bureaucracy, making centralized government possible. Above all, the typeface was used as a part of giving a face to the Thai nation in the international scene as can be seen in the printing of an extravagant and meticulous handbook a Siamese flag entiled "Thongsayam".
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As the Thai society has been heading toward modernization and industrialization, printing and typeface has evolved along a long and winding road--sometimes too slow, at time too fast, and occasionally at a loss to the pace and direction of the social transformation. Many decorated typefaces were created to overcome the limitation of printing technology while some were designed to cater to newly imported printing technology.
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The advent of digital printing technology, particulary the widespread use of computer, has a drastic effect not only on the printing industry but also on the typeface. Printing and typeface are no longer monopolized by a handful of the big corporates or state agencies. The booming of consumerism along with the advertising industry has also precipitated the burgeoning growth of typefaces. Once a powerful tool to shape the face of the nation, typeface nowadays is increasingly being used to build the brand of the products.alhe history of social and cultural transformation in Thailand,nith Thai movable typeface in 189ed
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