Anglo-Siamese Treaty of 1909

The Anglo-Siamese Treaty of 1909 or Bangkok Treaty of 1909 was a treaty between the United Kingdom and the Kingdom of Siam signed on 10 March 1909, in Bangkok.^[2][3] Ratifications were exchanged in London on 9 July 1909,^[4] and the treaty established the modern Malaysia–Thailand border. The area around modern Pattani, Narathiwat, southernmost Songkhla, Satun, and Yala remained under Thai control, where decades later the South Thailand insurgency would erupt. Thailand relinquished its claims to sovereignty over Kedah (Thai: ไทรบุรี, romanized: Saiburi), Kelantan (กลันตัน, Kalantan), Perlis (ปะลิส, Palit) and Terengganu (ตรังกานู, Trangkanu) which entered the British sphere of influence as protectorates. These four states, along with Johor, later became known as the Unfederated Malay States.

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Prehistoric period Paleolithic  Lenggong Valley c. 2,000,0000 BCE  Mansuli Valley 235,000 BCE Mesolithic  Niah cultures 65,000–40,000 BCE Neolithic  Bewah man/woman 16,000 BCE  Perak man/woman 11,000–200 BCE  Neolithic Klang 500 – 200 BCE
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Colonial period Portuguese Malacca 1511–1641 Dutch–Portuguese War 1601–1661 Dutch Malacca 1641–1824 Pahang Kingdom 1770–1881 Straits Settlements 1786–1946 Siamese invasion of Kedah 1821–1826 Anglo-Dutch Treaty 1824 Burney Treaty 1826 Naning War 1831–1832 Kingdom of Sarawak 1841–1946 Separation of Perlis from Kedah 1843 Crown Colony of Labuan 1848–1946 Pahang Civil War 1857–1863 Larut Wars 1861–1874 Klang War 1867–1874 Pangkor Treaty 1874 Perak War 1875–1876 British Malaya / Borneo 1874–1946 Jementah Civil War 1879 North Borneo 1882–1946 Pahang Uprising 1891–1895 Mat Salleh Rebellion 1894–1905 Federated Malay States 1895–1946 Anglo-Siamese Treaty 1909 Unfederated Malay States 1909–1946 Battle of Penang 1914 Kelantan rebellion 1915
World War II Japanese occupation of Malaya / Borneo 1941–1945 Malayan campaign 1941–1942 Bornean Campaign 1941–1942 Battle of Muar 1942 Parit Sulong Massacre 1942 Battle of Singapore 1942 Sook Ching 1942 Syburi 1942 Sandakan Death Marches 1942–1945 Si Rat Malai 1943–1945 Jesselton revolt 1943–1944
Formative period BMA of Malaya/Borneo 1945–1946 Crown Colony of N. Borneo/Sarawak 1946–1963 Anti-cession movement 1946–1963 Malayan Union 1946–1948 Federation of Malaya 1948–1963 Malayan Emergency 1948–1960 Baling Talks 1955
Independence period Malayan Independence 1957 Singapore self-governance 1959 ISA 1960 1960–2012 Sarawak Insurgency 1962–1990 North Borneo self-governance 1963 Konfrontasi 1963–1966 Sarawak self-governance 1963 Formation of Malaysia 1963 Singapore in Malaysia 1963–1965 ASEAN Declaration 1967 Second communist insurgency 1968–1989
Modern period 13 May incident 1969 National Operations Council 1969–1971 Declaration of Rukun Negara 1970 New Economic Policy 1971–1990 Federal Territory of KL 1974 1977 Kelantan Emergency 1977 Pedra Branca dispute 1979–2008 South China Sea dispute (Spratly) 1980–present Dawn Raid 1981 Federal Territory of Labuan 1984 Memali incident 1985 Operation Lalang 1987 Constitutional crisis 1987–1988 Peace Agreement of Hat Yai 1989 Royal Immunity Amendments 1993 Asian financial crisis 1997–1998 Reformasi Movement 1998–2022 2008 Malaysian Opposition Wave 2008 H1N1 flu pandemic 2009–2010 Sedition Dragnet 2014 1MDB scandal 2015–present Pakatan Harapan takeover 2018 COVID-19 pandemic 2020–2022 Political crisis 2020–2022 Bornean Amendment 2021–2023 Green Wave 2022–present
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The Kingdom of Siam was controlled by the monarch. Although there were many previous monarchs, those most responsible for maintaining Siam's independence begins with Rama I (r. 1782–1809). Unlike previous rulers, Rama I was a technocratic ruler who consulted with social elites on political matters and Sangha (Buddhist monks) on religious matters. His consultations with the Siamese elites became de rigueur for his successors.^[5]: 94 Rama I was succeeded by Rama II (r. 1809–1824). Rama II's greatest accomplishment was the establishment of a government of ministers. Near the end of his reign, in 1820, the British came on the scene seeking control of Penang. Rama II was followed by Rama III (r. 1824–1851). He granted concessions to the British in exchange for their support. The same would be done later with the French.^[5]: 95 In 1826, in an effort to establish independence, Rama III and British officials signed the Burney Treaty. The treaty affirmed British assent that Kedah, Perlis, Terengganu, and Patani were Thai provinces while Penang and Province Wellesley belonged to the British and that the Siamese would permit British trade in Kelantan and Terengganu.^[6] After Rama III's reign, a succession crisis brought Mongkut (r. 1851–1868) to power. Under Mongkut's leadership the Bowring Treaty of 1855 was signed. It provided British subjects in Siam with extraterritoriality, meaning that Britons would have British laws applied to them rather than Siamese. Mongkut constantly made concessions to the British and French to maintain independence in Siam until, in 1868, he was succeeded by Chulalongkorn, who ruled from 1868 to 1910. Chulalongkorn was a moderniser, similar to his predecessors. He abolished slavery, centralised revenues, created a national educational system, and safeguarded Siamese independence.

The Anglo-Siamese Treaty of 1909, signed under the leadership of Chulalongkorn, consists of eight articles. In return for the four provinces Siam ceded in the treaty, extraterritorial protections for most Asian subjects of Britain were removed, and the Siamese government received a loan at 4 percent interest from the Federated Malay States to build a railway in southern Siam.^[7]

"The Siamese government transfers to the British government all rights of suzerainty, protection, administration and control whatsoever which they possess over the states of Kelantan, Tringganu, Kedah, Perlis, and adjacent islands. The frontiers of these territories are defined by the boundary protocol annexed hereto."

The transfer provided for in the preceding article shall take place within thirty days after the ratification of this treaty.

A mixed commission, composed of Siamese and British officials and officers, shall be appointed within six months after the date of ratification of this treaty and shall be charged with the delimitation of the new frontier. The work of the commission shall be commenced as soon as the season permits, and shall be carried out in accordance with the boundary protocol annexed hereto.

Subjects of his majesty the king of Siam residing within the territory described in article 1 who desire to preserve their Siamese nationality will, during the period of six months after the ratification of the present treaty, be allowed to do so if they become domiciled in the Siamese dominions. His Britannic majesty's government under take that they shall be at liberty to retain their immovable property within the territory described in article 1.

It is understood that in accordance with the usual custom where a change of suzerainty takes place, any concessions within the territories described in article 1 hereof to individuals or companies, granted by or with the approval of the Siamese government, and recognised by them as still in force on the date of the signature of the treaty, will be recognised by the government of his Britannic majesty.

His Britannic majesty's government undertake that the government of the Federated Malay States shall assume the indebtedness to the Siamese government of the territories described in article 1.

The jurisdiction of the Siamese International Courts, established by article 8 of the treaty of 3 September 1883, shall, under the conditions defined in the jurisdiction protocol annexed hereto, be extended to all British subjects in Siam registered at the British consulates before the date of the present treaty.

This system shall come to an end, and the jurisdiction of the International Courts shall be transferred to the ordinary Siamese courts after the promulgation and the coming into force of the Siamese codes, namely, the penal code, the civil and commercial codes, the codes of procedure, and the law for organisation of courts.

All other British subjects in Siam shall be subject to the jurisdiction of the ordinary Siamese courts under the conditions defined in the jurisdiction protocol.

British subjects shall enjoy throughout the whole extent of Siam the rights and privileges enjoyed by the natives of the country, notably the right of property the right of residence and travel.

They and their property shall be subject to all taxes and services, but these shall not be other or higher than the taxes and services which are or maybe imposed by law on Siamese subjects. It is particularly understood that the limitation in the agreement of 20 September 1900, by which the taxation of land shall not exceed that on similar land in Lower Burmah, is hereby removed.

British subjects in Siam shall be exempt from all military service, either in the army or navy, and from all forced loans or military exactions or contributions.

The provisions of all treaties, agreements, and conventions between Great Britain and Siam, not modified by the present treaty remain in full force.

The present treaty shall be ratified within four months from its date.

In witness where of the respective plenipotentiaries have signed the present treaty and affixed their seals. Done at Bangkok, in duplicate, the 10th day of March, in the year 1909."^[8]

• Si Rat Malai

Wikisource has original text related to this article:

Treaty between the United Kingdom and Siam (1909)