The Hophrasamut Wachirayan: Library and Club of the Siamese Aristocracy, 1881–1905

This article charts the origin of the Wachirayan Library of Siam (as Thailand was called until 1939) and argues that it performed multiple roles. The library helped build not only the modern Siamese nation-state but also the modern Siamese elite by accumulating modern knowledge, serving as the nucleus of a social club, and functioning as a center for recreational education. The library became deeply involved in the society of which it was a part.