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Glite Dictionary
Siam

Siam

14 6.3
The former name of Thailand in Southeast Asia
  • proper noun
  • Literature
translation icon : Siam
  • During the scramble for colonies, only Siam, today called Thailand, escaped European control.
  • Siam, now Thailand
  • King of Siam

Examples

  • Narrator 2: King Mongkut invited Anna Leonowens, a British widow, to Siam to teach his son British manners and customs.

    Fiction book (1999)

  • Anna requests her house; the King denies her, and she declares that she will leave Siam.

    Academic text (2012)

  • I am the Queen of Siam.

    Surf School (2006)

  • The British also helped protect the independence of Siam, now Thailand.

    Academic text (1994)

  • Narrator 1: The story begins when Anna and her son, Louis, arrive in Siam.

    Fiction book (1999)

  • Located between British-run Burma and French Indochina, Siam was modernized and open to Western trade.

    Academic text (1994)

  • During the 19th century, Siam, known today as Thailand, was a significant player in Southeast Asia.

  • The film 'Anna and the King' is set in Siam before it became known as Thailand.

  • Siam was renowned for its rich culture and history, attracting many travelers to its ancient temples.

Compounds

Gulf of Siam
  • Archaic
6.7

A sea area between Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam now called the Gulf of Thailand

Surface Forms

Siam main

Etymology

Siam likely comes from an old word śyāma that means 'dark' in some South Asian languages. Foreign traders used that name for the land and its people, so Siam became the country's name until it changed to Thailand.