The Power of Siamese Women and Single Men: Marginal Labor since the Abolition of Slavery and Phrai System

Abstract

This article examines the gender phenomenon of marginal labor, both single men and women from the late 1900s to the 1932 Revolution. In the past, labor management in Siam society barely included women into the state’s laws. Few state documents mentioned this female labor. On the contrary, male labor was enlisted and sent to various divisions and departments under theSiamese feudal system for daily works, festive activities, and wars. Thus, there is abundant evidence that various laws on the importance of male labor were recorded in Siam. Despite the abolition of slavery and phrai system, Siamese male had to pay tax. This implies that the Siamese men were still regarded as “unfree-labor” when comparing with their female counterparts. However, from the gender perspective regarding marginal labor, single men were those who paid more tax when comparing with other groups of people in Siam society. Also, they had a large “expenses” to pay for the state more than married men who had financial support from their family and wife. It means that Siamese female were advocates of their husband’s labor. These women worked in the domestic sphere, such as running a petty shop in order to earn their livelihood. It can be said that power and roles of women were increasing. They could sell and buy lands, while paying to the state. However, their roles had decreased heavily when the Siamese bureaucracy was expanded.