ผูกปี้ : การจัดเก็บเงินค่าแรงแทนการเกณฑ์แรงงานจากคนจีนในสมัยรัตนโกสินทร์ / ศรศักร ชูสวัสดิ์ = Pookpee : the poll tax collection from the Chinese during Bangkok period / Sonsak Shusawat
During 1780 – 1910 a great number of Chinese immigrants came to Thailand. Generally, these Chinese including their born descendants, were not bound by the Phrai system like those other ethnic groups such as the Cambodians, the Laos, the Mons or the Burmese. Therefore, the Chinese were freemen in Thai society and were neither under control of any patrons nor under obligations of the Phrai system. However, the Chinese were treated as Thai subjects and they were obliged to pay taxes for example land tax and orchard tax, like those other ethnic groups under the Phrai system. Moreover, the Chinese exclusively had to pay a special kind of poll tax generally known as “Pookpee”. Due to the differences of treatment between the Chinese and other ethnic groups under the Phrai system, the investigation of this thesis was concentrated on the study of circumstances and conditions favourable to the Chinese who moved around Thai society as freemen. The thesis also studied the collection of poll tax to find out whether it served the government’s need in form of corvee labour or in form of fiscal benefit and how this system enabled the government to keep the Chinese under control. The study revealed that the demand of labour to supply the expansion of production and commerce caused the lack of labour in Thai society. As the local lsbourers were tied up with the Phrai system, the Chinese immigrants, as free labourers could well serve the need. The government never attempted to absorb these Chinese into the Phrai system or made them corvee labour. Besides, the Chinese immigration in general was temporal because these people did not intend to settle down in Thai society. Their status as Freeman differentiated them from other ethnic groups and also provided them an opportunity to take part in Thai economics, society and administration. Some of these Chinese immigrants consequently became members of Thai socity. As for the collection of poll tax, it was found that “Pookpee” was only a kind of revenues earning directly collected from the non –foreign subject Chinese immigrants. The studies on rules, laws, methods, management and result of this collection disclosed that the government mainly wanted to obtain fiscal benefit more than to gain corvee labour or directly controlling the Chinese. The collection of poll tax or “Pookpee”, however, could help the government to ascertain those Chinese who were Thai subjects.
SUBJECT
law
finance
LOCATION
CALL#
STATUS
Thailand and ASEAN Information Center (6th Floor) : Thesis