This Sunday, Europe marks the centenary of the armistice that ended World War I. On Saturday, Alliance Francaise Bangkok commemorates the occasion by playing host to the event "Master Of Their Own Destiny: Asians In The First World War And Its Aftermath".
WW I Event Nov 10 2018 photo courtesy of Alliance Francaise Bangkok
This international conference, which is open to the public, has been organised by the Institute of Research on Contemporary Southeast Asia (Irasec) and Chulalongkorn University. It will look at Asians, including a number of Siamese, who took part in the conflict that ravaged Europe and had such devastating consequences globally.
The event features a presentation by Oliver Janz and a screening of a film about the Siamese Expeditionary Force that travelled by boat to Europe, followed by a discussion from experts. There's also a portrait exhibition of Asian soldiers by Swiss painter Eric Burnand. (The event also includes a photography exhibition at Chulalongkorn University.)
The Siamese Expeditionary Force was comprised of around 1,300 soldiers. During the reign of King Rama VI, they were sent halfway around the world (many of them had never been to sea before) to fight for the Allied cause after Siam declared war on Germany.
Since October, Alliance Francaise Bangkok has moved about 200m from its previous site to a new location off Witthayu Road next to the Japanese and Australian embassies, behind the massive construction site for One Bangkok.
The new Alliance Francaise is spacious and full of natural light. Its cinema seats over 200 people -- slightly bigger than the previous one. The old, cherished Café 1912 can be found on the ground floor, serving food and coffee in a more modern setting.
If you haven't been to the new site, Saturday is the perfect chance to do so.
"Master Of Their Own Destiny: Asians In The First World War And Its Aftermath" will take place on Nov 10 at 3pm. Visit afthailande.org
