Thailand (1953)

[Music] [Applause] Far away in a land beyond the sea stands a Buddhist temple, the Temple of the Dawn. It is a strange exotic land north of Malaya, east of Burma and west of Indochina and its name is Thailand. Thailand which men once called cyan. It is a land of contrast, of paradox, of long tradition, like the tradition of the Ramakian, born of the folklore of ancient India, symbolizing the eternal struggle between good and evil. The dance depicts a monkey and a demon and a legend as popular in the Thailand of today as in the Syiam of yesterday. Mystery and mysticism in that ageless world called the Orient. [Music] Bangkok, capital of old and modern Thailand. A city of clongs or canals, is often called the Venice of the East. Many of Bangkok's approximately 1 million citizens live along these waterways. The capital's floating markets, where trade and traffic meet, are justly famous in this largest city of Southeast Asia. Bangkok's Grand Palace with its temple of the Emerald Buddha is actually a walled city in itself. A place of various shrines remarkable for their art and architecture. Today, Thailand with some 18 million people of oriental blood is mainly a Buddhist country. The Thai enjoy complete freedom of religion. And long ago, the people chose Buddhism. Bangkok's renowned and remarkable standing Buddha makes a mighty and majestic figure. Always the ties have loved beauty and always they have loved liberty. Though Thailand is a kingdom, it is more of a constitutional monarchy governed by king and national assembly. Before the Parliament building, once the Great Throne Hall, stands King Chula Longorn, storied ruler of Anna and the King of Syiam fame. Though he died in 1910, Chula Longorn will always be remembered as the patriot king who patterned his country's administration along Western lines, his ideals still live. They live in the modern avenues of progressive Bangkok, in the magnificent monument of democracy, just as they live in the hearts of the people. For Thailand today is a democratic outpost in highly strategic Southeast Asia. The Thai are a busy and enterprising people. Bangkok, a city of color and contrast, of street cars and motorcars, of samlurs, Thailand's version of the rickshaw. The ties are also sportsminded. This is takra, a traditional national game played with a woven ratan ball. A basket almost. In Takra, it's every man for himself. He may use various parts of his body to guide the ball. He must also use his head. This time it's made a perfect basket. Like other activities and customs, many Thailand sports are traditional and unique. Take boxing. Here, the idea is not only to lay a hand on each other, but also a foot. The referee really has his work cut out for him. They're putting on quite a show. Now it's knee action. This thing can't go on forever. A knockdown, maybe a knockout, but it's all in [Music] sport. And speaking of sport, the annual soccer football game between two Thailand universities is a main event of the year. It's the big game oriental style with its own traditional rivalry. The youth of Thailand marching in salute, marching in step with the world that is free. The people of Thailand and their king and queen following the democratic way. And as for the game itself, it's real democratic action. And may the best team [Music] win. The ties know that much can be gained in the friendly fraternity of competitive sports. That good sportsmanship is an invaluable asset to any [Music] people. Today, more than ever, the spirited people of Thailand realize that what they learn on the playing fields will make them strong in other [Music] fields. At Bangkok's Don Buang Airport, east meets west in a modern manner, and the circumstance is both intriguing and exciting for all concerned. From airplanes to elephants and the world turns backwards in this land of contrast and paradox. The elephant is the symbol of old cyam and still an important factor in the new. In the great teak forests of the north, where hardwoods remain a treasured resource, the faithful elephant is still a kind of oriental lumberjack. And what does he get for all this? His food and a daily bath, which for elephants seems [Music] sufficient. In central Thailand, the resource is rice. Great staple crop of the oriental world. And in some places, in most oriental lands, still harvested by hand and the sweat of the rice farmer's brow. Threshing also often follows the old method with the rice literally beaten into a large basket while winnowing is reminiscent of biblical times. Large paddles are used to make the breeze that will separate the chaff from the grain. This is Thailand's beautiful marble temple. Siamese Buddhism has always been a sacred profession, a kind of way of life found a priestly brotherhood, another tradition in a land of [Music] tradition. But perhaps the best known tradition of Thailand is the Siamese dancing girl. Her dancing feet have written history. [Music] For centuries, her beauty, her grace, and the splendor of her costume have been the true personification of that strange and exotic land across the sea. [Music] Thailand once called Syiam, north of Malaya, east of Burma, west of Indochina. Thailand, outpost of democracy in Southeast Asia, bastion of freedom in this world of ours.