Islam and Cultural Diversity in Southeast Asia.

Tokoro,
Ikuya (ed.). 2015.3.17. ISBN 978-4-86337-182-8

Inland People of Kedah; Thai speaker in History

Kuroda Keiko (Kagoshima University)
Preface
Kedah is one of the old kingdoms that became Islam earliest in Malay Peninsula.
Kedah bordered with Siam (Thailand). Until the Anglo-Siam Treaty of 1909, Kedah
was tributary state of Siam. By this treaty of 1909, the modern borderline was set
between Kedah and Siam. Kedah was mapped in the same area as the current.
However, later Kedah became very difficult to maintain security in the border region.
According to the writing of Cheah Boon Kheng, then people recognized a considerable
part of the inland of the Kedah territory as Bandit Area (Cheah 1988: 12). In the inland
of Kedah, many thieves and robbers were rampaging within the territory across the
border. Until the 1950s, the Kedah police and border guard could not fully control the
border area.
The purpose of this paper is to consider what kind of the world of inland Kedah was
recognized.
In other words, I consider about how Sultan of Kedah governed and collected
information about his realm and how the ordinary people of Kedah grasped their world
from glass-roots views.

1 Kedah in history
Kedah have been a port polity that existed between the Indian Ocean and the South
China Sea, and one of the strategic points of East-West trade. The narrow portion of the
Malay Peninsula made some crossing ways. Kedah is in the position that connects trade
of India and China, and used the overland route and sea route. In addition, majority of
population of Kedah is Malay Muslim. On the other hand, as for South Thai that
touches the north of Kedah, Buddhists are majority and there was many Buddhist cities
and temples as like Nakhon Sii Thammarat. Kedah was at the position that contacted
with these trade centers of South Thai. Seeing from map 1, therefore, from the bird's-
eye view, Kedah was an intersection of India and China with the east-and-west axis.

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And Kedah is also an intersection of Buddhists and Muslims with a north-south axis.
Under the system of present nation-state, Kedah and South Thai are located in a
"frontier district", seeing from capitals (Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok), respectively.
However, it does not mean a cultural frontier district. That is an area where various
culture elements exist simultaneously rather. It is a corridor area.
　In this paper, I would like to pursue the figure of Kedah as corridors.

1.1 Historical setting

According to the history book of Kedah, the rulers who have governed Kedah were
called Raja in early times. After Islamized, rulers were called Sultan. The capital of
Kedah had based on the area near Muda River in the south Kedah. In the estuary region
of Muda River, the ruins where the dynasty of south India from the 7th century to the
11th century had set the base are discovered. The rulers of Kedah were described as the
posterity in historical book (Muhammad H 1968). By the way, we found the trace of
Islam in a Malay peninsula of 14 th century. According to the history book of Malay
language, raja of Kedah converted illness to Islam on recovering by the wise man of
Islam (Muhammad H 1968:26). The exact time of the incident is not clear. However,
since Sultan became a ruler of Kedah, the capital of Kedah has moved from south to the
north of Kedah.
Therefore, in this paper, I do not recognize as the royal family that continued Rajas
and Sultans. This paper considers Kedah after the ruler of Kedah moved a capital to a
northern part.

1-2 Kedah as port city

Seeing from the whole Malay Peninsula, Kedah is a port city in the narrow area of
Malay Peninsula. Since east-and-west trade was governed by the monsoon before the
time of a sailing vessel with auxiliary engine of the 19th century, the ship from the
Indian Ocean carried out waiting for winds by the Thalang port city groups (Phuket etc.)
of Kedah or South Thai. The trade way was connected with the Siam bay using the
overland route that crosses peninsula. The Junk ships of Chinese working to the Siam
bay have also carried goods to West Coast by this peninsula crossing way. Kedah
exported not only transit trade of east and west but also the local product. Goods are

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rice, tin, a bird's nest, saltpeter, etc. These were also the propositions by the demand
from tributary goods to Siam. The base of Kedah as a port city has been Alor Setar since
1735. Tracking back from Kuala Kedah, ships can reach to Alor Setar. Alor Setar was
the capital of Kedah and was the first important base. The second base of Kedah was
Satun (Setul) in present South Thai. Moreover, the Langkawi Island in the Strait of
Malacca was a base of the navy minister of Kedah.
The sphere of influence of Kedah spread out on the sea along the coast in West Coast.
Kedah had extended influence even at the southern part of Phuket temporarily in the
18th century. When Burma army attacked South Thai in 1809, Sultan of Kedah was
requested from Siam and send battle ships at this ocean space. Kedah impressed a group
of Orang Laut of the ocean space in West Coast into the army (Skinner 1985)

1-3 The Tributary Relation between Siam and Kedah

　It is not certain when Kedah became a tributary country of Siam.
At least, there is record Kedah was considered as one of the tributaries of 12 of Nakhon
Sii Thammarat (Sinlapakon, K.: 1962). Moreover, the tributary relation between Siam
and Kedah has not clarified whether it is a relation from Islamizing or before. I would
like to entrust to discovery of future historical records. According to the historical
records of Thailand, it is considered that system that considers that Kedah is a southern
tributary country and makes a tributary procession and a tribute carry to Ayutthaya was
materialized in the second half of Ayutthaya Era. The tributary state of Siam in a Malay
peninsula was four, and Kedah was one of them.
Siam had connected the tributary relations with Islamic states of the Malay peninsula.
The reason that Siam made these Islam countries (Kedah is included) the tributary
countries was for holding the trade network centering on Ayutthaya. Three countries,
Pattani, Kelantan, and Trengganu, are located in Malay peninsula East Coast. and also
the tributary states of Siam ( Swannathat-Piam, K. 1989).
Siam regarded these countries as important trade points with South China Sea and
Java Island. On the other hand, Siam had two trade bases in West Coast. One is Thalang
port cities group that included seven port cities, such as Phuket, and it was direct control
port cities of the center of Siam. These cities existed under jurisdiction of Nakhon Sii
Thammarat. Thalang port-cities were production places of tin, and have brought big

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profits to Siam.
On the other hand, Thalang port-cities were nearby Burma. Siam felt the threat of
Burma. In fact, the Burma army attacked Thalang, broke in 1809, and it brought the
disadvantage to Siam.
Another base of Siam in West Coast of Malay Peninsula is Kedah. Since The British
base was set on Penang in 18th, and Kedah became the most important trade base for
Siam at a southern part, especially after Thalang was destroyed. Over the jurisdiction of
the tributary country Kedah, Nakhon Sii Thammarat and Songkhla, which are the
leading district countries of Siam, were opposed to each other, and it fought politically
[kuroda 1991, 1999].
Under tributary system, Siam gave the title name of the aristocrat of Siam to Sultan.
And Siam required two duties of the tributary country. One is the courtesy in which an
envoy brings the tribute (represented by Bunga Umas) to a capital once in three years. If
this payment of tribute was not performed periodically, Siam regarded that a tributary
country caused " rebellion to Siam" and Siam saw off the punitive force in the tributary
country (1). Another duty of Kedah is cooperating with Siam in wartime. The enemy of
Siam was Burma as a matter of fact. When Burma attacked South Thai in 1809, Sultan
participated in the battle and dispatch troops on the sea of the southern part of Phuket.
Kedah provided Siam with rice as food. When Pattani caused a rebellion to Siam in
1842, Siam ordered Kedah to perform participation in the war.
Although Kedah dispatched troops, it is one of these and sent the assistance material to
Pattani secretly as Muslim (Bonney 1971).
However, in basically, since Siam did not rule Kedah directly, Sultan governed
Kedah. So this tributary system is interpreted also as "nominal” (Swannathat-Piam, K.
1989). When Kedah was attacked from Acheh in the 17th century, although Kedah
asked Siam for help, the army from Siam did not come. Therefore, it was also possible
to have interpreted Bunga Umas of a payment-of-tribute article as "the present of the
symbol of friendship" from the Kedah side.
　 Siam has carried out direct rule of the Kedah twice. The first time was 1821-1842.
This incident is a result of rights argument of peninsula trade of Nakhon Sii Thammarat
and Songkhla. When Nakhon Sii Thammarat invaded Kedah in 1821, Sultan escaped to
the British base of Penang. He explained the relation with Siam "It is custom as a mark

4
of friendship to present Bunga Umas" to the East India Company of Britain, and
asserted the independent state of Kedah. Sultan counted on the military strength of
Britain. On the other hand, Nakhon Sii Thammarat made the plan in order to also
govern Perak. This plan was obstructed by Penang (Kuroda 1999).
By Anglo-Siamese Treaty in 1909, Kedah became a part of British Malay, and the
modern border was set up between Siam. The tributary relation between Siam and
Kedah was ended at this time.
However, Japan army, which invaded the Malay peninsula from 1939 to 1945, gave
Thailand (Siam) old Malay tributary country areas, such as Kedah, after that. Thai army
invaded into Kedah following this time Japan army went to south.
　 In Kedah, the Kedah occupation by Siam in the 19th century was called Perang
Musoh Bisik (War of whispering enemy), and this incident remain in the tradition and
memory of people of the villages of Kedah.

1-4 Influence of Siam in Kedah

　 　 Kedah was influenced not a little from Siam. Although Pattani, Kelantan,
Trengganu similarly have experience of the tributary country of Siam, some
conspicuous influences are seen in Kedah.
　One is the influence in language. A remarkable example is the name of places based
on Thai. Jitra, Changlun, Naka, Nami, etc. are Thai name. Moreover, it is said till the
first half of the 20th century that about half of Malay Muslim residents have understood
Thai. In addition, it has influence of Siam on the tale of the Nakhon Sii Thammarat
origin in the entertainments Mat Melung original with Kedah, gastronomic culture, etc.
Furthermore, in Kedah, there are most Thai Theravada Buddhist temples at Malaysia. I
mention later about these Thai temples.
　 Observing especially here is a difference with Pattani. As mentioned above, Pattani
has often resisted to Siam since the 17th century. Pattani was included in Thailand after
the treaty of 1909. Also after that, the area of an old Pattani kingdom has superior
Malay Muslim population, respected Malay language and Islam and has refused Thai
education. The history in the 20th century of Pattani was the history of resistance of
"assimilation to Thailand." The problem of Deep South Thailand cannot have the in
addition seen direction of solution still now.

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 On the contrary, the anti-Siam situation has not happened in the Satun (Setul)
prefecture in the West Coast where was a part of old Kedah.
In Satun (Setul), there is much Muslim which speak Thai, they coexist with Buddhists,
and, occasionally they also do marriage with Buddhists (Nishii: 1999).
How can the difference between Pattani of East Coast and Kedah of West Coast be
explained? This is also an important problem.

2　 Previous work
　A previous work is described here. About the history of Kedah, Malay language data,
Thai historical records, English data, and Chinese-books data are also required. Reports
of the Chinese trade merchants and the British East India Company have described the
figure of Kedah seen from outside. The information after the 19th century is sauce with
important British data.
By Thai data, there are chronicles about Kedah (Siam calls Kedah Saiburi). Moreover,
there are also chronicles of the district country of South Thai of the Kedah
neighborhood.
Sultan's chronicle and warrior tale exist by Malay language data. The official documents
of Sultan can use as the first data in the second half of the 19th century.
　 However, most of the contents of these chronicles are about the politics of Siam and
Sultan of Kedah, or negotiations with rulers of other Malay countries. The historical
records which the record about the ordinary residents of Kedah and the residents
recorded hardly exist. A serious doubt arises here. What is the figure of Kedah? How
was Kedah imaged and recognized in her own history? In 1909, Kedah had a
modernistic domain and a boundary line. 　 Kedah was mapped and this domain has
been recognized to be Kedah. Kedah govern this domain as an administration area.
However, before 1909, how was the historical Kedah domain imagined and had been
recognized?
Building such a question here is based on my experiences. In a certain international
conference, a Malay scholar almost closed the argument there, saying, " It is in Inland
(Bukit) of Kedah that Thai-speaker resides, and it is not Kedah (domain of political
power)." Once The British official Anderson who investigated Kedah at the beginning
of the 19th century has described Kedah as "the country where is land long and slender

6
to 20-km-wide north and south from the seashore, and north spread by Kulim from
Lagu (it is a Trang prefecture in Thailand now) in south." The correctness of this
description is not confirmed.
There is still no research on the domain of Kedah of the historical age. On the other
hand, the ordinary Malay farmers of Kedah state the reason for the existence of the Thai
Theravada Buddhist temple of Kedah "since Kedah was Siam once."
Was the inland area of Kedah in the history age regarded outside of the jurisdiction of
the ruler of Kedah? Does the inland area of Kedah overlap with Bandit Area of the
1930s where Cheah described mostly? From these utterances, we may be able to
understand when Kedah is mapped in 1909, it was difficult to grasp inland for the
power of Kedah.
　　Supposing "Kedah" pointed out only area centering on capital–Alor Setar, it is also
the purpose of this paper to explain how the inland residents of Kedah were living.

3 Method of Research
In order to investigate the situation of Kedah of a historical time, we can find one
effective data. It is a census of 1911 by British Malaya. This census is the almost only
data that can investigate language, religion, races, birthplace, etc. to investigate on a
county (Mukim) level about the residents of Kedah.
And henceforth, the data, which conducted analysis, detailed so far like this cannot be
seen. In this paper, this census is analyzed first. Analysis of interview record of the
recent years by my fieldwork is effective in the next. This is required in order to
compensate the little of grass-roots data. The result of the village investigation
specifically intermittently performed by Kedah from 1990 to 2009 is shown. As a
matter of fact, it may be difficult to clarify a situation previous the 18th century in these
data and investigations.
However, probably, a guess will be possible in what kind of recognition of history and
spatial awareness local residents have about Kedah.

4 　The Condition of Kedah resident

Here, the condition of the residents of Kedah is analyzed from the result of analysis of
census in 1911 and the data of the fieldwork in 1990’s and afterwards.

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 The census of 1911 was made immediately after Kedah belonged to British Malaya in
1909.
In this census, we can find the figure of Kedah before nation-state. The feature of this
census is having classified the Malay (Malay race) according to the race classification to
that sub-race. Subsequently, later census have not described sub-race. In this Sub-race,
the classification concept of Samsam exists together with a classification of Jawa,
Acheh, etc. By analysis of a former my paper, they are Thai-speaking Muslim, and
when the British official investigates in the 19th century, as for Samsam, it has become
clear that they are people currently called Samsam from people of the district. They
existed also in the 1990s as Thai-speaker. By my investigation, they were doing
marriage in the villages of Samsam for almost till the 1960s (kuroda 1992). It turns out
that their village is an exclusive village halfway. The meaning of the existence of
Samsam is mentioned later (2).
　　　The whole population of Kedah in 1911 is classified with 241764 person, Malay
population is 194814 person (including Samsam), and is 80% of the whole population,
Malay were overwhelming majority of Kedah
And the secondary races are Chinese, it was 13% of population for 33501 persons, Siam
was the third and they were 8039 person, and 3% of population. And India was 2% for
5410 persons.
But, if their place of residence is analyzed by population density and habitation
distribution, we will discover an interesting result as below.

4-1 Population density of Malay, and habitation distribution

Map. 2 shows the population density and habitation distribution 　of Malay. The area
which population concentrates most is surrounding are of Alor Setar　 and altitudes of
3-15m seashore part flat bog. This Lowland is a paddy field mostly and spreads 20 km
in the shape of a belt from the seashore. This 20-km boltlike zone spreads out to the
boundary of Province Wellesley belonging to Penang. The oldest village of this lowland
is located in a line with the foot of the hill of the limestone, which rises high over a flat
bog. It is thought that the rice crop of this area was a Malay type rain-fed paddy field
(sawa padi Melayu) planted in a flat bog (paya). Sultan of Kedah and leading ministers
made some canals located in parallel with the coast in the 17 th -19th century. [Kuchiba,

8
Tsubouchi, Maeda ed. 1976: 30] Newer villages are located in a line with along the
canals (3).
The population concentration of Malay Muslim to this lowland shows that the main
rule places of Sultan of Kedah had been this lowland. The capitals of former Sultans,
such as Kota Siputih and Kota Naga, are settled also in the lowland.
　　Furthermore, old Pondoks is also concentrated on this area. Pondok is the base of
Islam education. Kedah has produced a large number of Islam intellectuals（Ulama） and
their books are used in pondok now like Pattani. This coastal area is dotted also with
Pondoks in which prominent Ulamas lived. Distribution of these Pondoks has also
gathered on this coastal area (Haji Sayed, D.H.S.Z, 1996: 199)
As mentioned above, it is thought that lowland surrounding Alor Setar were the
center area of politics, knowledge, and a base of production of Kedah. Kedah that
Anderson described in 1824 are also in the well similar condition(4).　

4-2 Thai-speakers
People who speak Thai as everyday language are in Kedah. There are not many the
numbers. However, they are key persons in history of inland Kedah. In Kedah, many
name of places of Thai origin exist, and it can see the influence of Siam still now.
Thai-speakers of Kedah are Samsam and Siamese. Samsam are Thai-speaking
Muslims. And Siamese distinguishes themselves from residents in Thailand . They do
not call themselves Thais. They call themselves Khon Siam or Orang Siam. They are
Bumiputras of Malaysia.
4-2-1 Samsam; Thai-speaking Muslim
Thai-speaking Muslim has been called Samsam. It is described also in census or
Annual Report of Kedah as Samsam. Since according to census, mostly of them is
Muslim and are considered as Malay, neither the population density of Samsam nor
habitation distribution can be specified from this census. However, we can find some
information in an essay of Abdul Raman in 1930 [ Rahman 1978 : 24], and on some
about Samsam in paper of Archaimbault, etc. [Archaimbault 1957].
Before the 1950s, the image of Samsam was as not-pious Muslim . For example, a
young Samsam converted to the Buddhist to marry a Buddhist's woman. A local Imam
was not able to persuade him not to convert.

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Or, the name of Samsam could be found in the offender list of a cattle rustler or
burglars. They were also trans border people. Moreover, Samsam have associated with
the Siam friendly, and have participated also in the Buddhist events. Or they were
people who often enjoy entertainments in Thai language, such as a shadow picture play
(Wayang Kulit). The Ason village in which the performer of a shadow picture play
famous for Kedah is present is a village of Samsam.
I interviewed the 1990s in search of the village of people of these Thai-speaking
Muslims [kuroda 1991].
　　　Thai-speaking Muslims is people who are speaking about the Thai South Thai
dialect by daily conversation. They cannot do reading and writing of the Thailand
character. In investigation of 1990s, they had not left most culture elements other than
Thai as everyday language. That was the result of their disliking being referred to as
"Not-pious Muslim " The exchange with a neighboring Siamese had also ceased. The
generation who received the school education by Malay language after the 1960s speaks
about both language, however, it was impossible for a young generation to understand
Thai gradually
On the other hand, the marriage of the old generation who speaks only Thai had much
marriage with the same neighboring villages of Samsam each other. In the time, it can
be guessed that it was placed by the situation exclusive although exchange of the
villages of Samsam was frequent. There were about ten villages of Thai-speaking
Muslim in this area in the 1990s.
In my investigation, there were two areas in which Samsam live together in a
concentrated community in Kedah. One is Kubang Pasu area of northern part of Kedah,
and this area have villages along the Saiburi road known as an important trade way from
Alor Setar to Songhkla of South Thai. According to interviews, they have emigrated
about 200 years ago across this way from South Thai. A paddy field is made on the
riverside of the basin of a place between mountains with an altitude of 35 m.
and rubber is grown. As a local famous leader, Penfulu Besar called Tok Nai Sin that
appears also in the history of Kedah as the influential person owned elephants, and it is
said that he was performing conveyance of cargo between Kedah and Siam.
Another Samsam area is the inland of the central part of Kedah. It is on the riverside
of the basin of a place between mountains with of the old highway, which goes to

10
Pattani across the hills, and mountains through Kuala Nerang from Alor Setar. Samsam
of this area does not know the migration tradition of their villages. I guess the villages
may have been made long time ago, so that tradition was lost. Samsam of this area is
also paddy field farmers. About 15 Samsam villages exists in along the branch with an
altitude of 35m of a Kedah river.　 Moreover, many villages of Siam also exist in this
area. The old Samsam man of the performer of Wayang of kg.Nawa says that the
Buddhist temple had been also located in this village in the 1930s, and there was also
exchange with the village of Samsam and neighboring Siam (interviewed from Awang
bin Isa ,65age in 1992 August , at kg. Nawa. )
These two areas are located in the inland of Kedah. Muslim of Kedah of an area
along the shore calls inland "Bukit", and carries out treatment called a remote district.
Seeing geographically, Bukit is the hinterland far from 20km from an area along the
shore. Altitude becomes high, orchards, and rubber forests, appear in addition to paddy
fields. Kuala Nerang and Baling are the towns of typical Bukit, and also the east serves
as a mountains area and is connected with the border with Thailand. Samsam is inland
people from the viewpoint of the residents of an area along the shore (5).
4-2-2 Siamese : Habitation Distribution of Thai Theravada Buddhist
Also in census in 1911, Siamese is only 2% of population in a small number. But in
birthplace, Kedah birth is the 80 percent.
However, the population density and habitation distribution become contrasting with
Malay. Map. 3 show that large population of Siamese concentrating on some county
(Mukim) for example, Pdg. Peliang, Pdg. Kerbau and Tekai etc. The high population
density of Siamese is seen also in urban areas, such as Alor Setar and Baling. The
inhabitable area of Siamese is along the inland swamp of Pendang district, and along
Muda river. These villages exist in the area of 35m - 47m altitude. It is Inland called
"Bukit" which Malay of Kedah says. That is, they are also inland people excepting a
small number of livings in cities.
About habitation distribution of Siamese, there is other the leading record in addition
to census exists. It is existence of a Buddhist temple. Siamese who are Theravada
Buddhists need a temple near the village. Temple is a mental ground for Buddhists.
Moreover, the priests of the Thai temple depend for daily commodities, such as foods,
on ordinary Buddhist's contribution. Therefore, existence of the Thailand temple also

11
shows existence of a Siamese village.
　 　 However, record of the Thai temple of Kedah cannot be discovered to the
chronicles of Malay language or Thai. The now oldest data are records in 1890 and
1892. It is found in the official document of Kedah Sultan of those days(6).
By these documents, The Siam government investigated the number of temples and
the number of priests in Kedah. According to it, the number of the Thailand temples in
which priests is present is 13 temples. priest's total is 86 persons. Although six temples
are concentrating on Pdg. Kerbau of Pendang, in the temple Wat Lamdin of Tekai, there
are most priests. And 22 priests belong to there. It is likely that the largest Siamese
communities were at Padang Peliang, Padang Kerbau in Pendang district and Tekai in
Padang Trap district (see map. 4) (National Archives of Kedah:1890)
There are 42 temples in the list of Thai temples in 1985 (Wat Bodhiyarram, 1985),
and the number did not change investigation of the writer in 2007 to 2009, either. The
reason, which the number of temples increased from 1890, is Thai villages without
temples made the temple after that, and invited the priests. In addition, Thai temples
collect contribution more and are continuing being repaired　Now.
In the investigation from 2007 to 2009, I investigated all the temples of Kedah and
checked the exact location of temples and Thai villages. Siamese settlements are largely
found in the Muda River valley. Flowing from the watershed with the Pattani River and
the Muda. The Muda river meanders through the southern Kedah before discharging
into the Strait of Malacca. Siamese villages and the temples often face the river. They
say they used river traffic till 1950’s. The Muda river was the method of the main river
traffic to the inland of Kedah till the 1950s. Elsewhere, the list of 1890 shows a temple
lower down the Muda valley in Baling district.
　Wat Lamdin which was the biggest temple at the time of 1890 has lost according to
the unhappy fire incident 　 　 in 1952, and was rebuilt later . But, at that time, the
documents in connection with the origin of the temple were lost.
It is Wat Titi akar that has the biggest Siam population supporting the temple in old
record. The origin of the temple is made into 500 years or more in the tradition of this
temple.
Moreover, in Wat Kura, in recent years ,the monument was built. It is said that the
foundation of the temple was build 300 years ago in it. And more, the population and

12
the temple of Siamese are concentrating Pdg Peliang and Pdg Kerbau here in the
comparatively large The basin of a place surrounded by the hill by the altitude of 37m.
In addition, the reply of origin of a temple 200 years or more also in the area , or others
were unknown. About the origin of the temple, not all are clear.
There is a certain feature in the scene of a Siam village. It is existence of Palmyra
Palm. When it visited Titi Akar in 1988, I found having installed the pipe of the bamboo
for extracting sap in Palmyra Palm. The sap of Palmyra Palm is boiled down, and is
used as sugar, or is fermented, and is used as a local brand of alcoholic drink . Palmyra
Palm is private consumption like coconut palms. The spectacle with Palmyra Palm is a
mark of a Siam village.
　 The paddy field of this area is made using gravity irrigation (7). Moreover, without
receiving governmental support, they have built the waterway by themselves. t is said
that the paddy field, which they make, is a type using a river terrace often seen by Siam
(Dr. Sakurai pointed out in 2009 observing at Kg. Titi Akar ) .
Since the Thai temples of Kedah do not receive restrictions of the Sangha law unlike
Thailand, it has very various forms. First, it is characteristic that priests do not walk to
religious mendicancy. Villagers bring foods or are cooked in the temple. The list of
cooking persons on duty may be projected over the temple. Moreover, the pilgrim of
Chinese family may often visit with rice, oil, and dishes for charity "Tham Bun".
Where did Siamese come from?
In the early 19th century, Topping reported that numerous refugees from Pattani fled
from war and settled in the Muda River valley (Topping 1850).
In my paper of 2002, I guess　these Siamese are offspring of migrants from Pattani.
However, different tradition was obtained in the investigation in 2009. People of kg
Lampan , Siamese villagers who come to the temple called Wat Lampan said that their
ancestor came from Lampan of Phatthalung of South Thai. So, it is said that the name of
the village was also named Lampan. The reason for migration is Haa Naa Dii. - It was
for looking for a good paddy field. The possibility of migration of the farmers from the
Phatthalung and Songkhla area of South Thai is also considered like this village.
Furthermore, as mentioned above, this consideration is possible also from Palmyra Palm
being seen only around Siamese villages.
It is Phatthalung of South Thai that Palmyra Palm is seen in large quantities in the

13
neighboring area of Kedah. In view of distribution of Palmyra Palm, it is thought that
the migrants brought.
　 　Here, I should explain Phatthalung of South Thai. Phatthalung is a coastal area of
the Songkhla lake of South Thai, and is paddy fields grain belt of South Thai now. The
northern part is in contact with Nakhon Sii Thammarat which is the city based on
Buddhism. Moreover, Sathingpura is on the East Coast part of the east shore of a lake,
and there are many Buddhist temple ruins of the Ayutthaya age. On the other hand, the
ruler of Muslim existed in the west coast of the lake in the 18th century. This ruler
converted to Buddhism in the 18th century. Phatthalung is an area where the villages of
Thai　 Muslim and the villages of Thai Buddhist mix and exist.
In a report of the British official of the 1820s, there is description that the farmer of
Nakhon Sii Thammarat or Phatthalung seemingly left land, and seemingly emigrated to
south by the South Thai attack of Burma in the 19th century and prevalence of the
epidemic (kuroda 1999). Furthermore, in the migration tradition of kg.Begia, the
villager who emigrated to Kedah from South Thai (a place is not certain) reached Pdg
Kerbau at first.
However, since there were already indigenous people, such as Malay, they went to
south, and it is said that they settled in the area where the higher altitude area of South
Kedah . In order to be cooperating with neighboring Malay, They named he name of a
villages Kg Bahagia (Happiness). Later it is said that it changed to Kg Begia. In
addition, the place of residence of this village is based on not a paddy field but trade of
the area (Ab Hassan , D., 1976).
As mentioned above, it is thought that Samsam who are Thai-speakers of Kedah, and
Siamese are people who have done going-south migration from the area, which speaks
Thai of South Thai before at least 300 years. They avoid the area along the shore of
Kedah in which native Malay Muslim was, and are considered to have lived and arrived
at basin of a place between mountains of inland. That is, inland is the world of the
migrant from South Thai, and it is recognized as the mentally different world from the
Malay person of Sultan or a coast place of residence that sets a base on the shore.

5　 Conclusion
From having stated above, a summary is carried out as follows.

14
 The center of Kedah over which Sultan reigns is port polity that sets a base in the river
of seashore part lowlands. Kedah carried the rice of paddy field made in a flat bog, and
the trade articles from the Indian Ocean to East Coast of Malay peninsula by ships and
overland route in the Strait of Malacca. Also governing the ocean space dotted with the
islands by the limestone of West Coast from Satun to Trang, the sea products from there
also became trade articles of Kedah. When British East India Company built the base to
Penang where was a Kedah territory once, the relation to Penang become important for
Kedah.
Malay Muslim, which is majority of Kedah was also a resident of this area along the
shore, and it’s most, are paddy field farmers. The Kedah government directed power
towards canal exploitation of areas along the shore. On the other hand, the Kedah
government seldom had the concern about inland. Hinterland over 20 km of coasts is
called Bukit and the constabulary force of Kedah at least was not able to do inland
maintenance of public order till the 1950s.
Although some Malay Muslim residents resided in the inland (Bukit) of Kedah, of
course, they were mixed with the villages where Thai-speaker lived. They are Samsam
and Siamese. Since when they have emigrated, it is difficult to refer by history data
before the 19th century. However, considering the tradition of some Thai temples, it is
possible from 300 or before in the second half of Ayutthaya that the farmer has
emigrated from South Thai gradually. Although the reason for migration was "haa naa
dii", some causes of migration had war, an epidemic, etc. in South Thai in the first half
of the 19th century.
The original village of migration has tradition, such as Pattani of South Thai, and
Phatthalung. But, considering from the situation of the old Pattani kingdom domains of
East Coast with many still Malay language speakers, the migrant from the
circumference of Phatthalung with much Thai-speakers is more natural than the migrant
from Pattani.
For Thai-speakers, The language communication with Malay was difficult and Thai-
speakers which see the example of Samsam, and they desire marriage of Thai-speakers
each other. Thai-speaking Muslims memorized exchanges with Siam Buddhists till the
first half of the 20th century.
From the above thing, in the inland of Kedah, people who have emigrated from South

15
Thai, especially the society that Thai-speakers is characteristic exist. This situation
resembles the situation of the present South Thai area from Phatthalung to Satun
(Setul), in view of the scattering situation of the colony of Thai-speakers.
As conclusion, in corridor of the central Malay Peninsula, a Malay Sultan port city
will spread influence to the West Coast area along the shore, and the world where the
farmer of Thai-speakers (South Thai Muslim and Siamese) go to south and emigrates
along an overland route, and arrived at inland of Kedah may be imagined.

Notes
(1) Since Pattani often refused the demand of Siam, Pattani has been attacked by
Siam repeatedly since the 17th century.)
(2) Although the local classification of this census is almost the same as that
local of the present census, the present Pendang is also included to the domain of Alor
Setar. Therefore, in this analysis, Alor Setar was divided and Pendang was
reconstructed on the Mukim level that is a county.
(3) Now, in Kedah, rice crop technology before it cannot be seen any longer by
heavy cropping machines of the paddy cultivation after the 1960s (kuroda 1992)
(4) About the situation of Chinese, it cannot touch in detail in this paper. I
describe the following things. Distribution of Chinese also overlaps with the main
habitation region of Malay mostly. It is densely-populated in the rice-cleaning area
of paddy field ,in merchants town houses in urban areas, such as Alor setar and Sungai
Petani, and in near area by the State of Penang.
(5) It was an impression of the investigation of the 1990s that Samsam is being
gradually set to "serious Muslim." There was a tendency to evade their calling
themselves Malay Muslim and being referred to as Samsam. At the time of
investigation,
there was social pressure, which denies non-Islamic events and customs. The village of
Samsam is promoting exchange with the village of Malay-speaking Muslim gradually,
and the difference among both is no longer seen hardly in recent years. It is in the
situation where only the "old man" is speaking Thai as of 2009.

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(6) Lists of Siamese temples and monks in Kedah and Perlis in 1890 provide a
source of information. The oldest official records I discovered for Thai-speaking
Buddhists are lists of Siamese temples and registered monks of Kedah and Perlis in
1890, 1892 (National Archives of Kedah 1992). These lists are included in the
collection of the letters and documents of Sultan Abdul Hamid of Kedah. The original
lists are written in the Malay language with Jawi script.
(7) Gravity irrigation = irrigation system which uses the vertical interval of
geographical feature and leads water to a benefit place according to an inclination
(gravity) (Hoshikawa K. 2009 :566)
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map 2

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map 3

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map 4

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