ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the historical intertwining of Hinduism and Buddhism between Siam and Cambodia and how these Indic religions changed the course of Siamese history. Driven by poverty and scarcity, a constant flow of Chinese migrants moved from the impoverished and infertile Yunan desert into the lush tropical agricultural mainland of Southeast Asia. Some believe that the earliest Tai people brought Chinese deities with them from Yunan. These mingled with the belief in local deities and the dharma, artha, kama and moksha of the Indianized states. Monarchies are by definition about using public office to aggrandize the public officer, his family and their personal wealth. It is a strange irony that monarchies are by definition nepotistic and yet tolerated because there is an expectation that the monarch will reward his or her own kin over other people. Ancient Siam and modern Thailand is a classic case of corruption, nepotism, cronyism and bribery dating back centuries.
