ABSTRACT
Thailand distinguished itself from other Southeast Asian states in the nineteenth century as the only kingdom that survived the aggressive thrust of the New Imperialism. Among the significant factors that helped Thailand preserve its independent identity were its geographical location, its able diplomacy, and its policy of modernization. Eager not to give the Western countries any excuse for intervening in Thailand's domestic affairs, King Mongkut altered court customs to enable easy contact with foreigners. According to the Anglo-Thai Treaty of 1855, the rate of customs duty on British imports was limited to 3 percent, with the exception of opium, which could be imported duty-free but subject to certain restrictions of quantity. Chulalongkorn's early training was a great factor in his outlook toward modernization. During Chulalongkorn's reign, pressures from Britain, and more particularly from France, increased. After the agreement, Franco-Thai relations improved. Anglo-Thai relations never reached the low point marked by Franco-Thai relations.
