ABSTRACT
The paper explores the emergence of general contractors in late 19th century Siam when the corvée system, which customarily provided primary resources for government construction, declined. This period’s main features were the introduction of capitalism into construction, the establishment of the Public Works Department, and the abolition of the corvée system. By looking at difficulties that the Siamese government had in dealing with the shortage of labour and the ineffectiveness in supplying building materials under the corvée system, the paper shows how European contractors offered Siamese rulers an alternative way of construction. The introduction of the general contract to tender, enabled both parties to benefit. In short, the rise of contracting in Siam was not purely the result of independent enterprise by individual contractors, but part of a holistic attempt to address the long-standing problems inherent within the corvée system.
