Siam remapped: cyber-interventions by Thai Women

Abstract

Most representations of Thailand which circulate in the global public sphere portray Thai women in two categories; both instances position them as happily subservient to western men. This article investigates how contributions by Thai women to internet discussions function simultaneously to renegotiate and reinscribe conceptions of nation, gender and community formation. It focuses on the Thai-managed, English language website SiamWEB.org (www.siamweb.org). The existence of this forum enables conversations between visitors that would otherwise not take place, providing a space for Thai women to respond to these dominant images. The article discusses SiamWEB.org’s strategic use of English, the in-process subject-position assumed of participants, and the persistent refusal of accepted conventions circumscribing national membership. Finally, it analyzes visitor responses, concluding that SiamWEB.org ‘remaps’ and redefines participants’ online identities, Thailand’s national borders, and the tenets of national affiliation.