Siamese junk trade with Japan from the 17th to the early 18th century

Abstract

To view the commercial history of the Ayutthaya kingdom through the study of the Siamese-Japanese trade during the seventeenth century and early eighteenth century. The Japan trade was important for the Siamese kings as it provided them with goods and wealth that enabled them to maintain the kingdom. In order to obtain a better understanding of the conmercial relationship between Siam and Japan, this thesis closely looks at Japanese contemporary materials. After an analysis of these Japanese materials and previous studies, Part one explores the characteristics of Siamese crown junks, compared with the junks from Chinese and other Southeast Asian ports. Part two gives a chronological history of the Siamese-Japanese trade from 1604 tp 1728.