Talk:Thao Suranari

Politics

Recently, a Thai newspaper featured a photo of a banner for UDD supporters in Nakhon Ratchasima that has a red silhouette of Ya Mo superimposed on a red silhouette of the Democracy Monument. That would indicate that Yah Mo is perceived as a defender of the city rather than a defender of Bangkok's interests in the city. If any user in Korat reads this and has any sources of information on the supporters in Nakhon Ratchasima known as the "Rak Ya Mo club" (Thai: ชมรมรักย่าโม/กลุ่มรักย่าโม), it would add to the article.

An invented figure

This article is totally unsourced, which is not surprising since there is no evidence that Thao Suranari (Ying Mo) did any of the things attributed to her here, and very little that she ever existed at all. See the discussion here: http://books.google.com.au/books?id=6f0CMvP203wC&pg=PA249&lpg=PA249&dq=%22Thao+Suranari%22+Saipin&source=bl&ots=qE1jilEq6O&sig=C3L-3jH677AsdAKq47hjlVs9Uas&hl=en&ei=67o6TtayJ8emrAfLtbUP&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=2&ved=0CCIQ6AEwAQ#v=onepage&q=%22Thao%20Suranari%22%20Saipin&f=false and here: http://www.asiafinest.com/forum/lofiversion/index.php/t242543.html. "In Khorat, in 1934, little bit over 70 years ago, Thai nationalist erected a statue dedicated to Khun Ying Mo, a woman credited with having led the insurrection of her town against Chao Anou. Yet available documents prove that this "heroine" was a fiction, a plain town woman dressed up in exaggerations by inventive subjects eager to please Siam. Readers can discover this hoax by paging through the Chotmaihet muang nakhon ratchasima (Collected Documents Related to Khorat), edited by the Fine Arts Department. This compendium consists of detailed reports written by Khorat authorities, including Khun Ying Mo's husband, on the evening of the battle. Khorat authorities forwarded these reports to the Bangkok court, hoping to win royal favor for their contribution to the struggle against the Lao and to prove Khorat's loyalty to Siam, about which Bangkok was deeply suspicious." I'm told that most Thai historians know that the Thao Suranari story is fiction, but will not say so for fear of political repercussions. Intelligent Mr Toad (talk) 15:45, 4 August 2011 (UTC)

If it is all properly sourced, why not work it into the article and move it to something like Thao Suranari Monument with a re-direct from the original title. The Thai nationalists seem to have their program back-firing, given that Khorat UDD seem to have been using the statue as a rallying point against them. I have a reference I'll dig out if there's any interest, to the effect that the Fine Arts Department — which is part of the Ministry of Education — has as its mission to foster a sense of national identity that has taken on a life of its own. Searching for list of fictional national heroes returned List of Armenians (section List of fictional Armenians) if that's any help. Ram Khamhaeng the Great and Sri Suriyothai might qualify for inclusion in a similar Thai list. Thao Suranari, being based on a real person, might also qualify for inclusion on a list of the likes of Betsy Ross. --Pawyilee (talk) 14:33, 5 August 2011 (UTC)

I will have a go at a rewrite when I get back to Australia, but I will expect support if attacked by Thai nationalists. This is a touchy subject. Intelligent Mr Toad (talk) 15:00, 5 August 2011 (UTC)

Ethnicities

For someone unfamiliar with the region's history the article doesn't make clear who was fighting who, and to what group Suranari is supposed to belong. --BjKa (talk) 09:43, 4 October 2017 (UTC)