Siamese Rice Boat Analysis by Matthew Polasik


Model of a Siamese Rice Boat (Photo by Matthew Polasik)

The image is a model of a rice boat from Siam. Siam was renamed Thailand in 1949. The model was a part of a collection that was given to the Field Museum (Chicago, IL) as a gift by the Siamese Minister in 1904. The ship it represents is dated between 1600-1850. The style of ship could potentially date to an even earlier time. The rice boat was a common form of transportation for rice farmers. Siam’s most important produce was rice. River systems flooded often and the rice boat would often serve as a house boat for the farmer.1

Stern view of the Siamese rice boat (Photo by Matthew Polasik)

The image is of the stern (back) of the Rice Boat model. The oar is clearly able to be seen and it is expected that someone rowed the boat from the back. The rice boat has a similar appearance on both ends of the ship. It is likely that two people rowed the ship with one at the stern and one at the bow. It does not use any type of sails. The inside of the boat is visible. This space would be used by the farmer to store rice and other produce. The additional roofing is made out of bamboo. They would have provided shade for anyone not riding in the inside of the boat.2


Stem view of the Siamese rice boat (Photo by Matthew Polasik)

This image shows the stem (front) of the rice boat model. There is no distinct stem post. The stern and the stem could be swapped, as the appearance of both is quite similar. The stem appears to have received more damage as there are a few unidentified broken objects lying on the deck. The wires that are visible would have been used to fasten and secure the roofing to the rest of the ship. Other images of rice boats do not have the additional roof structure. This information suggests that this boat was one that doubled as a house boat.3


1Zimmerman, Carle C. “Some Phases of Land Utilization in Siam.” Geographical Review, vol. 27, no. 3, 1937, 378–393.

2Manguin, Pierre-Yves. "Trading Ships of the South China Sea. Shipbuilding Techniques and Their Role in the History of the Development of Asian Trade Networks." Journal of the Economic and Social History of the Orient 36, no. 3 (1993): 253-80.

3Zimmerman, “Some Phases of Land Utilization in Siam,” 378–393.


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