Marx Unmasked? The “Siamese Intellectual” and a (Mis) Reading of Karl Marx in Thailand
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Abstract
In recent years, new biographies of Karl Marx have emerged in the English-speaking world, and they give a fresh reading of Marx’s ideas and personal life by putting them back into the historical context of his time. In Thailand, unfortunately, local readers do not have the same privilege as there have not been original and full biographies of Marx written by Thai authors. What appears to be a silver lining for Thai readers is that Sulak Sivaraksa, one of the most renowned and well-respected intellectuals in Thai academia who has widely been known as the “Siamese Intellectual,” wants to break new paths. He writes a substantial account of Marx’s personal background, the impact of the historical contexts of his time on his intellectual development, and the tension between how he acted privately and what he discussed in public. However, this article argues that Sulak’s take on Marx is wide of the mark. Rather than demythologising Marx, Sulak ends up reproducing myths and misunderstandings surrounding the man. Instead of a critical assessment, Sulak’s take on Marx is conservative to the core. It does not just conflate Marx with Marxism, Stalinism, and Maoism; it also casts doubt on Marx’s ideas by condemning his personal flaws. On top of that, Sulak makes several comments about Marx that lack of evidence.
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