The French Blockade of 1893: Siam's Survival Against the Odds

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The French Blockade of 1893: Siam's Survival Against the Odds

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In July 1893, French gunboats steamed up the Chao Phraya River and anchored within cannon shot of Bangkok's Grand Palace. It was the climax of the Paknam Incident, a naval confrontation that saw Siam lose its Mekong River territories and nearly its sovereignty. This episode unpacks the tense weeks of the French blockade, the ultimatum delivered by Auguste Pavie, and the frantic diplomacy of King Chulalongkorn and Prince Devawongse to prevent total colonization. We explore the role of British gunboats, the secret letters between European chancelleries, and how Siam's strategic brinkmanship — including the threat of a scorched-earth retreat into the interior — forced France to accept a compromise rather than a conquest. Drawing on Thai National Archives and French colonial records, we reveal a David-and-Goliath tale of survival in the age of empire. #PaknamIncident #FrenchBlockade1893 #KingChulalongkorn #PrinceDevawongse #AugustePavie #ChaoPhrayaRiver #MekongRiver #Siam #FrenchIndochina #Colonialism #ThaiHistory #SoutheastAsia #FexingoHistory #History #Diplomacy #NavalHistory #19thCentury #Sovereignty Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo

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