Sri Burapha's 25-Volume Diary Unveiled, Tracing 17 Years in Exile
A newly discovered 25-volume diary by revered Thai writer Sri Burapha, documenting his 17 years in exile in China from 1958 to 1974, was unveiled in Bangkok, filling a major gap in understanding the influential intellectual's life and ideol
On August 9, the Sri Burapha Fund and its partner organizations officially launched the book "Sri Burapha's Diary: Political Exile in the People's Republic of China." The event brought together leading cultural figures and scholars to recognize an important contribution to Thai literary history. Chamnipon Gamneudom, deputy director of the Safe and Creative Media Development Fund, emphasized that the project fills a critical gap in understanding Sri Burapha's life and ideology, allowing future generations to study the thought and philosophy of this influential Thai intellectual and writer.
The story began when Wani Phanomyong, Sri Burapha's daughter-in-law, informed the Sri Burapha Fund that she had found a box containing 25 volumes of his personal diaries, brought back from China with instructions to open them in 2568 (2025)—marking 50 years since his death and 120 years since his birth. The diaries span from October 3, 1958, to May 12, 1974, covering the 17-year period of his residence in China that had previously been poorly documented. A team of scholars transcribed the handwritten diaries, digitized all pages, and analyzed their contents in relation to the political context of Thailand, China, and the world, as well as details of Sri Burapha's life, thought, work, and health during this period. The project also produced a "17-Year Life Timeline of Sri Burapha" to clarify this previously obscure chapter of his biography.
