Research & Article

After arriving in Bangkok in 1875, the Danish naval officer Andreas du Plessis de Richelieu joined the Royal Siamese Navy, eventually becoming both a Siamese vice admiral and mister of the Navy. After returning to Denmark in 1902, Richelieu launched a second career as a prominent businessman. Four years after Richelieu’s arrival in Bangkok, the Danish sea–captain Hans Niels Andersen also found himself in the vibrant city; he would go on to buy the Oriental Hotel and found both Andersen & Co. and the East Asia Company Ltd. While both men have historically been held in high regard for their respective achievements, it was seldom known that they worked together closely from the 1880s onward. Furthermore, it has been revealed that on several occasions Richelieu and Andersen were involved in the events that eventually led to the development of the Siam Commercial Bank. Historical research revealed that between 1989 and 1907 Danes were included in three occurrences that eventually led to the formation of the Siam Commercial Bank Ltd. in Bangkok. In addition to the two aforementioned men, Isac Glückstadt and Axel Heide also played a significant role in founding the Bank, with the four Danes working together to achieve similar goals. Furthermore, these four gentlemen collaborated with the British and the Thais, the latter of which saw the bank as an opportunity to free themselves from the British both politically and economically. This article aims to understand the activities of Richelieu and Andersen in Thailand during the reign of King Chulalongkorn (1868–1910) and outline Danish involvement in the establishment of the Siam Commercial Bank Ltd.