Research & Article

The British began venturing into the upper Burma to establish the teak business during the 1890s. Around the same time, the Borneo Company sent Louis T. Leonowens, the son of Anna Leonowens, to request a concession for timber extraction from the chief of Chiang Mai in 1888. Louis is considered one of the pioneering father figures in the early days of Siam's teak export industry. After securing several concessions, Louis built a residence in Lampang known as the "Louis T. Leonowens House." This article delves into the lives of the Western teak traders in northern Thailand, particularly in Chiang Mai and Lampang. It provides a detailed account of various aspects of the teak industry, including the teak logging season, the process of felling teak trees, the methods employed to float the logs down to Bangkok, and the daily life and routines of the elephants in the elephant working camps.