Shane Bunnag offers a personal narrative of one of Thailand’s most powerful families

The Bunnag family is known to be one of Thailand’s oldest and most prominent families that dates back to the Ayutthaya period. The line is descended from Sheik Ahmad, a merchant from Persia who arrived around 1600, and entered the court where he helped the king to supervise trading with the west. He gradually gained prominence within the court, a trend that continued through the following generations. During the early Rattanakosin period, the Bunnags rose to the height of stature, holding top state positions in military, trade, foreign and financial affairs, and even Regent of Siam at one point.

When visual artist, filmmaker, and writer Shane Bunnag became a father to a baby son, he wanted to be able to share the legacy of his family which goes back 400 years and spans 15 generations. That was quite an ambitious task, and the result was the recently published Chariot of the Sun. With several records of the historic family already available, Shane chose to present the story as “An Informal History of a Siamese Family”.

The story follows two parallel lines, the first being the Bunnag clan through the ages, and the second being Shane’s own family cluster that is centred around a Thai house built by his grandparents, the inimitable Tula and Chancham Bunnag. Both strands are linked through Shane’s own perspectives as an artist and videographer who combines images, research data, and impressions with “the nature and functions of memory”.

Readers will enjoy the thread of the historical storytelling that often presents a new angle from the available texts in history lessons, an angle that doesn’t necessarily try to impress or interpret to suit a certain agenda. They will also be fascinated by the lifestyle revolving around the old Thai-style house that must have seemed foreign and ghostly to a young boy who grew up in England and Greece, as well as the larger-than-life personalities that make up the contemporary Bunnags who bring the clan down to a more relatable level compared to the aura and prestige of their lofty ancestors.

Interestingly, Shane said he chose to call the book “Chariot of the Sun” for a couple of reasons, first as a reference to the passage of time and the solar titles of his ancestors, both “Suriyawong” or “Surawong”. He also wanted to point out the sense of irony in a cautionary gesture. He recounts the story of Phaethon, son of the Sun God, who asked to drive the sun chariot, only to burn the earth through his recklessness, and be struck down by one of Zeus’ thunderbolts. 

“I’m not saying that my ancestors burnt the earth; it’s more to recall that those who get close to power run risks. Grandeur is double-edged.”

Chariot of the Sun is published by River Books. The 296-page hardback is available from River Books and leading bookstores.