About the author and the translator

 

    About the author 

Werner Röpke from Braunschweig worked from 1972 to 1974 for the German Development Service at the Faculty of Agriculture at Chiang Mai University, where he also worked on the Royal Project of the then reigning King Bhumipol.

In his retirement, he had the time and leisure to study the history of Siam, focussing on German-Siamese relations during the reign of King Chulalongkorn.

 

 

                           

                                

My thanks go to Werner Röpke for entrusting me with the translation of his marvellous book on Thailand (or Siam as it was then known). I have lived in Germany and the UK for many years, but Werner lived in Thailand for a really long time and was able to give me some historical background knowledge, including the difference between kite competitions and dragon performances... both with male and female kites or dragons!

It was a privilege to read the fascinating account of a German nobleman's visit to Siam and how he fell in love with the country. Werner's well-chosen photographs add to the atmosphere and bring the period back to life, especially with the use of early photographs taken by the ladies at the Court of Siam. I hope that my translation does justice to Werner's work and helps you to appreciate how fascinated the Duke of Mecklenburg was by his encounter with the King of Siam, by the hospitality he enjoyed there and by the country he came to love.

Marianne Sonksen