The Parsis are probably one of the most elusive ethnoreligious groups arriving from India in Thailand. Individuals of this fast disappearing community have made great contributions to the development of the Siamese/Thai nation; yet, their existence is often overlooked, and their history as members of the nation is left unrecorded.

This paper is an attempt to reconstruct the history of the Parsis in Siam/Thailand through gravestone research, archival research and oral history research. It traces key points in the development of the Parsi community in Siam/Thailand. It also seeks to broaden our knowledge of the interaction between Siam and India through a network of Parsis and Gujarati-speaking communities. Ample attention is given to the Parsis' development from an insular minority group to a modern community, with a pluralistic outlook, as well as to their significant role in the commercial, educational, public service and cultural milieu of the Siamese/Thai nation.

About the Speaker: Jirayudh Sinthuphan is the Director of South Asian Studies Centre and the Deputy Director of Academic Affairs, he is currently a faculty at  the The Institute of Asian Studies (IAS), Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok. He completed a PhD and MA from the University of Exeter and a BA in Communication Arts from Chulalongkorn University. His expertise spans Cultural Studies, South Asian Studies, and Cultural Diplomacy. His research includes works like _Mapping Migration: Culture and Identity in the Indian Diasporas of Southeast Asia and the UK_ (2018) and _The Invisible Citizen: Parsis of Siam and the Development of the Nation _(2018). Dr Jirayudh has also contributed to significant symposiums and conferences across Asia and globally.