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Chapter VI. 
TESTAMENTARY POWER. 
It has been asserted (by the Author of the Historical Relation of 
Siam*) that the Siamese know not such a thing as a will. But be¬ 
sides what shall now be stat^H, it is only requisite to refer to the 
head Gifts to shew that they have,the full force of testaments, for these 
cannot be enjoyed legally and fqitely by the grantee until after the 
death of the granter, (unless the latter should have authorized an 
immediate transfer of the property) and they are resumable at plea¬ 
sure, or in the event of the granter recovering from sickness. 
But the Siamese make written as well as verbal Testaments, nor 
does the law interpose to reverse'sucli acts, even should it appear that 
the Testator has, in the apportioning and alienating of his property, 
infringed the social obligations. A written testament is termed 
Nangsu banchi Sunya Nai klidng, also tham pheenai kun wai signi¬ 
fying to make a will, and a verbal one, Sangwai kap and bak wai. 
All that a widow can claim for herself and children in a case of 
exclusion from the succession to her husband’s estate, is the portion 
she brought to him, and whatever she may have saved out of her 
marddok , or marriage portion and out of the allowance granted to 
her by him during his lifetime, or what she may have amassed by 
frugality or trade or any other occupation. 
It is obvious, from the tenor of the laws affecting men of rank, 
that a great anxiety prevails in the Palace to prevent them from 
squandering tbeir property, because the King virtually shares in it 
on their decease. This being the case, such persons are not allowed 
to make a will until the extent of their property has been ascertained 
and the royal demand satisfied. 
Priests, although next in degree to the King, are passed over in the 
law digests, which respect wills, without much notice, since were 
they even rich, their property on their dying intestate falls to the 
* M. De Louberc, 
