CrIFTiS. 
O/ 1 
The 3d. class includes presents brought by Ambassadors from for¬ 
eign Courts or sent by the Court of Siam to foreign governments. 
Ambassadors are called K,h6k muring" PJia Raehasaan (maa, the 
perfect of the verb, being added fo signify the arrival of one.) 
K,hdng bannakaan means presents , sent by one independent Go¬ 
vernment to another, and when it is intimated that an envoy from 
such a Government has delivered presents, the phrase is “ kai khong 
bannakaan maa t,himg lio ” and “ KJi6ng bannakaan Chau P,hreea 
(here the name of the country is added) hai ma kap tha saam p,haa 
kyhru-ang bannakaan U Rachasaan ma tjikng Mo i. e. The King of 
-’s Ambassador, bearing presents and a letter, has arrived.'’ 
Like the Chinese, the Thai race is very scrupulous in valuing pre¬ 
sents received, and in making what they may suppose an adequate 
return. Although it will generally be found that the valuation of 
what is received by them is greatly underrated. 
The moment an envoy arrives, officers are appointed to note down 
the nature, quantity, and value of presents brought. 1 he most cost¬ 
ly and new, equally with the most common articles, brought as pre¬ 
sents, are beheld without any outward expressions of curiosity or gra¬ 
tification, by the Siamese officers; as they affect to impress the giver 
with a belief that such things are quite indifferent to their master, 
when in reality there is no trick which, ex-officialiy, most of them 
would not practice to obtain for themselves presents of the most or¬ 
dinary kind from envoys. 
The last class of gifts may be considered as embracing every spe¬ 
cies of tribute or kJiang bannakaan t.hawai , termed also kjiriing , 
and ddJc mai ngun t,hang , gold and silver flowers. T.hmvai so-c't , 
or t,hawai k,ham nati expresses the payment ol tribute. ¥ 
* It has been thought requisite to be thus minute on this Head as these 
terms are easily convertible, and experience has shewn that the Siamese are. 
ever ready, when they can do it with impunity, to make use of such express- 
sions in their correspondence with foreign states as may best serve to flat¬ 
ter their own vanity and raise them to a higher but imaginary elevation in 
the scale of nations. 
The King sends always three persons with his Embassies to foreign 
Courts, and they are seldom intrusted with much discretionary power. 
These are the PJiraya Kachatjxot or Chief. The Lppatjiot , or second, 
and the Trit,hot or third. 
