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Wednesday, May 15, 2024

Missed opportunity to challenge insularity of Thainess

The story of Eng and Chang is based on the life of Siamese twins. Photo by courtesy of Kantana Motion Pictures. Kantana Motion Pictures

The world-famous conjoined twins — better known as Siamese twins — had caught the eyes of the world long after they turned their back on public life.

Their story is being told in Extraordinary Siamese Story: Eng And Chang on Disney+. However, the retelling of this classic legend does not go far enough in terms of questioning Thainess, especially exceptionalism, which lends itself a special status in the region due to its non-colonial past.

The 13-episode series is based on the true story of Eng and Chang from 19th century Siam. Born with a band of flesh at their chest, they were taken to the US in 1829 for an exhibition. After winning fame and fortune,…

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