Page:Statesman's Year-Book 1899 American Edition.djvu/1356

 1000

SIAM

I 111 ports

18P6

1897

Exports

1S90

1897

£

£

£

£

Treasure.

r.54,2ol

874.370

Rice

2,121,145

2,.342,019

Cotton goods.

230,541

237,208

Teak.

264,805

284,012

Silks

88,298

91,519

Treasure

198,369

116,520

Gunny bags.

72,213

75,092

Marine products.

103,638

84,888

j Kerosene.

54,805

75,437

Woods (other than

Miscellaneous piece

teak).

39,441

39,173

goods.

77,129

08,803

Bullocks

40,029

4,419

Sugar

39,707

62,310

Pepper.

27,074

22,693

1 Opium

99,931

55,055

Other articles

225,190

308,894

j Cotton varn.

40,991

40,016

Hardware and Cut-

lery

35,039

39,938.

Steel, Iron and

Machinery.

30,053

29,974

Other articles.

768,214

829,418

The imports (in order of value) are from Singapore, Hong Kong and China, Europe, Bombay. The exports (in order of value) are to Hong Kong, Singapore, Europe, Bombay, Brazil, Saigon, China. There is also a con- siderable trade on the northern frontiers with the British Shan states and Yunnan, amounting in 1895, for imports,- to 17,518Z., and for exports to 19,525?.

The trade of the United Kingdom with Siam, according to the Board of Trade Returns, was as follows during the last five years : —

—

1893

1894

1895

1896

1897

Imports from Siam into U. K

Exports of British pro- duce to Siam

£ 46,995 85,961

£ 115,186

78,245

£ 157,994 139,845

£ 110,264 136,487

£ 246,940 150,380

The chief articles of direct import from Siam into Great Britain in the year 1897 were rice, valued at 130,133Z. and hewn teak-wood, valued at il4,619Z. Among the direct exports of British produce to Siam the chief articles in 1897 were machinery and mill-work, of the value of 24,612Z. ; iron, wrought and unwrought, 16,651?. ; cottons, 22,624Z. ; railway carnages, S,105Z. There is a large importation of British piece-goods, transhipped .at Singapore.

Shipping and Communications.

In 1897, 533 vessels of 453,611 tons (390 of 351,894 tons British) entered, and 521 of 463,244 tons (386 of 358,452 tons British) cleared at the port of Jiangkok.

The railway from Bangkok to Paknam (14 miles) was opened in April, 1893. In 1888 a survey for a railway from Bangkok to Chiengmai and other northern and eastern provinces of Siam was commenced ; a line from Bangkok to Ban Mai on the Patriew river has been sanctioned ; a railway from Bangkok to Korat (165 miles), has been completed and is worked regularly as lar as Hinlap, 98 miles from Bangkok. There is an electric tramway in Bangkok, worked successfully, and the town is also lighted by electricit}', a concession for that purpose having been granted to an American Syndicate.