Page:Statesman's Year-Book 1921.djvu/1329

 SHIPPING AND COMMUNICATIONS

1277

For two yeart the distribution of Siamese trade through Bangkok by principal countries was as follows : —

Imports from

1915-19

Exports to

1018-19

u- 19-20

£.

4

United Kingdom

■

Singapore and

.vong

Federated Malay

Singapore.

States

4,984,926

6,993,461

India and Burma

l,M ■.'.'-.

Hong Kong

3,450,670

3,135,608

Chin-*

T13.12-J

United Kingdom

106,543

Japan

542,847

India and Burma

201,535

mjm

United States.

514,574

816.15S

Netherlands India

tinls India

and Holland.

1,108,312

and Holland

395,220

634,471

China

117,510

SM.0K

I n d o-C h i n a and

Japan

1,054,185

310,456

France

116,175

In do-China and

Switzerland

Krance.

It ,9M

States.

32,604

57,057

Port Said (for orders)

3i,Mi

537,246

Belgium.

—

1 264,174

Denmark.

15.6S1

Portugal.

—

i 163,965

Sweden

117,079

The principal imports in 1919-20 were: cotton goods, 1,225, 9071. : food stuffs, 1,103,7S7/. ; metal manufactures, 691,863/. : gunny bags, 529,789/ ; tobacco, 249,847/. ; sugar and molasses, 648,367/. ; petroleum, etc., 564,124/. : silk, linen and woollen goods, 540,545/. The principal exports were rice, 10,911,586/. ; and teak, 1,189,861/.

There is a considerable trade on the northern frontiers with the British Shan states and Yunnan, carried on by hawkers.

Total trade between Siam and United Kingdom for 5 years (Board of Trade Returns) : —

1917

Imports from Siam into U. Kingdom - Exports to Siam from U. Kingdom

£

1.126.947 1,299,367

1918

1919

£ £ £. £

1,289,411 56,074 1,419,883 794,938

.-;• 1.618,555 1,7-17.770 4.060,152

Shipping and Communications.

In 1919-20, 639 vessels of 581,390 tonnage entered the port of Bangkok. In 1917 a Siamese Company instituted a regular service between Bangkok, Hbng Kong, and the Southern China Ports, in competition with the China Navigation Co., Ltd. (Butteriield & Swire), a British company which has captured the shipping trade formerly done by the North German Lloyd Orient Line.

There were, at the end of March, 1919, 1,333 miles of State and private railways made up as follows : — (1) Northern Line, 591 miles ; (2) Southern Line, 677 miles; (3) private lines. 65 miles. The Northern Line is a normal- gauge railway system comprising the line from Bangkok to Korat (with a branch ruuning North which has now gone beyond Nakawn Lampang, and is halfway from there to Chiengmai) and a line from Bangkok to Patriew. These lines will shortly be converted to metre yauge. The Southern Line is likewise a State railway, but of metre gauge, and runs from Bangkok down the Malay Peninsula, to Tuugsawng, whence branch