Associate Professor Sumit Pitiphat, 19 May 1943 – 11 August 2024
Assoc. Prof. Sumit Pitiphat was a former Vice Rector for Research and Academic Services at Thammasat University, a former Dean of the Faculty of Sociology and Anthropology at Thammasat University (1988–1991), a former Director of the Thai Khadi Research Institute (1993–1999), and a key figure in the establishment of the Thammasat Museum of Anthropology (1987).
Assoc. Prof. Sumit Pitiphat earned his master’s degrees in sociology from Michigan State University and in anthropology from Harvard University in the United States. After a period as a lecturer at Thammasat University, he was appointed head of the Independent Department of Sociology and Anthropology, which was later established as a Faculty in 1984.
Assoc. Prof. Sumit Pitiphat taught and conducted extensive surveys and research on Thai socio-culture, archaeology, and Tai ethnic groups, both within Thailand and abroad. His work includes a survey and research on the economic and social changes in the area of the Ubol Ratana Dam in Khon Kaen province, research on floating houses in Phitsanulok and Uthai Thani provinces (1970), and a study of the folk culture of the Lao Song ethnic group in Phetchaburi province (1976–1987).
Assoc. Prof. Sumit Pitiphat had a vital role in founding the Thammasat Museum of Anthropology, in line with Thammasat University’s policy to celebrate the 60th birthday of His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej The Great. Thammasat University assigned the Faculty of Sociology and Anthropology to manage the museum’s operations, which have been developed since its first public opening on 5 December 1987.
Assoc. Prof. Sumit Pitiphat had a special interest in archaeology and ethnology since he started working as a civil servant. His work includes research and excavation reports on the Ban Chiang archaeological site (1974), research and excavation reports for the Ban That and Ban Om Kaeo sites in Udon Thani province (1976), a study of the ancient Ban Phue civilization site (1974-1976), and a study of the Sangkhalok ceramics sites in the Thanon Thong Chai mountain range and the Mae Moei River Basin archaeology project in Tak province. It can be said that he was one of the key figures involved in archaeological excavations during the early period of modern Thai archaeology.
In 1993, Assoc. Prof. Sumit Pitiphat was appointed a director of the Thai Khadi Research Institute. He expanded his interests to study Tai ethnic groups outside of Thailand, a project that lasted for nearly a decade. He conducted extensive fieldwork and data collection with groups of lecturers and students in China, Taiwan, Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar, and India. He published numerous books related to this research, including: Tai and Laji People in Northern Vietnam (2001), Religion and Beliefs of the Tai Dam in Sip Song Chu Thai, Socialist Republic of Vietnam (2002), Tai Communities in Northern Myanmar: Southern Shan State, Mandalay Division, and Hkamti Long (2002), Beliefs and Rituals of the Tai-Ahom in Assam State, India (2002), and Tai Daeng People in Houaphanh Province, Lao People’s Democratic Republic (2003).
Even after retiring, Assoc. Prof. Sumit Pitiphat continued to support the Thammasat Museum of Anthropology. In addition to supporting the publication of books for the museum’s exhibitions, such as 25 Years of the Thammasat Museum of Anthropology (2012), Lacquer Culture in Southeast Asia (2014), and Ban Chiang: The Dawn of Thai Archaeology (2016), he also donated art objects, ethnographic items, and, most notably, nearly ten thousand photographs from the field research to the museum for exhibition and future research. The academic works, art objects, and ethnographic items he donated is similar to a wellspring of knowledge for students, researchers, and the public to draw from and expand upon, ensuring that the growth of knowledge is endless.
Associate Professor Sumit Pitiphat and His Collection
The period following World War II and the Cold War led to significant social, cultural, political, and educational changes in Southeast Asia. A joint archaeological study project between Thailand and the United States, along with new technology for dating artifacts, made the study of the northeastern region of Thailand, known for its prehistoric cultures, a widely popular topic among Thai and foreign scholars, as well as the general public, as a major ancient civilization site. Ajarn Sumit became interested in archaeology at this period, as evidenced by his work in research and the artifacts he collected during his fieldwork.
Following the aforementioned academic trends, from 1972 – 1973, Ajarn Sumit led students from the Faculty of Sociology and Anthropology, along with students from the Faculty of Archaeology at Silpakorn University, on a fieldwork expedition. Their purpose was to conduct archaeological surveys and excavations, and to collect anthropological data from the surrounding communities at the Ban Chiang, Om Kaeo, and Ban That archaeological sites in Udon Thani province. During this work, several professors who participated were given some artifacts by the local communities. These artifacts are currently preserved at the Thammasat Chalermprakiat Museum.
Between 1974 and 1976, Ajarn Sumit also took students to survey archaeological sites in the Ban Phue district of Udon Thani province, which is home to the menhir and Sema stone cultures. Although this particular project didn’t yield any physical artifacts, it could be said that he collected “memories” through the photographs taken during the survey. These photos serve as a travel log, a record of the history and teaching methods of the Faculty of Sociology and Anthropology, and crucial evidence for later generations of archaeologists to understand the condition and use of these archaeological sites during that period.
His interest in archaeology expanded to include a wider range of cultures and time periods. Around 1984, numerous burial sites were discovered on mountaintops in the Thanon Thong Chai mountain range. These sites contained a variety of offerings, including ceramic ware from various production centers such as China, Sukhothai, Lanna, and Vietnam, as well as lime pots, lacquerware, beads, and other items. The artifacts were dated to roughly the 19th to 21st centuries BE. Objects from these burial sites became highly sought after in the international art and antiquities market. This phenomenon prompted him to research the burial sites. The book published from this research made a significant contribution by preserving primary information before the burial sites were destroyed.
The atmosphere of the post-Cold War era and the opening of borders between countries with a history of political conflict in the region is conveyed through field photographs from the Tai Cultures research project between 1987 and 1997. The books that resulted from this research project, published in the following decade, are considered “a collection of books” or a significant “collection” for those interested in studying Tai peoples outside of Thailand.
Assoc. Prof. Sumit Pitiphat’s collection reflects a wide range of interests, both personal and academic. Some of the artifacts demonstrate his connection to the areas where he conducted research. For instance, his research in Vietnam likely led him to begin collecting for the purpose of remembrance, as seen in the ethnic artifacts, funerary sculptures, and Dong Son culture bronzes in his collection. His own research publications have also become “collected objects” for later generations of scholars, such as his series of books on Tai cultures. Therefore, it can be said that Professor Sumit left an autobiographical trace in his various collections, and at the same time, these collections serve to tell the story of the social, political, and cultural contexts of different periods in themselves.
Collections and Photographic Archive of Associate Professor Sumit Pitiphat
The Faculty of Sociology and Anthropology and the Thammasat Museum of Anthropology have created the “Anthropology Photographic and Archival Repository Project, Faculty of Sociology and Anthropology, Thammasat University” to organize and store archival documents and photographs of the faculty’s professors to be a knowledge repository for study and research by professors, students, and interested individuals. The “Collected Objects and Photo Archives of Associate Professor Sumit Pitiphat” are considered the first collection of this effort.
Assoc. Prof. Sumit Pitiphat has played a significant role in the Faculty of Sociology and Anthropology, including in its administration. His involvement spans from the faculty’s transitional period, moving from an independent department within the Faculty of Social Administration to becoming its own Faculty on 17 February 1984. He served as the Dean from 1988 to 1991 and was a co-founder of the Thammasat Museum of Anthropology in 1987.
In terms of lecture, field survey and research, Assoc. Prof. Sumit Pitiphat has shown a special interest in work related to archaeology and ethnology. He has traveled extensively with faculty members and students for surveys and data collection, both within Thailand and abroad. In archaeology, he played a significant role in the exploration and support of archaeological studies during the early period of modern Thai archaeology (for example, the excavation at Ban Om Kaeo, Ban Chiang subdistrict, Udon Thani province in 1972), and the survey of the ancient civilization site of Ban Phue, Udon Thani province (1974-1976). In the field of ethnography, he was the head of a research project on the “Tai nationality” and traveled extensively to survey and collect data for nearly a decade. These trips were the source of a large number of photographs and artifacts for research. He has donated some of the artifacts and most of the photographs to the museum for the benefit of future research.
A fellow companion on the Tai peoples’ study project reflected on the “importance” of fieldwork with Assoc. Prof. Sumit Pitiphat and offered an interesting “contemplation” on the meaning of “objects” and “the viewing of objects” from an academic perspective:
“…The anthropological path Ajarn Sumit… opened up an exciting and thought-provoking encounter with various kinds of objects and goods. It exhibits the nature of a blur and fragility of authenticity. The line between an authentic and a fake ethnic object cannot be easily drawn.
In some cases, we feel an object is authentic because we experienced it ourselves, seeing the lives of the people, the process of creation, and the surrounding atmosphere of the thing. Even if the object itself is mixed with what appears to be fake, it doesn’t matter. In some cases, we are not as interested in the object’s authenticity as we are in the stories of the people, the community, and the history that led to its creation.
It could be said that the object’s sociocultural life is more valuable than the object itself. In some cases, authenticity is overshadowed and swallowed by the imagination that arises from conversations among the travelers or between the buyer and the seller… which allows meaning and value to accumulate endlessly. Using ethnic goods to remember stories from faraway lands can create a desire that makes people want to go and see for themselves, a desire that never ends…”
Paritta Chalermpow Koanantakool, “Cultural Goods on the Anthropological Path,” an academic article and memoir on the occasion of the retirement of Associate Professor Sumit Pitiphat (2003).
A Joyous Life
Happy’s the man who travels on
Winding roads that go beyond
Towns and fields, valleys and hills
To thatch-roofed houses on stills.
For years he’s gone to find the traces
On the Tai who dwell in different places,
In northern Vietnam, Assam, Burma,
Laos, and southern China.
Through photos and documents
He captures their settlements,
Customs, beliefs and daily missions
Giving insights into their foundations.
Happy’s the man who reaches his sixty,
Going through life gracefully,
Through happiness and suffering-
In disguise a blessing.
It’s time to release from one’s burden,
To taste the fruits in one’s garden,
To thoroughly learn the world and life,
And to light up candles inside.
May his experiences be treasures,
And oasis for other;
May his sixties be always bright
With lasting and real delight.
นาริสา เดชสุภา
