Opened in 1997, the EFEO center in Bangkok is housed in the Sirindhorn Anthropology Center (SAC), a research institute under the Thai Ministry of Culture.
History
Louis Finot was the first member of the EFEO to travel through Siam, in 1904, at the end of his term as the institution’s first director. Étienne Lunet de Lajonquière, who accompanied him, went on to produce the first descriptions of the Khmer monuments in the kingdom. A decade later, George Cœdès settled in Bangkok to take up the position of chief curator of the Vajirañana Library, at the invitation of Prince Damrong Rajanubhab. Cœdès remained in this position for more than ten years. Among other works, he published a two-volume Recueil des Inscriptions du Siam (Collection of Inscriptions of Siam).
At the instigation of Cœdès, who had just been appointed director of the EFEO, the architect Jean-Yves Claeys undertook a long mission to Siam, which resulted in an important study on Thai art and archaeology (1931). In the following years, Suzanne Karpelès and Pierre Dupont made several trips to Siam. The former drew inspiration from the Royal Institute and the Vajirañana Library to establish the Buddhist Institute in Cambodia and then in Laos. The latter conducted research on Mon archaeology in Dvaravati, the publication of which was to mark a milestone in studies in this field.
The Indochina War and the subsequent withdrawal of French authorities from the region beginning in 1954 did not put an end to the EFEO’s activities in Thailand. Jean Boisselier, an art historian, taught at Silpakorn University alongside Prince Subhadradis Diskul, the son of Prince Damro.
The Indochina War and the subsequent withdrawal of French authorities from the region beginning in 1954 did not put an end to the EFEO’s activities in Thailand. Jean Boisselier, an art historian, taught at Silpakorn University alongside Prince Subhadradis Diskul, the son of Prince Damrong Rajanubhab.
From the mid-1960s, Pierre Pichard, following in the footsteps of Bernard-Philippe Groslier, worked on the anastylosis restoration of several Khmer temples in northeastern Thailand: Prasat Hin Phimai, Phanom Rung, and Phanom Wan. In 1997, he opened the EFEO center in Bangkok, in the presence of HRH Princess Kalyani. Hosted by the Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn Anthropology Center (SAC), the Bangkok center is one of two EFEO locations in Thailand (along with the Chiang Mai center, created by François Bizot in the late 1970s). François Lagirarde took over as director of the center in 2001. He was succeeded by Christophe Pottier (2011-2016) and then Jacques Leider (2017-2021). The Bangkok center is currently directed by Gregory Kourilsky.
Presentation
Research conducted at the EFEO Center in Bangkok focuses primarily on the civilizations that occupied the territory corresponding to present-day Thailand and its neighboring areas (Cambodia, Laos, Burma, southern China, and the Malay Peninsula): the Tai kingdoms of Sukhothai, Ayutthaya, Lanna, Laos, and Sipsongpanna; the Khmer region; the Mon cultures known as “Dvaravati” and “Haripunchai”; etc. A significant part of the research conducted at the center is based on the study of documents in vernacular languages (inscriptions, manuscripts, archives), archaeological remains, works of art, and various artifacts. Projects in the field of anthropology, particularly in the northern provinces of Thailand and in Rakhine State in Myanmar, are also welcomed at the Center. Finally, a number of projects concern the development of digital databases (inscriptions, manuscripts, anthropological archives), conducted in close collaboration with the SAC.
Partners and partnerships
The presence of the EFEO center in Bangkok is based on collaboration with the Sirindhorn Anthropology Center (SAC), established on the basis of a four-year scientific cooperation program between the two institutions. Proposed by the EFEO and validated by the SAC, this program (renewed every four years since 1999) is approved by the Thailand International Cooperation Agency (TICA), a division of the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The EFEO center in Bangkok also has partnerships with several Thai institutions, including the Fine Arts Department (Krom Silpakorn), the Faculty of Archaeology at Silpakorn University, the Siam Society Under Royal Patronage, and the Office of the Royal Society.
Research areas
- Archeology of Thailand and neighboring countries
- Epigraphy of the various collections found on Thai soil (Khmer, Mon, Thai, Lao, etc.)
- Philology (Buddhist texts from Thailand, Laos, Cambodia)
- Anthropology (study of minority populations in northern Thailand)
Activities
- Organization of symposiums, exhibitions, and training workshops, in collaboration with the SAC or other partners in Thailand.
- Contribution to the development of the SAC database (epigraphy, manuscripts, ethnography)
- Hosting researchers and students
- Research and promotion work carried out in collaboration with the Chiang Mai center
Translated with DeepL.com
Research project
École française d'Extrême-Orient
Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn Anthropology Centre
20 Borommaratchachonnani Road
Bangkok 10170
Thaïlande
+66 2 433 12 68
Dernière modification : 25 février 2026