ALFONSO DE ALBUQUERQUE

this quotation is one of the first references to Siam. It also illustrates the drive for trade. Malacca was a trading center but the King who was constantly in war with Siam did not want to allow the Siamese ships to bring their goods into his port to trade with the Europeans. A Portuguese had an interesting and novel concept of free trade. That and they should be free to trade with anyone in Asia, anywhere, so long as other European nations were not. Siam however was a much larger kingdom and Malacca and had much more skilled artisans and a greater variety of products. Therefore, Portugal sided with what Alfonso de Albuquerque decided would be its best supplier in the area.

this quotation is one of the first references to Siam. It also illustrates the drive for trade. Malacca was a trading center but the King who was constantly in war with Siam did not want to allow the Siamese ships to bring their goods into his port to trade with the Europeans. A Portuguese had an interesting and novel concept of free trade. That and they should be free to trade with anyone in Asia, anywhere, so long as other European nations were not. Siam however was a much larger kingdom and Malacca and had much more skilled artisans and a greater variety of products. Therefore, Portugal sided with what Alfonso de Albuquerque decided would be its best supplier in the area.