Power, Identity, and the Rise of Modern Architecture: from Siam to Thailand - Paperbackby Koompong Noobanjong (Author) Modern architecture is a creation of the West. In a non Western context, it normally reflects a direct intervention of Western powers through colonization. Thailand, formerly known as Siam, is an exception. Thai people have argued that they adopted and assimilated modern architecture into their unique cultural tradition without being physically colonized. The shift toward Western culture and Modernity is evident in 19th