Treaty of Amity and Commerce (Siam–UK)

A Treaty of Amity and Commerce that is known in the history of Malaysia as the Burney Treaty was concluded in the latter part of 1826 by Henry Burney, an agent of British East India Company, with King Rama III of Siam. This followed from the inclusion of Siam as nominal British ally in the peace signed on February 24, 1826, that ended the first Anglo-Burmese War (1824-1826). Siam had been approached as a possible ally against her traditional enemy, and a Siamese army was actually equipped, but took no serious part in the war due to ill-feeling and suspicion arising from events in Kedah. Later that year, the Burney Treaty was successfully concluded in Bangkok in the reign of Rama III. The treaty acknowledged Siamese claims over the four northern Malay states of Kedah, Kelantan, Perlis and Terengganu. The treaty further guaranteed British ownership of Penang and their rights to trade in Kelantan and Terengganu without Siamese interference. The four Malay states were not represented in the treaty negotiation. In 1909, the parties of the agreement signed a new treaty that superseded the 1826 treaty, known as Anglo-Siamese Treaty of 1909, or the Bangkok Treaty of 1909, which transferred the four Malay states from Siamese to British dominion.^[1][2]

References

1. ^ Stern, Duncan (May 14 – May 20, 2004). "Dr. John Crawfurd and the Mission to Thailand, 1822" (Column). A Slice of Thai History. Pattaya Mail. http://www.pattayamail.com/563/columns.shtml#hd6. Retrieved August 11, 2011. "This in turn helped Captain Henry Burney conclude a treaty of commerce with Thailand in June 1826." 
2. ^ Wood, William A. R. (2001-10-01). A history of Siam (Paperback ed.). Lightning Source Inc. ISBN 1931541108.