SHIPPING AND COMMUNICATIONS
1277
For two yeart the distribution of Siamese trade through Bangkok by principal countries was as follows : —
Imports from
1915-19
Exports to
1018-19
u- 19-20
£.
4
United Kingdom
■
Singapore and
.vong
Federated Malay
Singapore .
States
4,984,926
6,993,461
India and Burma
l,M ■.'.'-.
Hong Kong
3,450,670
3,135,608
Chin-*
T13.12-J
United Kingdom
106,543
Japan
542,847
India and Burma
201,535
mjm
United States .
514,574
816.15S
Netherlands India
tinls India
and Holland .
1,108,312
and Holland
395,220
634,471
China
117,510
SM.0K
I n d o-C h i n a and
Japan
1,054,185
310,456
France
116,175
In do-China and
Switzerland
Krance .
It ,9M
States .
32,604
57,057
Port Said (for orders)
3i,Mi
537,246
Belgium .
—
1 264,174
Denmark .
15.6S1
Portugal .
—
i 163,965
Sweden
117,079
The principal imports in 1919-20 were: cotton goods, 1,225, 9071. : food stuffs, 1,103,7S7/. ; metal manufactures, 691,863/. : gunny bags, 529,789/ ; tobacco, 249,847/. ; sugar and molasses, 648,367/. ; petroleum, etc., 564,124/. : silk, linen and woollen goods, 540,545/. The principal exports were rice, 10,911,586/. ; and teak, 1,189,861/.
There is a considerable trade on the northern frontiers with the British Shan states and Yunnan, carried on by hawkers.
Total trade between Siam and United Kingdom for 5 years (Board of Trade Returns) : —
1917
Imports from Siam into U. Kingdom - Exports to Siam from U. Kingdom
£
1.126.947 1,299,367
1918
1919
£ £ £. £
1,289,411 56,074 1,419,883 794,938
.-;• 1.618,555 1,7-17.770 4.060,152
Shipping and Communications.
In 1919-20, 639 vessels of 581,390 tonnage entered the port of Bangkok. In 1917 a Siamese Company instituted a regular service between Bangkok, Hbng Kong, and the Southern China Ports, in competition with the China Navigation Co., Ltd. (Butteriield & Swire), a British company which has captured the shipping trade formerly done by the North German Lloyd Orient Line.
There were, at the end of March, 1919, 1,333 miles of State and private railways made up as follows : — (1) Northern Line, 591 miles ; (2) Southern Line, 677 miles; (3) private lines. 65 miles. The Northern Line is a normal- gauge railway system comprising the line from Bangkok to Korat (with a branch ruuning North which has now gone beyond Nakawn Lampang, and is halfway from there to Chiengmai) and a line from Bangkok to Patriew. These lines will shortly be converted to metre yauge. The Southern Line is likewise a State railway, but of metre gauge, and runs from Bangkok down the Malay Peninsula, to Tuugsawng, whence branch
