What's in a name ?

A history professor from Thammasat University is organising a campaign to officially call Thailand, Siam. If the professor get his way perhaps other countries may also want to use their ancient names too. Lets do a trial run...


Name : Siam





In 1939, by Government order, the name of Siam was changed to Thailand. Thai was the ancient name of the Siamese people and meant the 'free.'

Name : Formosa

In 1517 Portuguese sailors fleet sailing through the Taiwan Strait on the way to Japan sighted Taiwan and called it Ilha Formosa, meaning beautiful island.




Name : Ceylon






Ceilão was the name given to Sri Lanka by the Portuguese when they arrived in 1505. The british called it Ceylon until 1972.




Name : Nusantara

Nusantara is a Javanese phrase meaning "outer islands" (from nusa, "island")
Nusantara is an Indonesian word designating the Indonesian archipelago.



Name : Persia



For more than three thousand years Iran was referred to as Persia, until 1935.



Name : Mesopotamia


Iraq was part of the Mesopotamia region until the arrival of the Islamic Caliphate, when the region came to be known as Iraq.




Name :Temasek



Singapore was founded in 1819.
'Sea Town' in Javanese, spelt Tumasik