SIAM [THAILAND]

A visit by Lord Baden-Powell to Siam [Thailand] prior to 1920 resulted in the most enthusiastic support of Scouting by King Rama VI who became the first president of the Siamese Boy Scout Association.  In an effort to tax the people for the cost of Scouting, three different "overprints", were made upon existing supplies of nineteen different stamps honoring their kings.

Known as the "Wild Tiger Corps" the overprinting in 1920 shows the heads of tigers and the wording in Siamese and English of "Scout's Fund," part of the postage payment going to the Scout movement.  Such stamps in philately are known as semi-postals. Type I [#B12-B17] and II [#B18-23] were rubber stamped one at a time and vary greatly in positions.  Type III [#B24-30] were printed in blue or red ink from metal type.

It is believed that no other stamps were sold or could be used during a period when these were available.  Nine government postal cards were also overprinted, three of each type, and are even more scarce to find than are the stamps.  Scout collectors are warned against counterfeit stamps that have recently appeared at spurious prices.  When genuine overprinted Scout stamps appear on original envelopes, they are indeed auction items.

Type I

 

 

 

 

Type II

 

 

 

 

Type III

 

 

 

 

 

SOSSI JOURNAL, Volume 43, Number 1, January 1994.
Updates and modifications by Keith Larson