Hong Taechawanit
Hong Taechawanit, born Zheng Yifeng and also known as Zheng Zhiyong or Er Ge Feng, was a Chinese businessman, philanthropist, and secret society member active in early twentieth-century Siam.
He was later ennobled by King Vajiravudh with the title Phra Anuwat Ratchaniyom, and granted the surname Techawanit.
Early life
Sources diverge on Hong's origins. Thai accounts hold he was born in Bangkok in 1851, the son of Khia Tae, a Teochew immigrant, and Keut, a Thai woman. After his parents' early deaths, he was raised by relatives in Guangdong Province, China, before returning to Siam at age sixteen.Chinese sources state he was born in Qiyuan Village, Chao'an County, Chaozhou, Guangdong. His father, Zheng Shisheng, fled China during the First Opium War but died en route to Thailand. After his mother remarried, Yifeng moved to Thailand and settled in Bangkok.
Career
While working for gambling magnate Liu Jibin, Hong became a member of the clandestine Chinatown-based Tian Di Hui or "Heaven and Earth Society". He acquired the nickname "Er Ge Feng" as the society's second-highest authority and became leader after his predecessor's death.Hong successfully petitioned King Chulalongkorn for tax farming rights over gambling houses. In 1909, he dissented from popular Chinese sentiment against tax reforms and refused to join a three-day strike. In June 1918, he was granted the surname Taechawanit, and conferred the title of Phra Anuwat Ratchaniyom by King Vajiravudh.
He built a conglomerate comprising pawnshops, a printing press, a shipping line, a theatre, and the biggest gambling house in the country. His mansion in Phlapphla Chai served as his company headquarters.
He financed schools in Thailand and China, newspapers, charities, and flood relief in Guangdong.