The Long Voyage
The Dutch, renowned as foremost westerners, have been famous for their expertise in a long cruise across oceans. Among their major seaports in the ancient time were Amsterdam and Rotterdam Port.
Apart from their skilled navigation, their trading expertise has been much more outstanding, having the Dutch manipulate the trading lines in South East Asia under the management of the establish firm named United East India Company or VOC, founded on 20 March 1602. This state-governed firm had its headquarter in Amsterdam, The Netherlands and its regional trade post in Batavia in Java, currently in Indonesia. Initially, their aim in this region was merely a trade by exporting local spices namely Siam Cardamon, Clove tree, Jan Thed and pepper to Europe. This agricultural area with these spices covered South-east Asia islands like Molukka Island or widely known as Spice Island, Sumatra and Ambon.
Later, the Dutch merchants realized their good chance of being trading agents in dealing local merchandises in Asian port; hence, they set up several branch trading posts in the regions, e.g. Nagasaki in Japan, India, Sri Lanka, Banda Aceh, Formosa, Malacca, Pattani and Ayutthaya, etc. They loaded Ayutthaya products including deer skin, ivory, rhinoceros, rayskin, rice, time, bird nest, to trade in Japan and others. Meanwhile, they also brought back luxurious merchandises from China, e.g. ceramic products, silk, to Ayutthaya. They also bought local products such as pepper, teak, Fang wood, Chan wood, aloe wood, lead, wax, aniline blue, gold, jewelry, and rubber.
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