Thailand
Mr. Alden Gates Caldwell Mr. Alden Gates Caldwell was probably the only Thai passenger on the Titanic and he was also among the youngest ones. He was born on June 10th 1911 in Bangkok, Siam, today Thailand. He was the son of Albert Francis and Sylvia Mae Caldwell and he was just 10 months old when he boarded the Titanic. His parents Sylvia and Albert attended Park College in Missouri where they met and fell in love. Shortly after their graduation they married on September 1st 1909 in Colorado Springs, Colorado. The couple moved to Siam and they both taught at the Bangkok Christian College for Boys in Bangkok. They were under the auspices of the Presbyterian Board of Foreign Missions, while there they retained their American Citizenship. Their son, Alden Gates Caldwell was born on June 10th 1911, in Bangkok. The little Alden lost the dual citizenship due to the unfortunate fact that the birth was not registered at the American Consulate. Later on the grown up Alden found himself unable to obtain a birth certificate and had no official proof of his dual, American citizenship. In 1912 the family traveled through Europe and they were at Naples, Italy when they saw a sign in the hotel advertising. It was the advert of the new White Star liner Titanic and his coming first voyage. They immediately decided to travel with the Titanic but they were unable to make a reservation in Naples, therefore they traveled to England. Arriving to London they waited for a cancellation in the White Star office, but luckily they got the tickets they wanted.
The Caldwell family boarded the Titanic on April 10th 2012. Photo is copyrighted by Julie Hedgepeth Williams, author of the book "A Rare Titanic Family: The Caldwells' Story of Survival."