This Straits Settlement passport belonged to the young Khaw Joo Choe, scion of the powerful Khaw dynasty, which owned a vast tin mining empire in southern Thailand and Penang. The Khaws were a Sino-Thai and Peranakan family whose business ranged from tin mining and shipping to opium farming. This passport allowed him access to China, Japan, Bangkok and Netherlands India, but it is not known if he traveled to any of these countries.Although the passport in the early days of the Straits Settlements was no more than a certificate, it was a much-desired status symbol. The British colonial government only granted passports to individuals of wealth and influence. The Peranakans saw themselves as loyal British subjects, hence the passport was an important source of pride and also indicated how well-travelled they were.
