James Low (4 April 1791 – 1852) was a Scottish military officer with the East India Company who was known for his writings on the Thai language and the art and culture of the Malay Peninsula.
In January 1819 Low moved to the East India Company's settlement in Penang and spent the rest of his career in and around the Straits of Malacca.
The knowledge of Thai was particularly important in the light of events on the Malay Peninsula, to which the Burmese had sent their last military expedition against Siam, directed at its west coast territories.
Its aim was to enlist the support of the Raja of Ligor, who was in command of most of the Siamese territories on the west coast of the peninsula including Kedah, for the planned British move up the Irrawaddy River.
[1][2] Although Low's main responsibility as an officer of the East India Company was to settle disputes with local chiefs in the interests of the British—a task he did not always succeed in fulfilling—he was also a pioneer in the study of Thai language, literature and art by Westerners.
[2] Low had a strong interest in Thai art, and amassed a large collection of fine paintings and drawings from southern Thailand.