Horace Geoffrey Quaritch Wales was born in 1900 and educated at Charterhouse and Queen's College Cambridge. In 1924 he entered the service of the Siamese government and from 1924-1928 acted as an adviser to King Rama VI and King Rama VII. This led to the publication of _Siamese State Ceremonies_ (1931), and _Ancient Siamese Government and Administration_ (1934), this volume being translated into Thai in the same year. He married and with his wife, Dorothy, began extensive travel particularly in south and southeast Asia. During 1934-6 he served as field-director for the Greater India Research Committee, directing archaeological work on early Buddhist sites in Thailand. From 1937-1940 he and his wife undertook surveys and excavations in Malaya, particularly in the Kedah region. He published _The Making of Greater India_ (1951) and continued to publish books, articles and reviews throughout his career. He died in 1981.