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> Essays on Thailand > King Chulalongkorn
the Great
"Chulalongkorn
Day" or "Piyamaharaj Day", which we say in Thai, is celebrated
on 23rd October of ev King Chulalongkorn (Phra Chulachom Klao Chaoyuhua or RamaV) succeeded to the throne at the death of his father, King Mongkut (or Phra Chom Klao). He was born on September 20, 1853 the first son of Queen Ramphai Pamarapirom (Thepsirindra) and the 9th surviving son of King Mongkut. King Rama V ascended the Throne in 1868 at the age of 15, with Chao Phraya Sri Suriyawongse as Regent. King Rama V’s long
reign of 42-years was a busy era of full-scale reform and the emergence
of Thailand into the modern age. He learned the systems of Western Governments,
made friends with major powers such as Britain, France, America and
Russia and sent the royal children to be educated in the West. It seems
he was prepared to learn from the West while at the same time, resisting
domination by the major powers. Above all, he was the first Thai monarch
who traveled widely: to neighboring countries in Asia and to Europe
twice. Wherever he went, he was impressed by the hospitality and respect
shown to him by the Royalty of the various countries. The King’s reforms,
which involved almost every aspect of Thai life, included the abolition
of slavery, the expansion of the communication system through the construction
of railways, the establishment of post and telegraph services and the
creation of a ministerial system in 1892. In addition, the King also
established a variety of public utilities, particularly in the fields
of health and education. Unfortunately, world events at that time did
not allow him to proceed smoothly with his administrative reform as
it coincided with the age of colonialism. The King, therefore, had to
adapt his foreign policy to maintain a balance between the contending
powers. He fostered friendly relations with all powers and avoided confrontation.
In the last period of his reign, the country lost a lot of land to France.
Thus, at the time of crisis, even though Thailand had to sacrifice some
of her territories, she was able to keep her independence.
His death on October 23, 1910 was a great loss to the entire nation as he was one of the most honored and beloved kings who was often called “Somdej Phra Piyamaharaj”. Moreover, Thai people also believed in the King’s miraculous power of bringing good luck and prosperity to the person who pays respect to him. Thus, the King’s picture is found in almost every house. Thai people from all walks of life lay wreaths at his equestrian statue at the Royal Plaza in Bangkok and his statues in the provinces.
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year. It is the day that our King Chulalongkorn, or King Rama V, died.
He is one of our most important kings in the past. The most important
thing he did is abolish slavery but he also did many other reforms in
order to modernize the country.
