Monarchy of Thailand

{{Further|Buddhist kingship|Bhāruci|Chakravarti (Sanskrit term)|Devaraja|Mahāsammata|Mandala (Southeast Asian political model)|Mandate of Heaven|Monarchy in ancient India||}}

The current concept of Thai kingship evolved through 800 years of absolute rule. The first king of a unified Thailand was the founder of the Sukhothai Kingdom, King Si Inthrathit, in 1238.{{cite journal

| last = Cœdès | first = G.| author-link1 = Georges Coedès|year= 1921 |title= The Origins of the Sukhodaya Dynasty

|journal= Journal of the Siam Society |volume= JSS Vol. 14.1b |issue= digital |page= image 1|publisher= Siam Heritage Trust

|url= http://www.siamese-heritage.org/jsspdf/1921/JSS_014_1b_Coedes_OriginsOfSukhodayaDynasty.pdf |access-date= 17 March 2013

|quote=The dynasty which reigned during a part of the XIIIth. and the first half of the XlVth. centuries at Sukhodaya and at Sajjanlaya, on the upper Menam Yom, is the first historical Siamese dynasty. It has a double claim to this title, both because its cradle was precisely in the country designated by foreigners as "Siam" (Khmer: Syain; Chinese: Sien, etc.), and because it is this dynasty which, by freeing the Thai principalities from the Cambodian yoke and by gradually extending its conquests as far as the Malay Peninsula, paved the way for the formation of the Kingdom of Siam properly so called.}} The idea of this early kingship is said to be based on two concepts derived from Hinduism and Theravada Buddhist beliefs. The first concept is based on the ancient Indian Kshatriya({{langx|th|กษัตริย์)}}, or warrior-ruler, in which the king derives his powers from military might. The second is based on the Buddhist concept of Dhammaraja ({{langx|th|ธรรมราชา)}}, Buddhism having been introduced to Thailand around the 6th century AD. The idea of the Dhammaraja (or kingship under Dharma) is that the king should rule his people in accordance with Dharma and the teachings of the Buddha.

These ideas were briefly replaced in 1279, when King Ram Khamhaeng came to the throne. Ramkhamhaeng departed from tradition and created instead a concept of "paternal rule" ({{langx|th|พ่อปกครองลูก)}}, in which the king governs his people as a father would govern his children.{{cite web |url=http://sunsite.au.ac.th/thailand/thai_monarchy/background.html |title=Archived copy |access-date=2008-09-26 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080926091434/http://sunsite.au.ac.th/thailand/thai_monarchy/background.html |archive-date=26 September 2008}}{{cite journal |last= Prince Dhani Nivat |first= Kromamun Bidyadabh

|author-link= :th:พระวรวงศ์เธอ พระองค์เจ้าธานีนิวัต กรมหมื่นพิทยลาภพฤฒิยากร |year= 1947 |title= The Old Siamese conception of the Monarchy

|journal= Journal of the Siam Society |volume= JSS Vol. 36.2b |issue= digital |pages= image 10 page 93

|publisher= Siamese Heritage Trust

|url= http://www.siamese-heritage.org/jsspdf/1941/JSS_036_2b_PrinceDhani_OldSiameseConceptionOfMonarchy.pdf|access-date= 7 March 2013

|quote= Patriarchal Sukhothai Kingship ...The monarch was of course the people's leader in battle; but he was also in peace-time their father whose advice was sought and expected in all matters and whose judgment was accepted by all. He was moreover accessible to his people, for we are told by an old inscription that, in front of the royal palace of Sukhothai there used to be a gong hung up for people to go and beat upon whenever they wanted personal help and redress. The custom survived with slight modifications all through the centuries down to the change of regime in 1932....}} This idea is reinforced in the title and name of the king, as he is still known today, Pho Khun Ram Khamhaeng ({{langx|th|พ่อขุนรามคำแหง)}}{{cite journal

|last= Terwiel|first= Barend Jan|year= 1983 |title= Ahom and the Study of Early Thai Society|journal= Journal of the Siam Society |volume= JSS Vol. 71.0 |issue= PDF |page= image 4 |publisher= Siamese Heritage Trust

|url= http://www.siamese-heritage.org/jsspdf/1981/JSS_071_0g_Terwiel_AhomAndStudyOfEarlyTaiSociety.pdf |access-date= 7 March 2013

|quote= In older usage, khun was used for a ruler of a fortified town and its surrounding villages, together called a mueang; with the prefix pho ({{lang|th|พ่อ "father"}}) appears as Pho Khun.}} meaning 'Father Ruler Ram Khamhaeng'. This lasted briefly. By the end of the kingdom, the two old concepts returned as symbolized by the change in the style of the kings: "Pho" was changed to "Phaya" or Lord.

{{Main|Devaraja|Chakravartin|Divine right of kings}}

{{See also|History of Indian influence on Southeast Asia|Greater India|Indosphere|Sanskritization|Mandala (political model)|l5=Mandala|Indianisation}}

File:Birmanie 2. battle betwenn Burmese and Siamese ok fini +.jpg of Ayutthaya fought several wars against the Burmese to preserve Siamese independence.]]

The Sukhothai Kingdom was supplanted by the Ayutthaya Kingdom, which was founded in 1351 by King Ramathibodhi I. During the Ayutthayan period, the idea of kingship changed. Due to ancient Khmer tradition in the region, the Hindu concept of kingship was applied to the status of the leader. Brahmins took charge in the royal coronation. The king was treated as a reincarnation of Hindu gods. Ayutthaya historical documents show the official titles of the kings in great variation: Indra, Shiva and Vishnu, or Rama. Seemingly, Rama was the most popular, as in "Ramathibodhi". However, Buddhist influence was also evident, as many times the king's title and "unofficial" name "Dhammaraja", an abbreviation of the Buddhist Dharmaraja. The two former concepts were re-established, with a third, older concept taking hold. This concept was called "Devaraja" ({{langx|th|เทวราชา)}} (or "divine king"), which was an idea borrowed by the Khmer Empire from the Hindu-Buddhist kingdoms of Java, especially the idea of a scholar class based on Hindu Brahmins. The concept centered on the idea that the king was an incarnation (avatar) of the god Vishnu and that he was a Bodhisattva (enlightened one), therefore basing his power on his religious power, his moral power, and his purity of blood.

The king, portrayed by state interests as a semi-divine figure, then became—through a rigid cultural implementation—an object of worship and veneration to his people. From then on the monarchy was largely removed from the people and continued under a system of absolute rule. Living in palaces designed after Mount Meru ("home of the gods" in Hinduism), the kings turned themselves into a "Chakravartin", where the king became an absolute and universal lord of his realm. Kings demanded that the universe be envisioned as revolving around them, and expressed their powers through elaborate rituals and ceremonies. For four centuries these kings ruled Ayutthaya, presiding over some of the greatest period of cultural, economic, and military growth in Thai history.

File:3 Chedis of Wat Phra Sri Sanphet.JPG next to the king's palace was the most sacred temple in the kingdom of Ayutthaya.]]

File:Family Tree of The Kings of Siam.png

The Kings of Ayutthaya created many institutions to support their rule. Whereas feudalism developed in the European Middle Ages, Ayutthayan King Trailokanat in the 15th century instituted sakdina, a system of social hierarchy which ranked the king's subjects according to the amount of land they were entitled to, according to their rank and position.{{cite journal| last1 = Griswold | first1 = A.B. | last2 = Prasert na Nagara |year= 1969 |title= A Law Promulgated by the King of Ayudhya in 1397 A.D. Epigraphic and Historical Studies, No. 4

|journal= Journal of the Siam Society |volume= JSS Vol. 57.1 |issue= digital |page= image 3 |publisher= Siam Heritage Trust

|url= http://www.siamese-heritage.org/jsspdf/1961/JSS_057_1e_GriswoldPrasert_LawPromulgatedByKingOfAyudhya1397.pdf |access-date= 17 March 2013

|quote= It was customary for Southeast Asian kings, who were of course the absolute proprietors of the land, to allot the usufruct of portions of it to their subjects. The kings of Ayudhya allotted a specified number of sakti-na or 'dignity-marks' to each of their subjects according to his rank and the position he occupied, corresponding to the number of rai he was actually or theoretically entitled to; and when the system was fully developed the number of marks ranged from 5 to 25 for ordinary citizens, up to 10,000 for ministers in charge of important departments, and 20,000 for princes of the highest rank.}}

Rachasap is required by court etiquette as an honorific register consisting of a special vocabulary used exclusively for addressing the king, or for talking about royalty.

The king was chief administrator, chief legislator, and chief judge, with all laws, orders, verdict and punishments theoretically originating from his person. The king's sovereignty was reflected in the titles "Lord of the Land" ({{lang|th|พระเจ้าแผ่นดิน}} Phra Chao Phaen Din) and "Lord of Life" ({{lang|th|เจ้าชีวิต}} Chao Chiwit). The king's powers and titles were seen by foreign observers as proof that the king was an absolute monarch in the European sense. However, in Siamese tradition the duty and responsibility of the king was seen as developed from the ancient Indian theories of royal authority, which resemble Enlightened Absolutism, although the emphasis is not on rationality but on Dhamma.{{cite journal | last = Lingat | first = R. | author-link = Robert Lingat

|year= 1950|title= Evolution of the Conception of Law in Burma and Siam|journal= Journal of the Siam Society

|volume= JSS Vol. 38.1c |issue= digital |publisher= Siam Heritage Trust

|url= http://www.siamese-heritage.org/jsspdf/1941/JSS_038_1c_Lingat_EvolutionOfTheConceptionOfLawInBurmaAndSiam.pdf

|access-date= 17 March 2013

|quote= Kings and rajas are only responsible for keeping peace and order. It is a very noticeable thing that in so rich a language as Sanskrit there exists no proper word to translate our word law as meaning positive law. It is true Hindus have the word darma, which is sometimes wrongfully translated by the word law, but actually is quite a different thing....}} This was disrupted in 1767, when Thai digests of the dhammasāt ({{lang|th|ธรรมศาสตร์}}) were lost when a Burmese army under the Konbaung dynasty invaded, sacked and burned the city of Ayutthaya.

An interlude filled by a short civil war was ended when Taksin restored the country under what has been called the Thonburi Kingdom. Kingship during the Thonburi period saw the adoption of the 'personal kingship' system that was previously administered under Naresuan (but abandoned after his death). Taksin treated the concept of kingship by abandoning the shroud of mysticism usually adopted by many Ayutthayan monarchs; he often revealed himself to the common folk by partaking in public activities and traditional festivities. He did little to emphasize his new capital, Thonburi, as the spiritual successor to Ayutthaya. He also emphasized the building of moats and defensive walls in Thonburi.Baker, Chris; Phongpaichit, Pasuk. A History of Ayutthaya (pp. 263, 264). Cambridge University Press. (Kindle Edition.)

File:King Rama I of Siam (Yodfa Chulalok) Portrait.jpg of Siam, founded the Chakri dynasty in 1782.]]

In 1782, Phutthayotfa Chulalok (Rama I) ascended the throne and moved the capital from the Thonburi side to the (Krung Thep) Bangkok side of the Chao Phraya River. There he established the House of Chakri, the current ruling dynasty of Thailand. (This first reign was later designated as that of Rama I in the list of Rama Kings of Thailand.) He also established the office of Supreme Patriarch as the head of the Sangha, the order of Buddhist monks.

During the Rattanakosin period the Chakri kings tried to continue the concepts of Ayutthayan kingship once again emphasizing the connection between the sovereign and his subjects. On the other hand, they continued to not relinquish any authority of the throne. Kings Phutthaloetla Naphalai (Rama II) and Nangklao (Rama III) created a semblance of a modern administration by creating a supreme council and appointing chief officers to help with the running of the government.{{cite book

|last= Roberts |first= Edmund |author-link= Edmund Roberts (diplomat) |title= Embassy to the Eastern courts of Cochin-China, Siam, and Muscat : in the U.S. sloop-of-war Peacock ... during the years 1832–3–4 |year= 1837 |url= https://archive.org/details/embassytoeaster00unkngoog |orig-year= First published in 1837

|publisher= Harper & brothers |page= [https://archive.org/details/embassytoeaster00unkngoog/page/n308 302] |no-pp= |chapter= Chapter XIX – titles of the king |access-date= 28 January 2013

|quote= At the head of the Siamese administration is the supreme council, consisting of the following officers:....}}

Mongkut (Rama IV) marked a significant break in tradition when he spent the first 27 years of his adult life as a Buddhist monk during which time he became proficient in the English language, before ascending the throne. As king, he continued the appointment of officers to his supreme council, the most notable being Somdet Chao Phraya Prayurawongse and Si Suriyawongse, both of whom acted as Chief Ministers for King Mongkut (and the latter as regent, from the king's death in 1868 until 1873).

Chulalongkorn (Rama V) ascended the throne as a minor at age 15 in 1868, and assumed full duties on 16 November 1873. As a prince, he had been tutored in Western traditions by the governess, Anna Leonowens.{{efn|This tutelage has been the source for several fictionalised accounts in the media, most notably the films The King and I (1956) and Anna and the King (1999), both of which have been banned in Thailand as being disrespectful to the king.}} Intent on reforming the monarchy along Western lines, during his minority he traveled extensively to observe western administrative methods. He transformed the monarchy along Western lines of an "enlightened ruler". He abolished the practice of prostration in front of the monarch, and repealed many laws concerning the relationship between the monarch and his people, while continuing many of the ancient aspects and rituals of the old kingship.{{cite book |last= Wales |first= H. G. Quaritch |author-link= Horace Geoffrey Quaritch Wales |title= Siamese state ceremonies |url= https://archive.org/details/siamesestatecere030661mbp |date= 14 April 2005

|orig-year= First published in 1931 |publisher= Bernard Quaritch |location= London |page= [https://archive.org/details/siamesestatecere030661mbp/page/n51 32] |chapter= Chapter IV, the kingship |chapter-url= https://archive.org/stream/siamesestatecere030661mbp/siamesestatecere030661mbp_djvu.txt

|access-date= 25 April 2012 |edition= digital |quote= ...to-day we find the only certain relic of the cult of the Royal God in the symbolism of the Coronation Ceremony by which the Brahman priests call down the spirits of Visnu and Siva to animate the new king....}} In 1874, he created a privy council copied from the European tradition, to help him rule his Kingdom. During his reign Siam was pressured to relinquish control of its old tributaries of Laos and northern Malaya to Western powers, Siam itself narrowly avoided becoming a colony.{{cite journal | last = Stuart-Fox | first = Martin |year= 1994|title= Conflicting conceptions of the state: Siam, France and Vietnam in the late nineteenth century |journal= Journal of the Siam Society |volume= JSS Vol. 82.0 |format= free|issue= digital |no-pp= |publisher= Siam Heritage Trust |url= http://www.siamese-heritage.org/jsspdf/1991/JSS_082_0l_StuartFox_ConflictingConceptionsOfState.pdf|access-date= 12 April 2013

|quote= Historians of Southeast Asia often face problems in using terms drawn from and applicable to European polities and societies to refer to non-European equivalents that do not conform to European models.}}

{{cite journal | last = Meyers | first = Dean |year= 1994

|title= Siam under siege (1893–1902): modern Thailand's decisive decade, from the Paknam incident to the first flowering of the Chakri reformation |journal= Journal of the Siam Society|volume= JSS Vol. 082.0k |issue= digital |page= image |no-pp= |publisher= Siam Heritage Trust |url= http://www.siamese-heritage.org/jsspdf/1991/JSS_082_0k_Meyers_SiamUnderSiege1893to1902.pdf|access-date= 17 March 2013}} In 1905, 37 years after his coronation, Chulalongkorn ended slavery with the Slave Abolition Act. In 1867 slaves accounted for one-third of the Siamese population.

His son, Vajiravudh (Rama VI), ascended to the throne in 1910 and continued his father's zeal for reform to bring the monarchy into the 20th century. The perceived slow pace of reform resulted in the Palace Revolt of 1912. In 1914, Vajiravudh determined that the act providing for invoking martial law, first promulgated by his father in 1907, was not consistent with modern laws of war, nor convenient for the preservation of the security of the state, so it was amended to a more modern form that, with minor amendments, continued in force through subsequent changes in government.{{cite web|url= http://www.thailawforum.com/laws/Martial%20Law.pdf|title= Martial Law, B.E. 2457 (1914) – unofficial translation |access-date= 21 May 2014|author= Pakorn Nilprapunt|year= 2006|website= thailawforum.com|publisher= Office of the Council of State|quote= Reference to Thai legislation in any jurisdiction shall be to the Thai version only. This translation has been made so as to establish correct understanding about this Act to the foreigners.}}

Prajadhipok (Rama VII) succeeded his brother in 1925. The Eton and Sandhurst educated monarch created a council similar to a cabinet, where the most important government officials could meet to decide state affairs. This advisory and legislative council, styled the Supreme Council of State of Siam (Thai: อภิรัฐมนตรีสภา) was founded on 28 November 1925 and existed until 1932.

File:King Prajadhipok Signs Constitution of Siam 1932.jpg signing the Constitution of Siam, 10 December 1932.]]

In June 1932, a group of foreign-educated students and military men called "the promoters" carried out a bloodless revolution, seized power and demanded that King Prajadhipok grant the people of Siam a constitution. The king agreed and in December 1932 the people were granted a constitution, ending 150 years of absolute Chakri rule. From then on the role of the monarch was relegated to that of a symbolic head of state. His powers from then on were exercised by a prime minister and the national assembly.

In 1935 Prajadhipok (Rama VII) abdicated the throne, following disagreements with the government. He lived in exile in the United Kingdom until his death in 1941. The king was replaced by his young nephew Ananda Mahidol (Rama VIII). The new king was 10 years old and was living abroad in Switzerland. A council of regents was appointed in his place. During this period the roles and powers of the king were entirely usurped by the fascist government of Plaek Phibunsongkhram, who changed the name of the kingdom from Siam to Thailand, and aligned it on the side of the Axis powers in the Pacific theatre of World War II. By the end of the war Phibunsongkhram was removed and the young king returned. The Free Thai movement provided resistance against Japan during the war and helped rehabilitate Thailand after the war.

After Rama VIII's sudden death from a bullet wound in 1946, Prince Bhumibol Adulyadej (Rama IX), aged 19 years old, became the new monarch. In establishing his rule, the king was aided by the efforts of the US government, who used the monarchy as a bulwark against communist gains in Southeast Asia.{{cite book|last1=Rattanasengchanh|first1=Phimmasone Michael|title=Thailand's Second Triumvirate: Sarit Thanarat and the military, King Bhumibol Adulyadej and the monarchy and the United States. 1957–1963| date=2012|publisher=University of Washington|location=Seattle|url=https://digital.lib.washington.edu/researchworks/bitstream/handle/1773/21997/Rattanasengchanh_washington_0250O_10615.pdf?sequence=1|access-date=26 April 2017|format=MA Thesis}}{{RP|50}}

King Bhumibol was one of the world's longest reigning monarchs at the time of his death on 13 October 2016, at the age of 88.{{cite web|title=Thai King Bhumibol Adulyadej dies at 88| url=http://www.cnn.com/2016/10/13/asia/thai-king-bhumibol-adulyadej-dies/|website=CNN| date=13 October 2016|access-date=13 October 2016}}

File:MahidolDay at SirirajHospital2018.jpg

Since 2000, the role of the Thai monarchy has been increasingly challenged by scholars, students, media, observers and traditionalists, and as pro-democracy interests began to express their speech.{{Cite web |date=2020-10-29 |title=Constitutionalizing the Monarchy: Uncompromising Demands of Thai Protesters |url=https://jia.sipa.columbia.edu/constitutionalizing-monarchy-uncompromising-demands-thai-protesters |access-date=2022-10-01 |website=JIA SIPA |language=en}}{{Cite web |date=2020-10-13 |title=The king and I: the student risking jail by challenging Thailand's monarchy |url=http://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/oct/13/panusaya-sithijirawattanakul-the-student-taking-on-thailands-monarchy- |access-date=2022-10-01 |website=the Guardian |language=en}} Many deemed that a series of laws and measures relating to lèse majesté in Thailand are hindrances to freedom of expression. Dozens of arrests, hundreds of criminal investigations and multiple imprisonments have been made based on these laws.{{cite news|title=Running Afoul of the Thai Monarchy| url=https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2015/09/18/world/asia/thailand-king-lese-majeste.html|website=The New York Times| date=20 September 2015|access-date=22 September 2015}} King Bhumibol Adulyadej's speech in his 2005 national birthday broadcast could have been interpreted as a suggestion that he welcomed criticism.{{cite web|date=5 December 2005|url=http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2005/12/05/headlines/data/headlines_19334288.html|title=Royal Birthday Address: 'King Can Do Wrong'|work=The Nation|access-date=26 November 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121002052953/http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2005/12/05/headlines/data/headlines_19334288.html|archive-date=2 October 2012|url-status=dead}}

The lèse-majesté law is part of Thailand's criminal-law code and has been described as the "world's harshest lèse majesté law"{{cite web|url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-01-10/thai-king-requests-constitutional-changes-to-ensure-powers/8174062|title=New Thai King requests constitutional changes to 'ensure his royal powers': Prime Minister|author-first=Liam|author-last=Cochrane|date=2017-01-11|access-date=2017-04-20|publisher=ABC|website=ABC News}} and "possibly the strictest criminal-defamation law anywhere".{{cite news|title=How powerful people use criminal-defamation laws to silence their critics|url=https://www.economist.com/news/international/21724993-some-countries-insulting-politicians-can-lead-jail-how-powerful-people-use|access-date=14 July 2017|newspaper=The Economist|date=13 July 2017}} Political scientist Giles Ungpakorn noted that "the lèse-majesté laws are not really designed to protect the institution of the monarchy. In the past, the laws have been used to protect governments and to shield military coups from lawful criticism. This whole [royal] image is created to bolster a conservative elite well beyond the walls of the palace."{{cite news |date=13 March 2007 |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/03/13/wthai13.xml|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071013124636/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/03/13/wthai13.xml|url-status=dead|archive-date=13 October 2007|title=Swiss man faces jail for lèse majesté|work=The Daily Telegraph |location=London |access-date=24 November 2007 }} The Thai activist and magazine editor Somyot Prueksakasemsuk, who was sentenced to eleven years' imprisonment for a violation of lèse-majesté laws in 2013,{{cite web |url=http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/local/332024/online-appeals-for-lese-majeste-suspect |title=Somyot lese majeste judgement on Wednesday |date=22 January 2013 |work=The Bangkok Post}} is a designated prisoner of conscience by Amnesty International.{{cite web |url=https://www.amnesty.org/en/for-media/press-releases/thailand-release-human-rights-defender-imprisoned-insulting-monarchy-2013-0 |title=Thailand: Release human rights defender imprisoned for insulting the monarchy |date=23 January 2013 |website=Amnesty International |archive-date=29 January 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130129010034/http://www.amnesty.org/en/for-media/press-releases/thailand-release-human-rights-defender-imprisoned-insulting-monarchy-2013-0 |url-status=live}}

The king is assisted in his work and duties by the Private Secretary to the King of Thailand and the Privy Council of Thailand, in consultation with the head of the cabinet, the Prime Minister. In accordance with the country’s constitution, the king is no longer the originator of all laws in the kingdom; that prerogative is entrusted to the National Assembly of Thailand. All bills passed by the legislature, however, require his royal assent to become law. The monarchy's household and finances are managed by the Bureau of the Royal Household and the Crown Property Bureau respectively, these agencies are not considered part of the Thai government and all personnel are appointed by the king.{{cite web|url=http://www.photius.com/countries/thailand/government/thailand_government_the_king.html |title=Thailand The King – Flags, Maps, Economy, History, Climate, Natural Resources, Current Issues, International Agreements, Population, Social Statistics, Political System |publisher=Photius.com |date=28 December 1972 |access-date=5 May 2012}}

The junta that took power in 2014 was aggressive in jailing critics of the monarchy.[http://prachatai.com/english/node/4218 2014 coup marks the highest number of lèse-majesté prisoners in Thai history].the Prachatai."[https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/thailand-monarchy-insult-man-jailed-king-facebook-vichai-thepwong-social-media-online-block-a7783166.html Thailand jails man for 35 years for insulting the monarchy on Facebook]". The Independent. 10 June 2017. In 2015, it spent US$540 million, more than the budget of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, on a promotional campaign called "Worship, protect and uphold the monarchy." The campaign includes television commercials, seminars in schools and prisons, singing contests, and competitions to write stories and films praising the king. "This is not propaganda," Prayut Chan-o-cha, the leader of the junta, said. "The youth must be educated on what the king has done."{{cite news|last1=Fuller|first1=Thomas|title=With King in Declining Health, Future of Monarchy in Thailand Is Uncertain|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/09/21/world/with-king-in-declining-health-future-of-monarchy-in-thailand-is-uncertain.html |url-access=subscription |access-date=22 September 2015|work=The New York Times|date=2015-09-20}}

In its fiscal year (FY) 2016 budget, the ruling military government has increased its expenditure for "upholding, protecting and preserving the monarchy" to 18 billion baht (US$514 million), an increase of 28 per cent for this budget line item since 2014 when it took power.{{cite news|title=For Thailand, a portrait is crucial to preparations for succession|url=http://www.straitstimes.com/asia/se-asia/for-thailand-a-portrait-is-crucial-to-preparations-for-succession|access-date=27 April 2016|work=The Straits Times|date=2016-04-21}} Budget allocations to support the monarchy in FY2020 amount to 29.728 billion baht, or 0.93% of the total budget.{{cite news |title=Government to spend 29 billion baht on monarchy |url=https://prachatai.com/english/node/8431 |access-date=27 March 2020 |work=Prachatai English |date=26 March 2020}}

{{Main|List of Thai monarchs|Family tree of Thai monarchs}}

{{See also|List of Thai royal consorts}}

{{#tag:timeline|

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from:1238 till:1438 color:r text:"Kings of Sukhothai"

from:1238 till:1270 color:r text:"Si Inthrathit"

from:1270 till:1279 color:r text:"Ban Mueang"

from:1279 till:1298 color:r text:"Ram Khamhaeng"

from:1298 till:1323 color:r text:"Loe Thai"

from:1323 till:1347 color:r text:"Ngua Nam Thum"

from:1347 till:1368 color:r text:"Li Thai"

from:1368 till:1400 color:r text:"Lue Thai"

from:1400 till:1419 color:r text:"Sai Lue Thai"

from:1419 till:1438 color:r text:"Borommapan"

from:1351 till:1767 color:p text:"Kings of Ayutthaya"

from:1351 till:1369 color:p text:"Ramathibodi I"

from:1369 till:1370 color:p text:"Ramesuan (1st reign)"

from:1370 till:1388 color:p text:"Borommarachathirat I"

from:1388 till:1388 color:p text:"Thong Lan"

from:1388 till:1395 color:p text:"Ramesuan (2nd reign)"

from:1395 till:1409 color:p text:"Ramrachathirat"

from:1409 till:1424 color:p text:"Intharachathirat"

from:1424 till:1448 color:p text:"Borommarachathirat II"

from:1448 till:1488 color:p text:"Borommatrailokkanat"

from:1488 till:1491 color:p text:"Borommarachathirat III"

from:1491 till:1529 color:p text:"Ramathibodi II"

from:1529 till:1533 color:p text:"Borommarachathirat IV"

from:1533 till:1533 color:p text:"Ratsadathirat"

from:1533 till:1546 color:p text:"Chairachathirat"

from:1546 till:1548 color:p text:"Yotfa"

from:1548 till:1548 color:p text:"Worawongsathirat"

from:1548 till:1568 color:p text:"Maha Chakkraphat"

from:1568 till:1569 color:p text:"Mahinthrathirat"

from:1569 till:1590 color:p text:"Sanphet I"

from:1590 till:1605 color:p text:"Sanphet II"

from:1605 till:1610 color:p text:"Sanphet III"

from:1610 till:1611 color:p text:"Sanphet IV"

from:1611 till:1628 color:p text:"Borommaracha I"

from:1628 till:1629 color:p text:"Borommaracha II"

from:1629 till:1629 color:p text:"Athittayawong"

from:1629 till:1655 color:p text:"Sanphet V"

from:1655 till:1656 color:p text:"Sanphet VI"

from:1656 till:1656 color:p text:"Sanphet VII"

from:1656 till:1688 color:p text:"Ramathibodi III"

from:1688 till:1703 color:p text:"Phetracha"

from:1703 till:1709 color:p text:"Sanphet VIII"

from:1709 till:1733 color:p text:"Sanphet IX"

from:1733 till:1758 color:p text:"Maha Thammarachathirat II"

from:1758 till:1758 color:p text:"Maha Thammarachathirat III"

from:1758 till:1767 color:p text:"Borommaracha III"

from:1767 till:1782 color:o text:"Kings of Thonburi"

from:1767 till:1782 color:o text:"Borommaracha IV"

from:1782 till:$now color:y text:"Kings of Siam/Thailand"

from:1782 till:1809 color:y text:"Rama I"

from:1809 till:1824 color:y text:"Rama II"

from:1824 till:1851 color:y text:"Rama III"

from:1851 till:1868 color:y text:"Rama IV"

from:1868 till:1910 color:y text:"Rama V"

from:1910 till:1925 color:y text:"Rama VI"

from:1925 till:1935 color:y text:"Rama VII"

from:1935 till:1946 color:y text:"Rama VIII"

from:1946 till:2016 color:y text:"Rama IX"

from:2016 till:$now color:y text:"Rama X"

from:638 till:1259 color:rp text:"Kings of Ngoenyang"

from:638 till:759 color:rp text:"Lawachangkarat"

from:759 till:804 color:rp text:"Kao Kaeo Ma Muang"

from:804 till:842 color:rp text:"Sao"

from:842 till:868 color:rp text:"Tang"

from:868 till:886 color:rp text:"Klom"

from:886 till:902 color:rp text:"Leo"

from:902 till:917 color:rp text:"Kap"

from:917 till:934 color:rp text:"Khim"

from:934 till:950 color:rp text:"Khiang"

from:950 till:970 color:rp text:"Khiu"

from:970 till:985 color:rp text:"Thoeng"

from:985 till:1005 color:rp text:"Tueng"

from:1005 till:1022 color:rp text:"Khon"

from:1022 till:1028 color:rp text:"Som"

from:1028 till:1043 color:rp text:"Kwak"

from:1043 till:1059 color:rp text:"Kiu"

from:1059 till:1079 color:rp text:"Chong"

from:1079 till:1148 color:rp text:"Chom Phra Rueang"

from:1148 till:1192 color:rp text:"Chueang"

from:1192 till:1218 color:rp text:"Ngoen Rueang"

from:1218 till:1239 color:rp text:"Chuen"

from:1239 till:1259 color:rp text:"Ming"

from:1259 till:1259 color:rp text:"Mueang"

from:1259 till:1259 color:rp text:"Meng"

from:1259 till:1775 color:v text:"Kings of Lanna"

from:1259 till:1311 color:v text:"Mangrai"

from:1311 till:1325 color:v text:"Chaiyasongkhram"

from:1325 till:1334 color:v text:"Saenphu"

from:1334 till:1336 color:v text:"Khamfu"

from:1336 till:1355 color:v text:"Phayu"

from:1355 till:1385 color:v text:"Kue Na"

from:1385 till:1401 color:v text:"Saenmueangma"

from:1401 till:1441 color:v text:"Samfangkaen"

from:1441 till:1487 color:v text:"Tilokkarat"

from:1487 till:1495 color:v text:"Yotchiangrai"

from:1495 till:1525 color:v text:"Mueangkaeo"

from:1525 till:1538 color:v text:"Muangketklao (1st reign)"

from:1538 till:1543 color:v text:"Saikham"

from:1543 till:1545 color:v text:"Muangketklao (2nd reign)"

from:1545 till:1546 color:v text:"Chiraprapha"

from:1546 till:1547 color:v text:"Chaiyachettha"

from:1551 till:1564 color:v text:"Mekuti"

from:1564 till:1578 color:v text:"Wisutthithewi"

from:1578 till:1608 color:v text:"Nawrahta Minsaw"

from:1608 till:1609 color:v text:"Thado Minsaw"

from:1609 till:1614 color:v text:"Minye Deibba"

from:1614 till:1614 color:v text:"Thado Kyaw"

from:1614 till:1631 color:v text:"Si Songmueang"

from:1631 till:1655 color:v text:"Thipphanet"

from:1655 till:1659 color:v text:"Saenmueang"

from:1672 till:1675 color:v text:"Uengsae"

from:1675 till:1707 color:v text:"Che Putarai"

from:1707 till:1727 color:v text:"Mang Raenra"

from:1727 till:1727 color:v text:"Thepsing"

from:1727 till:1759 color:v text:"Ong Kham"

from:1759 till:1761 color:v text:"Ong Chan"

from:1761 till:1763 color:v text:"Khihut"

from:1763 till:1768 color:v text:"Po Aphaikhamini"

from:1768 till:1775 color:v text:"Po Mayu-nguan"

from:1775 till:1939 color:b text:"Kings of Chiang Mai"

from:1775 till:1782 color:b text:"Chaban"

from:1802 till:1816 color:b text:"Kawila"

from:1816 till:1822 color:b text:"Thammalangka"

from:1823 till:1825 color:b text:"Khamfan"

from:1826 till:1846 color:b text:"Phutthawong"

from:1847 till:1854 color:b text:"Mahotaraprathet"

from:1856 till:1870 color:b text:"Kawilorot Suriyawong"

from:1870 till:1897 color:b text:"Inthawichayanon"

from:1901 till:1910 color:b text:"Intavaroros Suriyavongse"

from:1910 till:1939 color:b text:"Kaew Nawarat"

from:1732 till:1925 color:g text:"Lords of Lampang"

from:1732 till:1759 color:g text:"Thipphachak"

from:1759 till:1774 color:g text:"Chaikaeo"

from:1774 till:1782 color:g text:"Kawila (later King of Chiang Mai)"

from:1782 till:1794 color:g text:"Khamsom"

from:1794 till:1825 color:g text:"Duangthip"

from:1825 till:1838 color:g text:"Chaiwong"

from:1838 till:1838 color:g text:"Khattiya"

from:1838 till:1848 color:g text:"Noi"

from:1848 till:1873 color:g text:"Worayannarangsi"

from:1873 till:1887 color:g text:"Phrommaphiwong"

from:1887 till:1887 color:g text:"Suriya Changwang"

from:1887 till:1897 color:g text:"Noranan Chaichawalit"

from:1897 till:1922 color:g text:"Bunyawat Wongmanit"

from:1922 till:1925 color:g text:"Ratchabut"

from:1805 till:1943 color:m text:"Lords of Lamphun"

from:1805 till:1815 color:m text:"Khamfan (later King of Chiang Mai)"

from:1815 till:1827 color:m text:"Bunmamueang"

from:1827 till:1837 color:m text:"Noi (later Lord of Lampang)"

from:1838 till:1841 color:m text:"Khamtan"

from:1841 till:1843 color:m text:"Thammalangka"

from:1848 till:1871 color:m text:"Chailangkaphisan Sophakkhun"

from:1871 till:1888 color:m text:"Daradirekratphairot"

from:1888 till:1895 color:m text:"Hemphinphaichit"

from:1895 till:1911 color:m text:"Inthayongyotchot"

from:1911 till:1943 color:m text:"Chakkham Khachonsak"

from:500 till:1107 color:n text:"Kings of Singhanawat"

from:757 till:809 color:n text:"Singhon"

from:809 till:812 color:n text:"Phanat"

from:812 till:814 color:n text:"Achutarat"

from:814 till:817 color:n text:"Mangrayanarat"

from:817 till:820 color:n text:"Cheuang"

from:820 till:822 color:n text:"Cheun"

from:822 till:825 color:n text:"Kham"

from:825 till:828 color:n text:"Phoeng"

from:828 till:830 color:n text:"Chat"

from:830 till:833 color:n text:"Wao"

from:833 till:836 color:n text:"Waen"

from:836 till:838 color:n text:"Kaeo"

from:838 till:841 color:n text:"Ngoen"

from:841 till:843 color:n text:"Waen II"

from:843 till:846 color:n text:"Ngam"

from:846 till:848 color:n text:"Leu"

from:845 till:848 color:n text:"Roy"

from:848 till:851 color:n text:"Choeng"

from:851 till:854 color:n text:"Phan"

from:854 till:856 color:n text:"Phao"

from:856 till:859 color:n text:"Phing"

from:859 till:862 color:n text:"Si"

from:862 till:864 color:n text:"Som"

from:864 till:867 color:n text:"Suan"

from:867 till:869 color:n text:"Phaeng"

from:869 till:872 color:n text:"Phuan"

from:872 till:875 color:n text:"Jan"

from:875 till:877 color:n text:"Fu"

from:877 till:880 color:n text:"Fan"

from:880 till:883 color:n text:"Wan"

from:883 till:885 color:n text:"Mang Sing"

from:885 till:888 color:n text:"Mang Saen"

from:888 till:891 color:n text:"Mang Som"

from:891 till:893 color:n text:"Thip"

from:893 till:896 color:n text:"Kong"

from:896 till:899 color:n text:"Kom"

from:899 till:901 color:n text:"Chay"

from:901 till:904 color:n text:"Chin"

from:904 till:907 color:n text:"Chom"

from:907 till:909 color:n text:"Phang"

from:909 till:912 color:n text:"Ping II"

from:912 till:915 color:n text:"Peang"

from:915 till:991 color:n text:"Phangkharat"

from:991 till:1029 color:n text:"Thukkhita"

from:1029 till:1089 color:n text:"Phrom"

from:1089 till:1107 color:n text:"Chaiyasiri"

barset:skip

}}

*Including regional kingdoms and polity

{{main|Coronation of the Thai monarch}}

File:Royal Regalia of Siam.jpg

The present set of royal regalia of Thailand (Khrueang Raja Kakudhabhand, {{langx|th|เครื่องราชกกุธภัณฑ์)}} and the royal utensils was created mostly during the reign of King Rama I and Rama IV, after the previous set was lost during the sack of Ayutthaya by the Burmese in 1767. The regalia is used mainly during the coronation ceremony of the king at the beginning of every reign. The regalia is presently on display in the Museum of the Grand Palace in Bangkok.{{cite web|url=http://geocities.com/threeb.rm/regalia.html |date=27 October 2009 |access-date=5 May 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091027073704/http://geocities.com/threeb.rm/regalia.html |archive-date=27 October 2009 |title=Royal Regalia }}Thai Government Public Relations: [http://thailand.prd.go.th/60th/royal_utensil.php?PHPSESSID=bbd4c7793853bd5ce0fdc2a51109a0e6 Royal Regalia + Royal Utensils.]

• Royal Nine-Tiered Umbrella (Phra Maha Swetachatra; พระมหาเศวตฉัตร)- the most important regalia. Currently there are seven, distributed at various palaces.
• Great Crown of Victory (Phra Maha Phijay Mongkut; พระมหาพิชัยมงกุฎ)- official headgear.
• Sword of Victory (Phra Saengkharga Jay Sri; พระแสงขรรค์ชัยศรี)- found at Tonlé Sap in 1784, the sword represents military power.
• Royal Staff (Dharn Phra Korn; ธารพระกร)- symbol of justice
• Royal Fan and Flywhisk (Walawijani; วาลวีชนี)- Royal fan made of gold and the royal flywhisk made from the tail of a white elephant.
• Royal Slippers (Chalong Phra Bada; ฉลองพระบาท)- official footwear made of gold

The Thai royal utensils (Phra Khattiya Rajuprapoke; พระขัตติยราชูปโภค) are also for the personal use of the monarch, comprising:

• the Betel nut set
• the water urn
• the libation vessel
• the receptacle.

These unique objects are always placed on either side of the king's throne or his seat during royal ceremonies.

• Royal White Elephant- usually one to represent each reign, the current one resides at Dusit Zoo; the king also has 10 others.
• Royal Garuda- Emblem of the king and of Thailand
• Royal Standard of Thailand- Official standard of the king
• Royal Flags- Personal flags of the king and royal family
• Sansoen Phra Barami - The royal anthem
• Traditional Band of the Royal Family of Thailand - Marching band using traditional Thai musical instruments, they usually accompany the royal family and perform at ceremonies where a member of the royal family presides.

File:Vladimir Putin at APEC Summit in Thailand 19-21 October 2003-12.jpg

The king and other members of his family carry out many royal ceremonies per year, some dating from the 13th century.

• Royal coronation ceremony
• Royal Barge Procession
• The Changing of the Robes of the Emerald Buddha{{cite web|url=http://www.pattayamail.com/457/news.shtml |title=Kingdom of Thailand celebrates Wan Chatramongkhol (Coronation Day) May 5 |work=Pattaya Mail |access-date=5 May 2012}}
• Trooping the Colours and Armed Forces Pledge of Loyalty
• Military Colours Consecration and Pledge Taking Ceremony
• Oath of Allegiance Ceremony
• Speech from the Throne to the National Assembly of Thailand
• Royal Funeral Ceremony

{{Multiple issues|section=yes|{{Unreferenced section|date= November 2017}}

{{Missing information|section|date=November 2017|who the Vallabhabhorn Order and the Vajira Mala Order are bestowed upon}}}}

{{See also|List of orders and medals of Thailand}}

The king is sovereign of several Royal Orders and Decorations, the prerogative to appoint and remove any persons from these orders are at the king's discretion. However, sometimes recommendations are made by the Cabinet of Thailand and the Prime Minister. There are twelve Royal Orders and some of these have separate classes.

• The Most Auspicious Order of the Rajamitrabhorn: Established on 11 June 1962 by King Rama IX to be bestowed upon foreign heads of state.
• The Most Illustrious Order of the Royal House of Chakri: Established in 1882 by King Rama V of the Kingdom of Siam (now Thailand) to commemorate the Bangkok Centennial.
• The Ancient and Auspicious Order of the Nine Gems: Established in 1851 by King Rama IV of the Kingdom of Siam (now Thailand). The order is bestowed upon the members of the Thai royal family and distinguished high-ranking officials who have given service to the kingdom and who are Buddhist.
• The Most Illustrious Order of Chula Chom Klao: Established on 16 November 1873 by King Rama V of The Kingdom of Siam (now Thailand) to commemorate the 90th Jubilee of the Chakri dynasty, and bears his name.
• The Ratana Varabhorn Order of Merit: Established on 1 August 1911 by King Rama VI of The Kingdom of Siam (now Thailand) to reward personal service to the sovereign.
• The Honourable Order of Rama: Established on 22 July 1918 (B.E. 2461) by King Rama VI of the Kingdom of Siam (now Thailand), to be bestowed onto those who have rendered special military services either in peace or in wartime.
• The Most Exalted Order of the White Elephant: Established in 1861 by King Rama IV of the Kingdom of Siam. Along with the Order of the Crown of Thailand, it is regularly awarded to government officials for each five years of service, making it Thailand's most-awarded order.
• The Most Noble Order of the Crown of Thailand: Established in 1869 by King Rama V of The Kingdom of Siam (now Thailand) for Thais, the royal family, governmental employees, and foreign dignitaries for their outstanding services to the Kingdom of Thailand.
• The Most Admirable Order of the Direkgunabhorn: Established by King Rama IX on 22 July 1991 (B.E.2534) to be bestowed upon those who have rendered devotional services to the Kingdom of Thailand.
• The Vallabhabhorn Order: Established on 22 March 1919 (B.E. 2461) by King Rama VI of The Kingdom of Siam (now Thailand).
• The Order of Ramkeerati: Established on 26 November 1987 (B.E. 2530) by King Rama IX of Thailand to be bestowed onto those who have rendered constant service and support to Boy Scout activities for at least five consecutive years.
• The Vajira Mala Order: Established on 28 May 1911 (B.E. 2454) by King Rama VI of the Kingdom of Siam (now Thailand).

• List of honours of Thailand awarded to heads of state and royalty
• List of honours of the Thai royal family by country
• Network monarchy
• Sacred king
• King's Cup Sepaktakraw World Championship

{{notelist}}

{{Reflist}}

{{refbegin}}

• The Constitution of the Kingdom of Thailand (2007) – Wikisource.
• Aryan, Gothan (15 – 16 September 2004), [https://web.archive.org/web/20060623005429/http://www.idea.int/news/upload/Nepal%20-%20Thai%20monarchy%20paper%20-%20Gothom%20Aryan.pdf Thai Monarchy], International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance, Retrieved on 5 July 2006, presented in Kathmandu, Nepal.
• Kullada Kesboonchoo Mead, The Rise and Decline of Thai Absolutism, RoutledgeCurzon, 2004.

{{refend}}

{{Commons category|Thai monarchy}}

• {{oweb|https://www.royaloffice.th/en/home/}} of the Thai monarchy

• {{cite book | author = Thanin Kraivichien | author-link = Thanin Kraivichien | location = Bangkok | language = th | publisher = Department of Academic Affairs, Ministry of Education | title = Thai King under Democratic System | year = 1976| url = http://dl.parliament.go.th/bitstream/handle/lirt/338053/2519_%E0%B8%9E%E0%B8%A3%E0%B8%B0%E0%B8%A1%E0%B8%AB%E0%B8%B2%E0%B8%81%E0%B8%A9%E0%B8%B1%E0%B8%95%E0%B8%A3%E0%B8%B4%E0%B8%A2%E0%B9%8C%E0%B9%84%E0%B8%97%E0%B8%A2_%E0%B8%98%E0%B8%B2%E0%B8%99%E0%B8%B4%E0%B8%99%E0%B8%97%E0%B8%A3%E0%B9%8C_%E0%B8%A3%E0%B8%A0.pdf?sequence=1 }}
• {{cite book | author = Yut Saeng-uthai | location = Bangkok | language = th | publisher = Winyuchon | title = A Legal Treatise on the Provisions of the Constitution governing the King | year = 2008 | isbn = 9789742886332| url = http://dl.parliament.go.th/bitstream/handle/lirt/301326/56515.pdf?sequence=1 }}

{{Monarchies}}

{{Monarchs of Thailand}}

{{Government of Thailand}}

{{Southeast Asian leaders}}

{{Thai royal agencies}}

{{Heads of state and government of Asia}}

Category:Government of Thailand

Category:Monarchs in Southeast Asia

Category:Kingdoms

Category:Heads of state of Thailand