| King ofThailand | |
|---|---|
| พระมหากษัตริย์แห่งราชอาณาจักรไทย | |
 | |
| Incumbent | |
.png) | |
| Vajiralongkorn since 13 October 2016[1] | |
| Details | |
| Style | His Majesty |
| Heir presumptive | Dipangkorn Rasmijoti |
| First monarch | Si Inthrathit |
| Formation | 1238; 787 years ago (1238) |
| Residence |
|
| Website | royaloffice.th |
Themonarchy of Thailand is theconstitutional form of government ofThailand (formerlySiam). Theking of Thailand (Thai:พระมหากษัตริย์ไทย, historically,king of Siam;Thai:พระเจ้ากรุงสยาม) is thehead of state and head of the rulingChakri dynasty.
Although the current Chakri dynasty was created in 1782, the existence of the institution of monarchy in Thailand is traditionally considered to have its roots in the founding of theSukhothai Kingdom in 1238, with a briefinterregnum from the death ofEkkathat to the accession ofTaksin in the 18th century. The institution was transformed into aconstitutional monarchy in 1932 after the bloodless socialist-leaningSiamese Revolution of 1932. The monarchy's official ceremonial residence is theGrand Palace inBangkok, while the private residence has been at theDusit Palace. The king of Thailand ishead of state,Highest Commander of theRoyal Thai Armed Forces, adherent ofBuddhism and upholder ofreligions.[2]
The current concept of Thai kingship evolved through 800 years of absolute rule. The first king of a unifiedThailand was the founder of theSukhothai Kingdom, KingSi Inthrathit, in 1238.[3] The idea of this early kingship is said to be based on two concepts derived fromHinduism andTheravada Buddhist beliefs. The first concept is based on the ancient IndianKshatriya(Thai:กษัตริย์), or warrior-ruler, in which the king derives his powers from military might. The second is based on the Buddhist concept ofDhammaraja (Thai: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 withDharma and the teachings of the Buddha.
These ideas were briefly replaced in 1279, when KingRam Khamhaeng came to the throne. Ramkhamhaeng departed from tradition and created instead a concept of "paternal rule" (Thai:พ่อปกครองลูก), in which the king governs his people as a father would govern his children.[4][5] This idea is reinforced in the title and name of the king, as he is still known today,Pho Khun Ram Khamhaeng (Thai:พ่อขุนรามคำแหง)[6] 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.
The Sukhothai Kingdom was supplanted by theAyutthaya Kingdom, which was founded in 1351 by KingRamathibodhi 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 theroyal coronation. The king was treated as areincarnation ofHindu gods. Ayutthaya historical documents show the official titles of the kings in great variation:Indra,Shiva andVishnu, orRama. 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 theBuddhist Dharmaraja. The two former concepts were re-established, with a third, older concept taking hold. This concept was called "Devaraja" (Thai:เทวราชา) (or "divine king"), which was an idea borrowed by theKhmer Empire from theHindu-Buddhist kingdoms of Java, especially the idea of a scholar class based on HinduBrahmins. The concept centered on the idea that the king was an incarnation (avatar) of the godVishnu and that he was aBodhisattva (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 afterMount 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 asrevolving 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 inThai history.
The Kings of Ayutthaya created many institutions to support their rule. Whereasfeudalism developed in theEuropean Middle Ages, Ayutthayan KingTrailokanat in the 15th century institutedsakdina, 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.[7]
Rachasap is required by court etiquette as anhonorific 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'ssovereignty was reflected in the titles "Lord of the Land" (พระเจ้าแผ่นดินPhra Chao Phaen Din) and "Lord of Life" (เจ้าชีวิตChao Chiwit). The king's powers and titles were seen by foreign observers as proof that the king was anabsolute monarch in the European sense. However, in Siamese tradition the duty and responsibility of the king was seen as developed from theancient Indian theories of royal authority, which resembleEnlightened Absolutism, although the emphasis is not onrationality but onDhamma.[8] This was disrupted in 1767, when Thai digests of thedhammasāt (ธรรมศาสตร์) were lost when aBurmese army under theKonbaung dynasty invaded, sacked and burned the city ofAyutthaya.
An interlude filled by a shortcivil war was ended whenTaksin restored the country under what has been called theThonburi Kingdom. Kingship during the Thonburi period saw the adoption of the 'personal kingship' system that was previously administered underNaresuan (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.[9]
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In 1782,Phutthayotfa Chulalok (Rama I) ascended the throne and moved the capital from theThonburi side to the (Krung Thep)Bangkok side of theChao Phraya River. There he established theHouse of Chakri, the current ruling dynasty of Thailand. (This first reign was later designated as that of Rama I in the list ofRama Kings of Thailand.) He also established the office ofSupreme Patriarch as the head of theSangha, the order ofBuddhistmonks.
During theRattanakosin 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. KingsPhutthaloetla Naphalai (Rama II) andNangklao (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.[10]
Mongkut (Rama IV) marked a significant break in tradition when he spent the first 27 years of his adult life as aBuddhist 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 beingSomdet Chao PhrayaPrayurawongse andSi Suriyawongse, both of whom acted as Chief Ministers for King Mongkut (and the latter asregent, 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 thegoverness,Anna Leonowens.[a] 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 ofprostration 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.[11] In 1874, he created aprivy 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.[12][13] In 1905, 37 years after his coronation, Chulalongkorn endedslavery 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 thePalace Revolt of 1912. In 1914, Vajiravudh determined that the act providing for invokingmartial law, first promulgated by his father in 1907, was not consistent with modernlaws 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.[14]
Prajadhipok (Rama VII) succeeded his brother in 1925. TheEton andSandhurst educated monarch created a council similar to acabinet, where the most important government officials could meet to decide state affairs. This advisory and legislative council, styled theSupreme Council of State of Siam (Thai: อภิรัฐมนตรีสภา) was founded on 28 November 1925 and existed until 1932.
In June 1932, a group of foreign-educated students and military men called "the promoters" carried out a bloodlessrevolution, seized power and demanded that King Prajadhipok grant the people of Siam a constitution. The king agreed and in December 1932 the people were granteda 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 aprime minister and thenational 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 nephewAnanda Mahidol (Rama VIII). The new king was 10 years old and was living abroad inSwitzerland. A council of regents was appointed in his place. During this period the roles and powers of the king were entirely usurped by thefascist government ofPlaek Phibunsongkhram, who changed the name of the kingdom from Siam toThailand, and aligned it on the side of theAxis powers in thePacific theatre of World War II. By the end of the war Phibunsongkhram was removed and the young king returned. TheFree 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, PrinceBhumibol 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.[15]: 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.[16]
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.[17][18] Many deemed that a series of laws and measures relating tolèse 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.[19] King Bhumibol Adulyadej's speech in his 2005 national birthday broadcast could have been interpreted as a suggestion that hewelcomed criticism.[20]
Thelèse-majesté law is part of Thailand's criminal-law code and has been described as the "world's harshest lèse majesté law"[21] and "possibly the strictest criminal-defamation law anywhere".[22] Political scientistGiles Ungpakorn noted that "thelèse-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."[23] The Thai activist and magazine editorSomyot Prueksakasemsuk, who was sentenced to eleven years' imprisonment for a violation oflèse-majesté laws in 2013,[24] is a designatedprisoner of conscience by Amnesty International.[25]
The king is assisted in his work and duties by the Private Secretary to the King of Thailand and thePrivy Council of Thailand, in consultation with the head of the cabinet, thePrime 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 theNational 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 theBureau of the Royal Household and theCrown Property Bureau respectively, these agencies are not considered part of the Thai government and all personnel are appointed by the king.[26]
The junta that took power in 2014 was aggressive in jailing critics of the monarchy.[27][28] 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."[29]
In itsfiscal 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.[30] Budget allocations to support the monarchy in FY2020 amount to 29.728 billion baht, or 0.93% of the total budget.[31]
*Including regional kingdoms and polity
The present set ofroyal regalia of Thailand (Khrueang Raja Kakudhabhand,Thai: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 thecoronation ceremony of the king at the beginning of every reign. The regalia is presently on display in the Museum of theGrand Palace in Bangkok.[33][34]
The Thai royal utensils (Phra Khattiya Rajuprapoke; พระขัตติยราชูปโภค) are also for the personal use of the monarch,[34] comprising:
These unique objects are always placed on either side of the king's throne or his seat during royal ceremonies.
The king and other members of his family carry out many royal ceremonies per year, some dating from the 13th century.
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The king is sovereign of severalRoyal 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 theCabinet of Thailand and thePrime Minister. There are twelve Royal Orders and some of these have separate classes.
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.
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{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)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....
In older usage,khun was used for a ruler of a fortified town and its surrounding villages, together called amueang; with the prefixpho (พ่อ "father") appears asPho Khun.
It was customary for Southeast Asian kings, who were of course the absolute proprietors of the land, to allot theusufruct 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 ofrai 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.
Kings andrajas 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....
At the head of the Siamese administration is the supreme council, consisting of the following officers:....
...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....
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.
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.
