PM leads national ceremonies honouring ‘great moderniser’, King Chulalongkorn
Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin and government officials nationwide marked Chulalongkorn Day with ceremonies paying homage to Rama V (1853-1910), who is credited with abolishing slavery and modernising Siam.
Srettha led Cabinet members and senior officials to lay wreaths in front of King Chulalongkorn’s statue on the Royal Plaza in front of Dusit Palace’s Ananta Samakhom Throne Hall in central Bangkok.
Others laying wreaths at the Royal Plaza included commanders-in-chief of the armed forces, their wives, chairs of independent organisations and heads of government agencies serving the monarch, as well as heads of state enterprises and representatives of political parties and educational institutes.
October 23 is a national holiday to remember the death of King Rama V, who is known by Thais as Phra Piya Maharaj (the Great Beloved King), for his deeds and efforts to modernize Siam.
The ceremony was attended by senior army officers and their wives.
Army Commander-in-Chief Charoenchai Hinthao instructed army bases nationwide to hold simultaneous ceremonies in honour of the late king.
King Chulalongkorn was the fifth king of Siam under the House of Chakri. He reigned from 1868 to 1910 and is considered one of the most important and influential monarchs in Thai history.
King Chulalongkorn ascended the throne at the age of 15. Among his most notable achievements was the abolition of slavery in Siam. To avoid social unrest, he did this gradually over a period of several decades.
King Chulalongkorn died on October 23, 1910, at the age of 57. He was succeeded by his son, King Vajiravudh.
