Monarchy of Thailand: History and Key Facts

The monarchy of Thailand is the constitutional form of government of Thailand (formerly Siam). The king of Thailand (Thai: พระมหากษัตริย์ไทย, RTGS: Phra Maha Kasat Thai, pronounced [pʰrá(ʔ) má.hǎː kà.sàt tʰāj], historically the king of Siam; Thai: พระเจ้ากรุงสยาม, RTGS: Phrachao Krung Sayam, pronounced [pʰrá(ʔ).tɕâːw krūŋ sà.jǎːm]) is the head of state and head of the ruling Chakri dynasty.

Although the current Chakri dynasty was founded in 1782, the existence of monarchy in Thailand is traditionally considered to have its roots in the founding of the Sukhothai Kingdom in 1238, with a brief interregnum from the death of Ekkathat to the accession of Taksin in the 18th century. The institution was transformed into a constitutional monarchy in 1932 after the bloodless Siamese Revolution of 1932. The monarchy's official ceremonial residence is the Grand Palace in Bangkok, while the private residence has been at the Dusit Palace. The king of Thailand is head of state, Highest Commander of the Royal Thai Armed Forces, adherent of Buddhism and upholder of religions.

Source and attribution

Text excerpted from Monarchy of Thailand by Wikipedia contributors, available under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0. The extract is abridged and formatting has been adjusted; the adapted text on this page is shared under the same licence. Revision history.