Prior to the establishment of the Chakri dynasty (the current royal lineage) the Kingdom of Siam (former name of Thailand) was in turmoil. In the very bottom row in the center is the current King and acting Head of State of Thailand, His Majesty, King Bhumibol Adulyadej (Rama IX), the ninth heir to come from the house of Chakri.
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The Monarchy & The King of Thailand
Since the 13th century, Thailand has been ruled outright by Kings of various realms. Though, it was not until 1932 that Thailand became a constitutional monarchy, a system not unlike that of the United Kingdom, in which the King serves as the Head of State and spiritual leader of the country, but wields no outright political authority. The current King of Thailand, His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej (Rama IX) is the ninth Thai king to come from the house of Chakri, which has ruled Thailand since the founding of Bangkok by King Phutthayotfa Chulalok (Rama I) in 1782. In fact, His Majesty King Bhumibol was born in the U.S. state of Massachusetts, while his father, who did not serve as King of Thailand, attended Harvard University. However, later His Majesty Bhumibol ascended the throne as King of Thailand in 1946 following the death of his brother, and has since attained the distinction of being the world’s longest reigning Thai King in Thailand’s history.
On the other hand, while the King of Thailand has little direct power, under the constitution King Bhumibol is a symbol of national identity and unity - thus, indeed, the Thai King commands enormous popular respect and moral authority, both of which has leveraged on a few rare occasions to resolve political crises that have threatened national stability. In more recent years, however, he has maintained a more hands-off approach, urging Thais to learn to resolve their differences in an amicable way for the good of their country. The Thai King and the members of the Royal Family are deeply revered by the Thai people for the Royal Family’s passionate commitment to the welfare of its people. In Thailand, respect for the Royal Family goes beyond mere custom, and it is, in fact, safeguarded by law: it is not only socially unacceptable to disparage members of the Royal Family or their likenesses; it is punishable under lese majeste law. Furthermore, it is required to stand in respect to the King at the commencement of films as well as stop walking and/or standing during the playing of the national anthem at 8 am and 6 pm. Although, on a lighter note, it has become fashionable to pay respect to the king by wearing a yellow shirt on Monday’s since the 60th anniversary of the king’s reign in 2006.
On the other hand, while the King of Thailand has little direct power, under the constitution King Bhumibol is a symbol of national identity and unity - thus, indeed, the Thai King commands enormous popular respect and moral authority, both of which has leveraged on a few rare occasions to resolve political crises that have threatened national stability. In more recent years, however, he has maintained a more hands-off approach, urging Thais to learn to resolve their differences in an amicable way for the good of their country. The Thai King and the members of the Royal Family are deeply revered by the Thai people for the Royal Family’s passionate commitment to the welfare of its people. In Thailand, respect for the Royal Family goes beyond mere custom, and it is, in fact, safeguarded by law: it is not only socially unacceptable to disparage members of the Royal Family or their likenesses; it is punishable under lese majeste law. Furthermore, it is required to stand in respect to the King at the commencement of films as well as stop walking and/or standing during the playing of the national anthem at 8 am and 6 pm. Although, on a lighter note, it has become fashionable to pay respect to the king by wearing a yellow shirt on Monday’s since the 60th anniversary of the king’s reign in 2006.