Buddhism in ThailandBuddhism in Thailand is largely of the Theravada school, which is followed by roughly 93.4% percent of the population. Thailand has the second largest Buddhist population in the world, after China, with approximately 64 million Buddhists. Buddhism in Thailand has also become integrated with folk religion (Bon) as well as Chinese religions from the large Thai Chinese population. Buddhist temples in Thailand are characterized by tall golden stupas, and the Buddhist architecture of Thailand is similar to that in other Southeast Asian countries, particularly Cambodia and Laos, with which Thailand shares cultural and historical heritages.
MongkutMongkut (มงกุฏ; 18 October 1804 1 October 1868) was the fourth monarch of Siam (Thailand) under the House of Chakri, titled Rama IV. He ruled from 1851 to 1868. His full title in Thai was Phra Bat Somdet Phra Menthora Ramathibodi Sri Sinthara Mahamakut Phra Mongkut Phra Siam Deva Mahamakut Wittaya Maharaj (พระบาทสมเด็จพระปรเมนทรรามาธิบดีศรีสินทรมหามงกุฎ พระจอมเกล้าเจ้าอยู่หัว พระสยามเทวมหามกุฏวิทยมหาราช).
VajiravudhVajiravudh (วชิราวุธ, , 1 January 1881 - 26 November 1925) was the sixth monarch of Siam under the Chakri dynasty as Rama VI. He ruled from 23 October 1910 until his death in 1925. King Vajiravudh is best known for his efforts to create and promote Siamese nationalism. His reign was characterized by Siam's movement further towards democracy and minimal participation in World War I. He had keen interests in Siamese history, archaeology, and literature, as well as economics, politics and world affairs, and founded the country's first university, Chulalongkorn University.
PrajadhipokPrajadhipok (ประชาธิปก, RTGS: Prachathipok, 8 November 1893 – 30 May 1941), also Rama VII, was the seventh monarch of Siam of the Chakri dynasty. His reign was a turbulent time for Siam due to political and social changes during the Revolution of 1932. He is to date the only Siamese monarch of the Chakri Dynasty to abdicate. Somdet Chaofa Prajadhipok Sakdidej (สมเด็จเจ้าฟ้าประชาธิปกศักดิเดชน์) was born on 8 November 1893 in Bangkok, Siam (now Thailand) to King Chulalongkorn and Queen Saovabha Phongsri.
ChulalongkornChulalongkorn (จุฬาลงกรณ์, 20 September 1853 – 23 October 1910) was the fifth monarch of Siam under the House of Chakri, titled Rama V from 1 October 1868 to his death in 23 October 1910. Chulalongkorn was born as the son of King Mongkut in 1853. In 1868, he travelled with his father and other Westerners invited by Mongkut to observe the solar eclipse of August 18, 1868 in Prachuap Khiri Khan Province. However, they both contracted malaria which resulted in his father's death.
TaksinKing Taksin the Great (สมเด็จพระเจ้าตากสินมหาราช, , ) or the King of Thonburi (สมเด็จพระเจ้ากรุงธนบุรี, ; ; Teochew: Dên Chao; April 17, 1734 – April 7, 1782) was the only king of the Thonburi Kingdom that ruled Thailand from 1767 to 1782. He had been an aristocrat in the Ayutthaya Kingdom and then was a major leader during the liberation of Siam from Burmese occupation after the Second Fall of Ayutthaya in 1767, and the subsequent unification of Siam after it fell under various warlords.
Constitution of ThailandThe Constitution of the Kingdom of Thailand (รัฐธรรมนูญแห่งราชอาณาจักรไทย; ) provides the basis for the rule of law in Thailand. Since the abolition of the absolute monarchy in 1932, Thailand has had 20 charters or constitutions (as of 2015), an average of one roughly every four years. Many changes followed military coups, reflecting the high degree of political instability in the country. After each successful coup, military regimes abrogated the existing constitution, generally without public consultation.
Siamese revolution of 1932The Siamese revolution of 1932 or Siamese coup d'état of 1932 (การปฏิวัติสยาม พ.ศ. 2475 or การเปลี่ยนแปลงการปกครองสยาม พ.ศ. 2475) was a coup d'état by Khana Ratsadon (the People's Party) which occurred in Siam on 24 June 1932. It ended Siam's centuries-long absolute monarchy rule under the Chakri dynasty, and resulted in a bloodless transition of Siam into a constitutional monarchy, the introduction of democracy and the first constitution, and the creation of the National Assembly.
Monarchy of ThailandThe monarchy of Thailand refers to the constitutional monarchy of the Kingdom of Thailand (formerly Siam). The king of Thailand; พระมหากษัตริย์ไทย, historically, king of Siam; พระเจ้ากรุงสยาม) is the head of state and head of the ruling Royal House of Chakri. 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 from 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.
Rattanakosin Kingdom (1782–1932)The Rattanakosin Kingdom (อาณาจักรรัตนโกสินทร์, , ʔāːnāːt͡ɕàk ráttāná(ʔ)kōːsǐn, abbreviated as รัตนโกสินทร์, ráttāná(ʔ)kōːsǐn), the Kingdom of Siam, or the Early Bangkok Empire (1767–1851), were names used to reference the fourth and current Thai kingdom in the history of Thailand (then known as Siam). It was founded in 1782 with the establishment of Rattanakosin (Bangkok), which replaced the city of Thonburi as the capital of Siam. This article covers the period until the Siamese revolution of 1932.
