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71-639: On 18 September 1896 King Chulalongkorn established the Royal Forest Department under the Ministry of the Interior to manage forests and control revenue from the teak forests of northern Thailand. A British forester, Herbert Slade, former Deputy Conservator of Forests in Burma, served as the first director of the department. In its early days the department focused on obtaining tax revenue for

142-511: A Semang orphan boy named Khanung. In 1907 he founded the royal rice varieties competition, at first only for the Tung Luang and Rangsit Canal districts. The next year it was held at Wat Suthat and since then has been held at various locations around the kingdom, by Chulalongkorn and his descendants. Siamese authorities had exercised substantial control over Malay sultanates since Ayutthaya times. The sultans sought British support as

213-520: A novice monk for six months at Wat Bawonniwet according to royal tradition. Upon his return to his secular life in 1867, he was designated Krommakhun Phinit Prachanat ( กรมขุนพินิตประชานาถ .) In 1867, King Mongkut led an expedition to the Malay Peninsula south of the city of Hua Hin , to verify his calculations of the solar eclipse of 18 August 1868 . Both Mongkut and his son fell ill of malaria. Mongkut died on 1 October 1868. Assuming

284-566: A bloodbath in Siam, provided several steps towards the abolition of slavery, not an extreme turning point from servitude to total freedom. Those who found themselves unable to live on their own sold themselves into slavery by rich noblemen. Likewise, when a debt was defaulted, the borrower would become a slave of the lender. If the debt was redeemed, the slave regained freedom. However, those whose parents were household slaves (ทาสในเรือนเบี้ย) were bound to be slaves forever because their redemption price

355-438: A constitutional monarchy. Chulalongkorn demurred, stating that the time was not ripe and that he himself was making reforms. Throughout Chulalongkorn's reign, writers with radical ideas had their works published for the first time. The most notable ones included Thianwan Wannapho , who had been imprisoned for 17 years and from prison produced many works criticizing traditional Siamese society. In 1863, King Norodom of Cambodia

426-691: A counterweight to Siamese influence. In 1909, the Anglo-Siamese Treaty of 1909 was agreed. Four sultanates ( Kedah , Kelantan , Terengganu and Perlis ) were brought under British influence in exchange for Siamese legal rights and a loan to construct railways in southern Siam. Si Suriyawongse Somdet Chaophraya Borom Maha Sri Suriwongse ( Thai : สมเด็จเจ้าพระยาบรมมหาศรีสุริยวงศ์ , RTGS :  ... Si Suriwong , IPA: [sǒm.dèt t͡ɕâːw.pʰrá.jaː bɔː.rom má.hǎ: sǐː sù.rí.woŋ] ; also spelled Suriyawong , etc.; 23 December 1808 – 19 January 1883), whose personal name

497-582: A major impact, as it ended the power of all local dynasties. Central authority now spread all over the country through the administration of intendants. For example, the Lanna states in the north (including the Kingdom of Chiangmai , Principalities of Lampang , Lamphun , Nan , and Prae , tributaries to Bangkok) were made into two monthons, neglecting the existence of the Lanna kings . Local rulers did not cede power willingly. Three rebellions sprang up in 1901:

568-574: A network of cities according to the Mandala system codified by King Trailokanat in 1454, with local rulers owing tribute to Bangkok . Each city retained a substantial degree of autonomy, as Siam was not a "state" but a "network" of city-states. With the rise of European colonialism, the Western concept of state and territorial division was introduced. It had to define explicitly which lands were "Siamese" and which lands were "foreign". The conflict with

639-493: A source of his later ideas for the modernization of Siam. He was crowned king in his own right as Rama V on 16 November 1873. Sri Suriwongse then arranged for the Front Palace of King Pinklao (who was his uncle) to be bequeathed to King Pinklao's son, Prince Yodyingyot (who was Chulalongkorn's cousin). As regent, Sri Suriwongse wielded great influence. Sri Suriwongse continued the works of King Mongkut. He supervised

710-563: A steamboat from Ratchaburi to Bangkok for treatment but Sri Suriyawongse died en route at Amphoe Krathum Baen, Samut Sakhon Province on 19 January 1883, aged 74. His funeral was held in manners and honors of a royalty. Sri Suriyawongse married Lady Klin Bunnag who was also his half-cousin (her father was Prayurawongse's half brother) and became his main wife. He had a son and three daughters with her including; He had another two wives but did not have any more children. Sri Suriwongse received

781-642: The Slave Abolition Act ended Siamese slavery in all forms. The reverse of 100 baht banknotes in circulation since the 2005 centennial depict Chulalongkorn in navy uniform abolishing the slave tradition. The traditional corvée system declined after the Bowring Treaty , which gave rise to a new class of employed labourers not regulated by the government, while many noblemen continued to hold sway over large numbers of Phrai Som . Chulalongkorn needed more effective control of manpower to undo

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852-677: The Ngiao rebellion in Phrae , the 1901–1902 Holy Man's Rebellion in Isan , and the Rebellion of Seven Sultans in the south. All these rebellions were crushed in 1902 with the city rulers stripped of their power and imprisoned. Ayutthaya King Ramathibodi II established a system of corvée in 1518 after which the lives of Siamese commoners and slaves were closely regulated by the government. All Siamese common men ( phrai ไพร่) were subject to

923-633: The Phra Klang Sinka who collected tariffs as the source of royal court revenue. The Burney Treaty of 1826 allowed British merchants to trade directly with the local Siamese but they were still subjected to the traditional tariff that measured on the width of the arriving merchant ship and the British residing in Siam were subjected to Siamese laws. After the First Opium War , the British was eager to demand free trade in Siam. James Brooke

994-527: The Solar eclipse of August 18, 1868 calculated by the king. After the demise of his father in 1855 and the demise of Vice-King Pinklao in 1866, Sri Suriyawongse emerged as the most powerful courtier. After the solar eclipse event, King Mongkut was exposed to malaria and died in October 1868. Sri Suriyawongse held a council of royal princes and top ministers. The council affirmed that Prince Chulalongkorn , who

1065-549: The Torrens title system, though it was not until the year 1901 that the first–fruits of this survey were obtained. In 1873, the Royal Siamese Government Gazette published an announcement on the abolition of prostration . In it, King Chulalongkorn declared, "The practice of prostration in Siam is severely oppressive. The subordinates have been forced to prostrate in order to elevate the dignity of

1136-744: The governor of Labuan arrived in Bangkok in September 1850. King Rama III elevated Chuang to Phraya Sri Suriyawongse and assigned him to receive Brooke. However, as the king had been ill, no further agreement was reached. Upon the coronation of King Mongkut in April 1851, Prince Isaret Rangsan was made the Vice-King Pinklao at the Front Palace and Chuang's father the Phraklang was made Somdet Chao Phraya Borom Maha Prayurawongse . Chuang

1207-490: The phu yai . I do not see how the practice of prostration will render any benefit to Siam. The subordinates find the performance of prostration a harsh physical practice. They have to go down on their knees for a long time until their business with the phu yai ends. They will then be allowed to stand up and retreat. This kind of practice is the source of oppression. Therefore, I want to abolish it." The Gazette directed that, "From now on, Siamese are permitted to stand up before

1278-499: The " Haw wars ". Chulalongkorn reigned from 1868 until his death in 1910. All his reforms were dedicated to ensuring Siam's independence given the increasing encroachment of Western powers, so that Chulalongkorn earned the epithet Phra Piya Maharat or known as the Great Beloved King . King Chulalongkorn was born on 20 September 1853 to King Mongkut and Queen Debsirindra and given the name Chulalongkorn. In 1861, he

1349-479: The 15-year-old Chulalongkorn to be dying as well, King Mongkut on his deathbed wrote, "My brother, my son, my grandson, whoever you all the senior officials think will be able to save our country will succeed my throne, choose at your own will." As Mongkut had not designated who would succeed him, the choice fell to a council to decide. The council led by Prince Deves, Mongkut's eldest half-brother, then choose Chulalongkorn as Mongkut's successor. However, Chulalongkorn

1420-546: The Bowring Treaty. Sri Suriyawongse was officially invested as Samuha Kalahom the Prime Minister of Southern Siam and became de facto in charge of Siamese foreign affairs. Sri Suriyawongse was then called by the honorific Pana Hua Chao Than ( Thai : พณหัวเจ้าท่าน ). Bowring Treaty was the first of " unequal treaties " that had been agreed by Siam with Western nations. The free trades and extraterritoriality

1491-617: The Burmese, but he did not do so. Freed of the Front Palace and Chinese rebellions, Chulalongkorn initiated modernization and centralization reforms. He established the Royal Military Academy in 1887 to train officers in Western fashion. His upgraded forces provided the king much more power to centralize the country. The government of Siam had remained largely unchanged since the 15th century. The central government

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1562-466: The Council of State as a legislative body and a privy council as his personal advisory board based on the British privy council . Council members were appointed by the monarch. On the night of 28 December 1874, a fire broke out near the gunpowder storehouse and gasworks in the main palace. Front Palace troops quickly arrived, fully armed, "to assist in putting out the fire". They were denied entrance and

1633-470: The French consul and started negotiation with Sri Suriyawongse about French-Siamese border proclamations. The Straits Times published the secret Cambodian-Siamese treaty on 20 August 1864, much to the embarrassment of Aubaret who had been unaware of the treaty. Aubaret went directly to King Mongkut to denounce " Kalahom " Sri Suriyawongse. The agreements were delayed and resumed in April 1865 but this treaty

1704-491: The French in 1893 was an example. Sukhaphiban ( สุขาภิบาล ) sanitary districts were the first sub-autonomous entities established in Thailand. The first such was created in Bangkok, by royal decree of King Chulalongkorn in 1897. During his European tour earlier that year, he had learned about the sanitary districts of England, and wanted to try out this local administrative unit in his capital. With his experiences during

1775-558: The Front Palace led to the latter taking refuge in British consulate . Thomas George Knox the British consul-general had been known to support Vice-King Pinklao's lineage and to prevent British intervention King Chulalongkorn requested Sri Suriyawongse for aid. Sri Suriyawongse arrived at Bangkok and managed to convince Prince Wichaichan to leave British consulate. In January 1883, Sri Suriyawongse fell seriously ill at his estate at Ratchaburi. His eldest son Won Bunnag had him transported in

1846-531: The Front Palace. Chulalongkorn appointed Chaturonrasmi to be an executive of the organization, which he closely oversaw. From the time of King Mongkut, the Front Palace had been the equivalent of a "second king", with one-third of national revenue allocated to it. Prince Yodyingyot of the Front Palace was known to be on friendly terms with many Britons, at a time when Siamese relations with the British Empire were tense. In 1874, Chulalongkorn established

1917-630: The Great , was the fifth king of Siam from the Chakri dynasty , titled Rama V . Chulalongkorn was born as the son of Mongkut , the fourth king of Siam. In 1868, he travelled with his father and Westerners invited by Mongkut to observe the solar eclipse of 18 August 1868 in Prachuap Khiri Khan Province . However, Chulalongkorn and his father both contracted malaria which resulted in his father's death. Chulalongkorn's reign

1988-723: The Heo insurgents. However, the French troops never left, and the French demanded more Laotian lands. In 1893 Auguste Pavie , the French vice-consul of Luang Prabang , requested the cession of all Laotian lands east of the Mekong River . Siam resented the demand, leading to the Franco-Siamese crisis of 1893 . The French gunboat Le Lutin entered the Chao Phraya and anchored near the French consulate ready to attack. Fighting

2059-460: The House of Bunnag , was a powerful aristocratic dynasty of Persian descent. It dominated Siamese politics since the reign of Rama I . Chulalongkorn then married four of his half-sisters , all daughters of Mongkut: Savang Vadhana , Saovabha Phongsri , and Sunanda Kumariratana (Mongkut with Concubine Piam ), and Sukhumala Marasri (Mongkut with Concubine Samli ). Chulalongkorn's first reform

2130-470: The Siamese corvée system. Each man at the time of his majority had to register with a government bureau, department, or leading member of the royalty called krom ( กรม ) as a Phrai Luang ( ไพร่หลวง ) or under a nobleman's dominion ( Moon Nai or Chao Khun Moon Nai มูลนาย หรือเจ้าขุนมูลนาย ) as a Phrai Som ( ไพร่สม ). Phrai owed service to sovereign or master for three months of

2201-502: The agency aims to monitor forests , coordinate research, encourage community forest management, conserve forest land and monitor the wood industry. In fiscal year 2018 (FY2018), the RFA's budget was 5,501 million baht , increasing to 5,584 million baht in FY2019. Chulalongkorn Chulalongkorn (20 September 1853 – 23 October 1910), posthumously honoured as King Chulalongkorn

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2272-509: The assault into Hà Tiên and sent Cambodian regiment to take Cô Tô mountain . After one week of bombardments, the reinforced Vietnamese did not yield. Prince Isaret Rangsan and Chuang Bunnag decided to retreat due to unfavorable winds. The British had been granted trade permissions in the 1826 Burney Treaty but much of traditional royal monopoly was retained. Trade with Westerners had been monopolized by Phra Klang Sinka or Royal Storage Department since 1511. All Western cargoes were monitored by

2343-573: The cession of Laos in 1893, but the French troops in Chantaburi and Trat refused to leave. The cession of vast Laotian lands had a major impact on Chulalongkorn's spirit. Prince Vajirunhis died in 1894. Prince Vajiravudh was made crown prince to replace him. Chulalongkorn realised the importance of maintaining the navy and established the Royal Thai Naval Academy in 1898. Despite Siamese concessions, French armies continued

2414-624: The construction of a 35-km long canal that connected Tha Chin River and Mae Klong River to facilitate commuting into Western Siam. The construction was finished in 1868 and was named Damnoen Saduak Canal . As Sri Suriyawongse had spent his own wealth on the construction of the canal, King Mongkut allowed the Bunnags to settle along the canal. In August 1868, Sri Suriyawongse organized the royal outing of King Mongkut to Wa Keo, Prachuap Khiri Khan Province with his son Prince Chulalongkorn to observe

2485-404: The digging of several important khlongs , such as Padung Krungkasem and Damneun Saduak, and the paving of roads such as Charoen Krung and Silom. He was also a patron of Thai literature and performing arts. At the end of his regency, Sri Suriwongse was raised to Somdet Chao Phraya , the highest title a noble could attain. Si Suriyawongse was the most powerful noble of the 19th century. His family,

2556-503: The dignitaries. To display an act of respect, the Siamese may take a bow instead. Taking a bow will be regarded as a new form of paying respect." The construction of railways in Siam had a political motivation: to connect all of the country so as to better maintain control of it. In 1901, the first railway was opened from Bangkok to Korat . In the same year, the first power plant of Siam produced electricity and electric lights first illuminated roadways. In 1906 King Chulalongkorn adopted

2627-491: The fire was extinguished. The incident demonstrated the considerable power wielded by aristocrats and royal relatives, leaving the king little power. Reducing the power held by the nobility became one of his main motives in reforming Siam's feudal politics. When Prince Yodyingyot died in 1885, Chulalongkorn took the opportunity to abolish the titular Front Palace and created the title of " Crown Prince of Siam " in line with Western custom. Chulalongkorn's son, Prince Vajirunhis ,

2698-491: The first Siamese monarch to do so, and he desired European recognition of Siam as a fully independent power. He appointed his queen, Saovabha Phongsri , as regent in Siam during his travel to Europe. During a visit to Spain and Portugal , on 26 October, he condemned and ordered his servant to be executed for a breach of etiquette committed in Lisbon , according to the telegram news from Saragossa . Siam had been composed of

2769-641: The liberal notions of democracy and elections they encountered in republics like France and constitutional monarchies like the United Kingdom . In 1884 (year 103 of the Rattakosin Era ), Siamese officials in Europe warned Chulalongkorn of possible threats to Siamese independence from the European powers. They advised that Siam should be reformed like Meiji Japan and that Siam should become

2840-401: The occupation of Chantaburi and Trat for another 10 years. An agreement was reached in 1904 that French troops would leave Chantaburi but hold the coast land from Trat to Koh Kong . In 1906, the final agreement was reached. Trat was returned to Siam but the French kept Koh Kong and received Inner Cambodia. Seeing the seriousness of foreign affairs, Chulalongkorn visited Europe in 1897. He was

2911-429: The outset, members of the royal family. Ministries were established in 1892, with all ministries having equal status. The Council of State proved unable to veto legal drafts or to give Chulalongkorn advice because the members regarded Chulalongkorn as an absolute monarch, far above their station. Chulalongkorn dissolved the council altogether and transferred advisory duties to the cabinet in 1894. Chulalongkorn abolished

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2982-503: The power of nobility. After the establishment of the monthon system, Chulalongkorn instituted a census to count all men available to the government. The Employment Act of 1900 required that all workers be paid, not forced to work. Chulalongkorn had established a defence ministry in 1887. The ending of the corvée system necessitated the beginning of military conscription , thus the Conscription Act of 1905 in Siam. This

3053-579: The remaining Haw. The city of Nong Khai maintains memorials for the Siamese dead. In Burma, while the British Army fought the Burmese Konbaung Dynasty , Siam remained neutral. Britain had agreements with the Siamese government, which stated that if the British were in conflict with Burma, Siam would send food supplies to the British Army. Chulalongkorn honored the agreement. The British expected he would send an army to help defeat

3124-696: The southern wall of the Grand Palace near modern Wat Pho , Phra Nakhon District . Chuang was a member of Bunnag family who had descended from Sheikh Ahmad , the Persian minister of King Prasat Thong . (His lineage had converted to Theravada Buddhism in the mid-eighteenth century.) In 1818, the Grand Palace expanded south and Bunnags moved to their new residence on the West bank of Chao Phraya River in modern Thonburi District . Chuang's father, Tish,

3195-515: The traditional Nakorn Bala methods of torture in the judiciary process, which were seen as inhumane and barbaric to Western eyes, and introduced a Western judicial code. His Belgian advisor, Gustave Rolin-Jaequemyns , played a great role in the development of modern Siamese law and its judicial system. Chulalongkorn was the first Siamese king to send royal princes to Europe to be educated. In 19th century Europe, nationalism flourished and there were calls for more liberty. The princes were influenced by

3266-495: The travel to British colonies and the suggestion of Prince Damrong , Chulalongkorn established the hierarchical system of monthons in 1897, composed of province , city , amphoe , tambon , and muban (village) in descending order. (Though an entire monthon, the Eastern Province, Inner Cambodia, was ceded to the French in 1906). Each monthon was overseen by an intendant of the Ministry of Interior . This had

3337-602: The use of forests rather than conservation, although its conservators expressed concern about unsustainable harvesting of teak in Thailand's northern forests. In 1899 all forests were declared government property and all logging without payment to the Royal Forest Department was prohibited. Formerly the agency controlled Thailand's national parks but in 2002 they were taken over by the National Park, Wildlife and Plant Conservation Department (DNP), also part of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment. Today,

3408-451: The villages. In 1875, Chulalongkorn sent troops from Bangkok to crush the Haw who had ravaged as far as Vientiane . However, they met strong Chinese resistance and retreated to Isan in 1885. New, modernized forces were sent again and were divided into two groups approaching the Haw from Chiang Kam and Pichai. The Haw scattered and some fled to Vietnam . The Siamese armies proceeded to eliminate

3479-545: The year. Phrai Suay ( ไพร่ส่วย ) were those who could make payment in kind (cattle) in lieu of service. Those conscripted into military service were called Phrai Tahan ( ไพร่ทหาร ). Chulalongkorn was best known for his abolition of Siamese slavery ( ทาส .) He associated the abolition of slavery in the United States with the bloodshed of the American Civil War . Chulalongkorn, to prevent such

3550-465: Was Chuang Bunnag ( Thai : ช่วง บุนนาค ; RTGS :  Chuang Bunnak ; IPA: [t͡ɕʰûaŋ bun.nâ:k] ), was a prominent 19th century Thai figure who served as the regent during the early years of the reign of King Chulalongkorn . Chuang Bunnag ( Thai : ช่วง บุนนาค ) was born on 23 December 1808 to Tish Bunnag and his main wife Lady Chan, who was a daughter of Chao Phraya Pollathep Thongin, at Chuang's grandfather's residence off

3621-836: Was also made Chao Phraya Sri Suriyawongse ( Thai : เจ้าพระยาศรีสุริยวงศ์ ) the deputy Kalahom the Minister of Southern Siam. His father held the position of Samuha Kalahom de jure as Sri Suriyawongse had already taken his father's responsibilities in the Kalahom . Sri Suriyawongse moved to his new residence in Khlong San District , where he maintained a private dock and continued to engage in shipbuilding. John Bowring arrived in April 1855 and Sri Suriyawongse received him with pomp ceremonies. His father Prayurawongse strongly opposed British proposals on free trade issues but King Mongkut and Sri Suriyawongse had realized that Siam

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3692-653: Was an engraving in English; " This is Luang Nai Sit's house - welcome friends. " Chuang was close to Prince Isaret Rangsan (later vice-king Pinklao ) who shared Chuang's enthusiasms in shipbuilding and British-American culture. Chuang was appointed Chameun Waiworanat, a high-ranking royal page. In Siamese–Vietnamese War (1841–1845) , King Rama III commissioned Prince Isaret Rangsan and Chuang Bunnag to bring five Siamese rigged warships to attack Hà Tiên in January 1842. Prince Isaret Rangsan stayed at Phú Quốc and Chuang led

3763-544: Was appointed the first Crown Prince of Siam, though he never reigned. In 1895, when the prince died of typhoid at age 16, he was succeeded by his half-brother Vajiravudh , who was then at boarding school in England. In the northern Laotian lands bordering China, the insurgents of the Taiping Rebellion had taken refuge since the reign of King Mongkut. These Chinese were called Haw and became bandits, pillaging

3834-653: Was characterised by the modernisation of Siam, governmental and social reforms, and territorial concessions to the British and French empires. As Siam was surrounded by European colonies , Chulalongkorn, through his policies and acts, ensured the independence of Siam. He was mentioned as "One of the Rulers of the World at the Beginning of the 20th Century" and the "Greatest King of Siam and Thailand's History." Later, known for his conflicts in " 1893 Franco-Siamese crisis " and

3905-599: Was commanded by Vice-King Pinklao himself. In 1860, King Mongkut ordered Sri Suriyawongse to lead the construction of Phra Nakhon Khiri at Phetchaburi to be a detached palace. Cambodia had been traditionally under Siamese suzerainty. In August 1863, La Grandière the French admiral had King Norodom of Cambodia signed a treaty that put Cambodia under French protectorate without Siam's acknowledgement. Sri Suriyawongse responded by having King Norodom secretly signed another treaty that recognized Siamese suzerainty over Cambodia. Gabriel Aubaret arrived at Bangkok in April 1864 to be

3976-594: Was designated Krommamuen Pikhanesuan Surasangkat . His father gave him a broad education, including instruction from Western tutors such as Anna Leonowens . Chulalongkorn, along with his siblings, were educated by Leonowens from her arrival in August 1862 through to her departure in 1867. During this time, Chulalongkorn became friends with Leonowens' son Louis Leonowens who was two years younger than Chulalongkorn. His friendship with Louis would continue his adulthood where he assisted Louis' business in Siam. In 1866, he became

4047-533: Was extremely high. Because of economic conditions, people sold themselves into slavery in great numbers and in turn they produced a large number of household slaves. In 1867 they accounted for one-third of Siamese population. In 1874, Chulalongkorn enacted a law that lowered the redemption price of household slaves born in 1867 (his ascension year) and freed all of them when they had reached 21. The newly freed slaves would have time to settle themselves as farmers or merchants so they would not become unemployed. In 1905,

4118-416: Was fifteen years old, would succeed the throne and Sri Suriyawongse was to be appointed Regent during the minority of the new king. However, Sri Suriyawongse wished Vice-King Pinklao's son Prince Wichaichan be appointed as the Front Palace or heir presumptive . Prince Vorachak objected this, saying that the rights of appointing an heir belonged to the king, but Sri Suriyawongse prevailed. Sri Suriyawongse

4189-532: Was followed in 1907 by the first act providing for invoking martial law , which seven years later was changed to its modern form by his son and successor, King Vajiravudh. The Royal Thai Survey Department , a Special Services Group of the Royal Thai Armed Forces, engaged in cadastral survey , which is the survey of specific land parcels to define ownership for land registration , and for equitable taxation . Land title deeds are issued using

4260-485: Was forced to put his country under French protection. The cession of Cambodia was officially formulated in 1867. However, Inner Cambodia (as called in Siam) consisting of Battambang , Siam Nakhon , and Srisopon , remained a Siamese possession. This was the first of many territorial cessions. In 1887, French Indochina was formed from Vietnamese and Cambodian lands. In 1888, French troops invaded northern Laos to subjugate

4331-656: Was granted to the United States ( Harris ) in May 1856 and France ( Montigny ) in August 1856, all of which Sri Suriyawongse and Prince Wongsa Dhiraj Snid played leading roles. In the reign of King Mongkut, Siam established the first standing navy and was divided into the Royal Navy and the Front Palace Navy. Sri Suriyawongse became the first ever Commander of the Royal Navy while the Front Palace Navy

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4402-628: Was headed by the Samuha Nayok (i.e., prime minister), who controlled the northern parts of Siam, and the Samuha Kalahom (i.e., grand commander), who controlled southern Siam in both civil and military affairs. The Samuha Nayok presided over the Chatu Sadombh (i.e., Four Pillars). The responsibilities of each pillar overlapped and were ambiguous. In 1888, Chulalongkorn moved to institute a government of ministries. Ministers were, at

4473-401: Was in no position to resist British demands. The Bowring Treaty was achieved through Sri Suriyawongse's mediation with his father. The traditional ship-width tariff was abolished. The free trade and extraterritoriality was granted to the British and the four hundred years of royal monopoly on Western trade was ended. Sri Suriyawongse's father Prayurawongse died in April 1855, one month after

4544-806: Was invested the Somdet Chao Phraya Borom Maha Sri Suriyawongse with honors equal to a prince, the same rank his father had previously received - the highest rank a Siamese noble had ever attained during the Rattanakosin period. Sri Suriyawongse retired to his new estate in Ratchaburi where he spent last nine years of his life. The retired Sri Suriyawongse became involved in the politics again in an event known as " Front Palace Crisis " in December 1874. Stand-offs between King Chulalongkorn and Prince Wichaichan

4615-400: Was later invested as Chao Phraya Phraklang the Minister of Trade. Chuang began his career by entering the royal palace as one of the royal pages by around 1828. He was traditionally educated at Wat Pho. With his father being the Minister of Trade, Chuang became acquainted to royal trades and exposed to Western sciences. He was given title Luang Sit Nai Wen ( Thai : หลวงสิทธิ์นายเวร ). He

4686-602: Was not ratified at Paris as France would recognized Siamese rule over "Siamese Laos". Siam decided to dispatch a mission to Paris in 1865 led by Sri Suriyawongse's son Won Bunnag and the treaty was finally concluded in July 1867, in which Siam recognized French protectorate of Cambodia while in turn France accepted Siamese rule over "Inner Cambodia" (Northwestern Cambodia; Battambang , Siemreap and Sisophon , which had been annexed to Siamese direct rule since 1795 and would be ceded to French Indochina later in 1907.). In 1866, King Mongkut commissioned Sri Suriyawongse to oversee

4757-410: Was observed in Laos. Inconstant and Comete were attacked in Chao Phraya, and the French sent an ultimatum: an indemnity of three million francs, as well as the cession of and withdrawal from Laos. Siam did not accept the ultimatum. French troops then blockaded the Gulf of Siam and occupied Chantaburi and Trat . Chulalongkorn sent Rolin-Jacquemyns to negotiate. The issue was eventually settled with

4828-401: Was only 15 and so the council choose Si Suriyawongse to become the regent until Chulalongkorn came of age. The young Chulalongkorn was an enthusiastic reformer. He visited Singapore and Java in 1870 and British India in 1872 to study the administration of British colonies. He toured the administrative centres of Calcutta, Delhi, Bombay, and back to Calcutta in early 1872. This journey was

4899-609: Was said to be able to communicate in English . Chuang rose through ranks in the Royal Household Office. His main pursuit was shipbuilding . Chuang built a brigantine called Ariel , the first Western rigged ship ever built in Siam, at Chantaburi in 1835 where his father had been assigned to build fortifications. Chuang presented Ariel to King Rama III who named the ship Klaew Klang Samutr ( Thai : แกล้วกลางสมุทร ). Chuang invited Dan Beach Bradley to board his ship to Chantaburi in October 1835. Bradley called Chuang "Luang Nai Sit" and mentioned that in front of Chuang's house there

4970-484: Was succeeded as Samuha Kalahom and as the Commander of Royal Navy by his son Won Bunnag who was made Chao Phraya Surawong Waiyawat in 1869. In the 1870s, during his Regency, Sri Suriyawongse wielded a great power. King Chulalongkorn later described the situation to Crown Prince Vajiravudh in July 1893; " All of the princes were under Somdet Chao Phraya's power ". At the end of his regency in September 1873 when King Chulalongkorn had reached maturity, Sri Suriyawongse

5041-407: Was to establish the " Auditory Office " (Th: หอรัษฎากรพิพัฒน์) on 4 June 1873, solely responsible for tax collection, to counter the influence of the Bunnag family who had been in control of wealth collection since early Rattanakosin . As tax collectors had been under the aegis of various nobles and thus a source of their wealth, this reform caused great consternation among the nobility, especially

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