Every year on 23rd October, Thais take a national holiday to commemorate the death of one of the most revered kings of the past; Chulalongkorn. Chulalongkorn was one of the most important figureheads in Thai history, and the day is taken to commemorate the day of his death.
History of Chulalongkorn Day
When Chulalongkon’s father -who was on the throne at the time- died, Chulalongkon inhereted the title to the throne. He was only 15 when he took to the throne, and was thereafter known as Rama V – the fifth monarch of Siam (Thailand) to come from the house of Chakri.
During his long 42 year rule, Chulalongkorn brought some sweeping changes to Thailand in the 19th century.One important move was to incorporate a western style government into Thailand. He also spent this time improving relations between Siam and the major western powers such as France, Britain, USA and Russia. His children also went to be educated in the west.
He is also remembered for bringing Thailand a whole series of modern features such as a railway, and a fully-fledged postal system. He also ruled out slavery. He also boasted important improvements in health and education. The King successfully adapted the country to cope with the rising threat of colonialism.He avoided confrontation and he fostered friendly relations with all powers. Thailand was able to keep her independence even though it lost a lot of its territory to France in the last years of his reign.
His death on October 23, 1910 was a great loss to the entire nation as he was one of the most honored and beloved kings who were often called “Somdej Phra Piyamaharaj”.
Thailand Chulalongkorn Day Traditions, Customs and Activities
Various cultural activities and events are held during this day in honor of King Chulalongkorn. The king’s statue is often festooned with flowers on the day. Other performance are also given, which celebrate the life of the king.
Promote your business with a customized calendar from Aglobalworld.com – ours is the only planner to include the holiday dates of over 200 countries. It’s also packed with interesting and useful information such as color maps, time zones and dialing codes.
