Born on September 20, 1853, the son of King Mongkut, Rama IV, and Queen Debsirindra, King Chulalongkorn came to the throne in 1868, at the age of just 15, after his father died of malaria contracted on a scientific journey to the South of Thailand.
Because of the King’s tender age, Si Suriyawongse, the most powerful of Thailand’s government officials, became regent.
Thanks to the comprehensive education he had received, and having understood from his father the threats to Thailand, particularly from the colonial powers, especially Britain and France, King Chulalongkorn set about studying ways to modernise Thailand, visiting Singapore and India to understand how the European powers administered their colonies.
In 1873 another coronation was held, this time to mark King Chulalongkorn reaching adulthood and the end of the regency.
The early years of his reign were marked by competition with nobles and officials who did not want to cede powers to him – which was a powerful incentive for the King to modernise.
He started by establishing the Auditor’s Office to reform the corrupt management of taxes, a courageous move as it hit his rivals for power in their pockets.
At the boundaries of Siam – which at that time encompassed much of modern Laos and a large part of Cambodia – he also had to deal with lawlessness, particularly the insurgents from the Taiping Rebellion in China, who had fled to Siam and turned to banditry.
It took 15 years – until 1890 – before the last of these bandit gangs faded away under pressure from the Siamese army.
Worryingly, to the west, colonial Britain was flexing its muscles, taking over the last of Burma, while in the east, France had taken over Cambodia in 1863 and was eying Thai territory to the east of the Mekong River.
In 1888 French troops entered northern Laos on the pretext of putting down remnants of the Taiping rebels. Having done what they set out to do, they did not withdraw but simply stayed.
In 1893, the French demanded that Siam give up all of Laos up to the Mekong, sparking war with the French, which ended with Siam acceding to the French demands.
In 1906 a final agreement ceded the Siamese part of Cambodia to France as well.
In 1909 Siam lost more territory after control of the Malay states of Kedah, Perlis, Kelantan and Trengganu was ceded to Britain in return for certain legal concessions and a large loan that was used to build the railway in Southern Thailand.
King Chulalongkorn, understanding that he needed to convince the great powers that Siam was culturally – if not militarily – their equal, toured the European capitals, meeting crowned heads such as the King of Sweden and the Tsar of Russia. He also sent many of his sons to be educated in Europe.
At home in Siam, the King instituted sweeping changes to bring the country into the modern world, abolishing slavery and the corvée (unpaid forced labour on government projects), building railways, introducing electricity, and setting up Sukhaphiban (health districts).
He also set up the Monthon system, which continues to this day in the hierarchical system of province, district, tambon and mu baan, all under the Ministry of Interior. This swept away the last vestiges of power held by local lords and kings, bringing the whole country under one government.
King Chulalongkorn is remembered by all Thais as Phra Piya Maharaj – the Great Beloved King – one of the great kings of the country, a king who worked hard throughout his life to improve life for the Siamese, and who managed to keep the core of Siam independent of the predatory colonial giants of the time – the only state in Southeast Asia to achieve this.
His reign is recalled as a golden age of justice, progress and national pride, and is the reason his portrait may still be seen hanging in homes and businesses around the country.