Left: King Chulalongkorn the Great during his early Reign    Right: King Chulalongkonr and HRH Prince Mahidol, Somdej Pramahitathibej Adulyadejvikrom Prabarommarajajanok

Left : Princess Mother at Doi Tung royal residence  Right:  His Majesty's first grond-level outing during convalescing period in 33 days at Siriraj Hospital on Oct. 23. The people who are thereto wish him getting well all feel very delighted  and shout LONG LIVE THE KING many times to express their great happiness

Yesterday Oct. 23 was an official holiday in Thailand to mark the day HM King Chulalongkorn’s departure from this world for his heavenly abode on Oct 23, 1910 after 41 years as the Fifth Monarch of the Chakri Dynasty. King Chulalongkorn, in fact, was the grandfather of HM King Bhumibol Adulyadej, the present Ninth Reign.

For the Thai people everywhere, especially those made their visit to Siriraj Hospital in Bangkok yesterday to wish His Majesty’s quick recovery from illness and stayed until noon, are very much delighted to have the opportunity to watch His Majesty’s coming down from the royal suite in the hospital and spent in a wheel-chair about half an hour, visiting a mini-monument of King Chulongkorn at Sayamindra Building to pay his homage to his grandfather on the annual Oct. 23 Chulalongkorn Memorial Day Remembrance. His Majesty also paid double homage to the statutes of the Royal Parents, HRH Prince Father, Prince Mahidol of Songkla and HRH Princess Mother, Somdej Phra Srinagarindra Boromarajajonani at the 100 Year Siriraj Pavilion.

 King Chulalongkorn was given the “Great” status out of the deep love for him by the people who lived during his reign and the greatness of his ruling ability and geniuses in taking Siam through the threat of colonial powers and their gun-boat diplomacy. His brilliant strategies in establishing strong relationship with European major powers in the 19^th century were the hallmark of greatness in diplomacy that kept Siam from falling into European colonization traps and provocations. King Chulalongkorn made two visits to Europe in 1897 and 1907 with great success as he had been able to establish a very close relationship with Czar Nicholas II of Imperial Russia and well-recognized by Queen Victoria in Britain as many of his sons, all of them the Siamese high princes, and sons of high ranking officials were sent to Britain for their education in one of the world’s best places in top-rated education during the time.

Front row: King Chulalongkorn (centre) and Czarevich Nicholas Aleksandrovich (second from left) during his visit to Bangkok in 1891.  Second from right is Grand Duke George Aleksandrovich, a younger brother Czarevich Nicholas. Crown Prince Vajirunhis and Prince Jaturanta Rasmi on extreme left and right, respectively. The photos was taken at Bang Pa-In Summer Palace in Bang Pa-In, Ayutthaya. Other people in the pricture are members of Royal Family and the Czarevich's entourage

 
  Left ;Coronation ceremny of Czar Nicholas II of Imperial Russia in May 1896  Right; Czar and Empress  Alexandra Feodorovna. Their wedding was arranged in Moscow in 1895

Czar Nicholas II used to make a visit to Bangkok as a royal guest in 1891 while he is a Czarevich or the Eldest Son of a Czar, an equivalent of a Crown Prince of Imperial Russia. King Chulalongkorn was credited for his long-range visionary effort in modernization of Thailand, ranging from abolition of slavery, administrative reform, shift in foreign policy, starting railway building and the first rail service, law reform, the Siriraj hospital, nursing school, boy and girl schools, military reform, military school and military academy, naval academy, road building in Bangkok, irrigation canal system, banking service, bank note issuing, postal and telegraph service, first electric plant and tram service in Bangkok, first paved street (Charoen Krung Rd.), etc. So many things, Thai people enjoyed today were started by King Chulalongkorn. He was a Great Siamese King, undoubtedly.

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I think his role as the King of Siam during the turbulent years of colonization was his greatest feat in term diplomacy and national security while abolition of slavery was his greatest social development modern Thai people have to keep in their mind forever from generation to generation. Being the kind to his subjects by going out to mix with peasant and villagers without showing his status was also should be remembered forever by Thai people as a very lovable monarch in the time king was their Lord of Life.

King Chulalongkorn’s long reign of 41 years was from 1868 to 1910.