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The International Journal of the Royal Society of Thailand
Volume XII, 2020

A Modern Siam with Constitutional Monarchy -

King Prajatibok , The Siamese “Honourary Diplomat”
1
in Europe 1934

Pornsan Watanangura
2

Abstract

The visit to Europe by King Prajatibok and Queen Rambai Barni in 1934
took place in a time of problems and drastic change brought on by the first
massive global economic and financial crisis in 1929. Europe and Asia were
affected by new factors that they both shared: the gradual decline of the absolute
monarchies, and scientific and technological progress. Furthermore, both
continents had to deal with the influence and the expansion of new political
ideologies; namely, Marxism/communism and Fascism. In Siam, the
revolution in June 1932 during the reign of King Prajatibok (Rama VII)
replaced the absolute monarchy with a constitutional one. It was in these
turbulent times that King Prajatibok, who was considering abdication (which
finally happened in 1935), undertook his 1934 trip to Europe.

The presentation analyzes the visit to Europe and the complex preparation
for the King's trip - which lasted several months - from the Siamese and the
European perspective. The “semi-official” and “incognito” visits to nine
European countries in 1934, allowed King Prajatibok and Queen Rambai
Barni to successfully promote the new democratic and “modern Siam” in
Europe.

Keywords: King Prajadhipok, King Prajatibok, Queen Rambai Barni, King Rama
VII., King Prajadhipok’s Visit to Europe 1934/2476-2477, Thailand/Siam-Europe
relations, economic project, Luang Pradit Manutham, King Prajatibok and
President Roosevelt, King Prajatibok and Fascism

1 The name of His Majesty is written as it was by His Majesty himself at the French Military Academy,
“Ecole de Guerre”: “Prince Prajatibok, Lieut Col (Siam)”. In: Research work, Research Project of the
el
French-Thai-Studies, Faculty of Arts, Silpakorn University, Nakorn Pathom, Thailand: French
Primary Literature and the Regime of King Rama VII., 31
2 Prof. Kittikhun Dr. Pornsan Watanangura, Fellow, The Royal Society Thailand, Academy of Arts.
Emeritus Professor of German Language and Literature, Department of Western Languages,
German Section, Faculty of Arts, Chulalongkorn University

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Pornsan Watanangura

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