Page 143 - The lraternational Journal of the Royal Society of Thailand.indd

The International Journal of the Royal Society of Thailand
Volume XV-2023

The members of the Royal Society of Thailand are of three types: fellows,
associate fellows, and honorary fellows. Fellows are appointed by His Majesty the King
as Scholars of the King (“ratchabandit” in Thai) and are chosen from the existing
associate fellows (“phakhisamachik” in Thai). Honorary fellows are also royally
appointed and are chosen from renowned academic experts outside the society

(“ratchabandit kittimasak” in Thai). At present (documented as of 16 December 2022),
there are 123 fellows (Academy of Science 57, Academy of Moral and Political Sciences
34, and Academy of Arts 32), 94 associated fellows (Academy of Science 28, Academy

of Moral and Political Sciences 37, and Academy of Arts 29, and 8 honorary fellows.
(The Royal Society of Thailand, 2022)

The Royal Society is responsible for the academic work of the government and
is a Thai language reference center. The society provides intellectual resources for
research, reference and educational services. The society is known for its role in the

planning and regulation of the Thai language and other specific referential publications.
Most notably these include the official and prescriptive dictionary of the Thai language,
the Royal Thai General System of Transcription, and the official system for Romanizing
Thai words. The Royal Society of Thailand routinely publishes academic-specific
dictionary textbooks and encyclopedias of all major disciplines and issues regular

journals both in Thai and English. (The Royal Gazette, 2015; The Royal Society of
Thailand, 2020)

The first three most eminent presidents of the Royal Society of Thailand (Figure 4)
The first president of the Royal Society was Prince Damrong Rajanubhab who
proposed to King Prajadhipok (Rama VII) about the establishment of the Royal Society

of Siam. The early tasks of the society were organizing and maintaining the National
Library and the museums. Prince Damrong had contributed significantly to the
modernization of the country and published numerous books and articles. He was
appointed to several administrative positions during the reign of King Chulalongkorn

and was the Ministry of Interior during 1892-1915. His work demonstrates his high
level of dedication and genius, which is evident to the public today. He is credited as
the father of Thai history, the education system, the health system, and the capital
and provincial administration. In 1962, a centenary of his birth, Prince Damrong

Rajanubhab became the first Thai acclaimed as a World Personage by the UNESCO
(United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization). (Damrong.org,
2023)

Sanya Sukpanichnant
Kesinee Chotivanich 135