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The International Journal of the Royal Society of Thailand

Volume XVI-2024 (Special Issue)

provided training course on public health, both theory and field practice, to doctors in the rural

areas. All of the physicians, nurses, and personnel who ever received royal grants or supports
from Prince Mahidol dedicated their lives to serve Thai people and improve medical care and

publich health in Thailand at the international level as planned by Prince Mahidol. (Sangvichien
et al., 2011 & 2012)

The financial supports provided by Prince Mahidol have been estimated no less than
those provided by the Rockefeller Foundation. Prince Mahidol had considerably given grants

and financial supports for the advancement of medicine and publich health. To nurture
academic personnels by grants given directly from Prince Mahidol or various funds initiated

by him such as medical science fund, teaching and research fund, etc. Prince Mahidol kindly
donated 350,480 Bahts while the Rockefeller Foundation gave 292,000 Bahts to construct new

buildings on the Siriraj Hospital. The value of money at that time was quite different from
the present. Professor Dr. Sood Sangvichien recorded that he paid 11 Bahts to get the copy

of the “Elements of Pathology” textbook written by Professor Dr. Ellis, the head of pathology
department at that time. The book contained 544 pages and was published in the United States

in 1926. It costs 1,600 Bahts to buy this particular textbook at present! (Sanya Sukpanichnant,
2007) Moreover, Prince Mahidol donated considerably to McCormick Hospital in Chiang Mai

and Songkhla Hospital. Finally, in Prince Mahidol’s will, he asked Princess Srinagarindra
(the Queen Mother) to donate a sum of 500,000 Bahts over 25 years to support higher education

for instructors at Siriraj medical and nursing schools. Faculty of Medicine Siriraj Hospital,
Mahidol University, eventually followed his footsteps by expanding the funding assets to

support several instructors a year for advanced training. (Sangvichien et al., 2011 & 2012)
King Rama VII founded Royal Society of Siam on 19 April 1926. Subsequently,

King Rama VIII appointed 8 physicians to be fellows of the Royal Institute of Thailand (Royal
Society of Thailand at present). They were Professor Phra Abbhantrabadh Bisal (Kamchorn

Balankura), Professor Dr. Chalerm Prommas, Professor Luang Lipidham Sribhayatt, Lieutenant
Colonel Dr. Luang Nittaya Vechavisit, Prof. Dr. Term Bunnag, Prof. Dr. Pyn Muangman,

Prof. Dr. Sood Sangvichien, and Prof. Dr. Ouay Ketusinh. All played important roles in improving
medical schools as well as hospitals throughout the country, following footsteps of Prince

Mahidol. (Sanya Sukpanichnant, 2022)
In the reign of King Rama VII, Mom Chao Boonsrikasem Kasemsri, dean of the faculty of

arts and science, Chulalongkorn University, allowed seven females to study premedical science
for the first time in the academic year 1927 and five went on to graduate with medical degree.

Three of these graduates became the first female physicians at the end of the academic year

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