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The International Journal of the Royal Society of Thailand

Volume XVI-2024 (Special Issue)

and 4 more medical schools were added in the reign of King Rama X. All 28 medical schools are

now under the education standards supervised by MHESI. (Wikipedia, 2024)
Since the dramatic change in higher education system especially in medicine, dentistry,

nursing, pharmacology, medical technology, public health, rehabilitation medicine, physical
therapy, and other medical sciences as well as medical services and public health provided

by the ministry of publich health, the roles of the royal activities provided to the country and
Thai people may not be as distinctive as those in the past. Nevertheless, we need to accept

that the Royal Institution both in the reign of King Rama IX and King Rama X has filled any
deficits left behind by the government or private sectors. The following demonstrate such

activities provided by the Royal Institution for the betterment of Thai societies.

Anandamahidol Foundation

In 1955, realizing the scarcity of instructors in higher education, King Rama IX

donated 20,000 Bahts as a “Anandamahidol Scholarship,” named after his beloved brother,
King Rama VIII, and the first 2 grants were given to medical graduates to follow the footsteps

of Prince Mahidol. The first recipient was Emeritus Professor Dr. Charas Suwanwela at Faculty
of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University who is a neurosurgeon. The second recipient was

Emeritus Professor Dr. Prawase Wasi at Faculty of Medicine Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University
who is an honorable fellow of the Royal Society of Thailand in the fields of genetics and

hematology. Later, in 1959, King Rama IX converted this grant into the Anandamahidol
Foundation and expanded the fields eligible for application of the grant to 8 fields at present,

including medicine, science, engineering, agriculture, political science, literature, dentistry,
and veterinary medicine. The foundation supports the best graduates to study abroad and

to return to serve the country as the leader in their fields. Although there is no official obligation
in the contract, most returned to Thialand. Based on the data in 2016, more than 300 recipients

received the grants from the Anandamahidol Foundation; approximately 80% of them are
active instructors in universities. (Kijvasin, 2016)

Raj Pracha Samasai Foundation under the royal patronage

Leprosy is a public health problem in many countries but it is not a problem in Thailand
because of King Rama IX’s vision on the importance of health care for his people. In 1956,

when the king first learned of leprosy problems in the country, he provided solutions to
Professor Dr. Swasti Daengsawang, director general of the department of health, who received

royal support from Prince Mahidol. In 1960, the king donated his personal money to ministry of

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