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The International Journal of the Royal Society of Thailand

Volume XVI-2024 (Special Issue)

as this could intimidate the opposing party or lead to bias on the part of the judge, who might

favor decisions that would transfer the assets to the state. Violators would face severe penalties.
In the Royal Act No. 3 enacted in B.E. 2329, King Rama I abolished an old Ayutthaya-era law

that allowed victims of robbery and murder cases to exact punishment on captured criminals
by themselves. The old law allowed the offender to be sent to the victims, which at that time

was called the “host,” and the offender would be punished by the victims. His Majesty deemed
that robbery and murder cases were severe crimes and were offenses against the state. Allowing

criminals to reach an agreement with the victims and not to be punished according to the law
would make the criminals arrogant and the country would lose its peace and order. Moreover,

this created opportunities for corruption and improper acts for both the victims and government
officials. The King replaced this law with stringent measures. If the offenders were proven guilty

and convicted on the charges, they must undergo death penalty.
The examples above represent only a fraction of the comprehensive legal reforms.

There are many other provisions, all of which demonstrate King Rama I’s dedication to justice
for the people. His Majesty sought to remove distortions and inconsistencies to ensure fairness.

This revised legal framework became a critical tool for resolving disputes and delivering true
justice, fostering peace and stability in the kingdom and lasting prosperity for its people.

4.5 Economic Revival During the early Rattanakosin period, Thailand’s economy remained
largely self-sufficient. The majority of the population engaged in agriculture, particularly rice

farming, vegetable cultivation, small-scale farming, and livestock rearing for work and for household
consumption. Agricultural products were exchanged for daily necessities at local markets within

various communities. However, Thai people lacked expertise in commerce, which was limited
to small-scale trading in market stalls while the Chinese began to exert increasing influence over

the Thai economy, taking roles as middlemen, small-scale merchants, and peddlers.
During the reign of King Rama I, the kingdom’s revenue was insufficient to cover its

expenditures due to several significant factors, such as the construction of the new capital,
defensive wars, territorial expansion, the promotion of Buddhism, and the development of national

arts and culture. Even annual stipends for nobles and officials were sometimes only partially paid,
with some years seeing officials receive only half their entitled amount. Occasionally, stipends

were distributed in the form of rice or patterned cloth instead of currency. Finding sufficient
revenue to meet the kingdom’s needs was a pressing challenge for the nation’s leadership.

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