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The International Journal of the Royal Society of Thailand

Volume XVI-2024 (Special Issue)

by behaving appropriately. Soldiers should avoid any activities unrelated to their duties such as

involvement in politics…” This speech captured public attention and was widely published by
newspapers, which led to a backlash from Field Marshal Plaek. Dr. Yut Sanguthai was then asked

to write an article entitled “Power and Responsibility in Democracy System” discussing the role
of speeches in Great Britain and Japan, arguing that such speeches should be reviewed by the

government before being made public. The article was published 2 weeks later on February 7
and was subsequently cited by the “Nitirat” academic group to criticize the King’s direct

communication with the public, suggesting it was inappropriate for a constitutional monarchy.
However, histologically Thai kings had always communicated directly with the public. In the reign

of King Rama IV, the Royal Gazettes served as a communication tool for the public, advising
public on matters of conducts, such as advising against greeting each other based on physical

appearance or by commenting on how someone looked.
His Majesty King Rama V changed the names of several things to make them sound more

pleasant. For example, “Pak Boong” was changed to “Pak thod Yod” to avoid the vulgar meaning
that arose from reversing the pronunciation. “Look Jak” was not a popular Thai fruit because “Jak”

means “to part” – causing bad luck. The King changed “Look Jak” to “Look Chid” meaning to get
close to each other. Since King Rama IV, all Thai kings have an official means of communication

through the Royal Gazettes. It is inappropriate to apply the concept of constitutional monarchy
from other countries to Thailand by restricting His Majesty the King from communicating directly

with the public or required his Royal speeches to be reviewed by the government before being
announced.

The most noticeable conflict arose during the 25 century celebration of Buddhism.
th
His Majesty King Rama IX did not preside over any of the events and the government announced

that the King was unwell. However, the truth was that the King did not want to be reduced
to ceremonial figure. When the English Ambassador inquired about the King’s health and

attendance at the activities, the King responded that he was not seriously ill but had chosen
not to participate because the government had never sought his advice.

In 1857, following a fraud scandal involving election tampering, Field Marshal Sarit Thanarat,
who was appointed by His Majesty the King to oversee capital security, took control of the country.

During this period, significant efforts were made to restore the Royal power. These included
the removal of the People’s Party Pin marking the 1932 revolution in 1960, the cancellation of

June 24 as the National Day, the announcement of the anniversary of the King’s birthday.
Additionally, traditional Royal activities were revived such as Royal Ploughing Ceremony and

the grand Royal Barge Procession. More importantly, Field Marshal Sarit encouraged government

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