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His Majesty the King and Thainess*

Professor Anek Laothamatus, PhD
Associate Fellow of the Academy of Moral and Political Sciences,

The Royal Society of Thailand

Thainess, under the leadership of his Majesty the king, can be viewed through four key
aspects: 1) the Thai language, nation, state, and independence; 2) Thailand’s engagement with

the world; 3) Thailand’s ability to keep pace with global changes; and 4) Thailand’s progress
alongside His Majesty the King.

Thainess no. 1: The Thai Language, Nation, State, and Independence

Thailand has its own language and has developed as a nation in state, maintaining its
independence for over 700 years. Achieving “Thainess” has required great effort, and as Thai,

we take pride in our nation’s sovereignty when compared to others. Many of our neighboring
countries were colonized for over 100 years; in India, endure a British rule for nearly 200 years.

Even Russia, a global power, was under Mongol control from 1237 to 1480, about 200 years.
The United States gained its independence in 1776 after being under a British rule for nearly

200 years, from 1672 to1776. Similarly, despite China’s current global strength, it was ruled by
the Mongols under the Yuan dynasty for nearly 100 years (1279-1368) and later by the Manchus

under the Qing dynasty for almost 300 years (1636-1912). While Thailand may not be a global
superpower, we have managed to maintain our independence for over 700 years, with only two

brief periods of foreign control: once under Burma for 15 years and again for seven months during
a second invasion.

* This is an English version adapted from the article with the same title in Thai published in the book
“The Royal Institution and Academic Advancement of the Nation” (สถาบัันพระมหากษััตริย์์กับัวิิวิัฒนาการทาง
วิิชาการของประเทศ). The English translation was provided by Professor Dr. Sanya Sukpanichnant, an associate
fellow, Academy of Science, the Royal Society of Thailand. English language editing was provided by
Dr. Paiboon Mahaisavariya.

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