Chakri Day, Public Holiday In Thailand

[webfact]

Chakri Day

Prior to the establishment of Chakri Dynasty (the current royal lineage), the Kingdom of Siam (former name of Thailand) was in turmoil. Aggressive Burmese troops occupied the Northern Kingdom of Lan Na and were proceeding down south to the Siamese Royal Capital of Ayutthaya.

A young man of noble Ayutthaya descent named Thong Duang (born in 1737) commanded the bitter fights in the Northern war. Despite the efforts to fight back, they were gradually forced to fall back until the Burmese had gotten a grip on the Royal Capital. Ayutthaya fell on April 8th, 1767 and the Siamese people fled to the city of Thonburi located further downriver on the mighty Chaophraya River.

The beautiful city of Ayutthaya was destroyed by the Burmese, temples plundered, gold and jewelry looted, monks and women were cruelly effected. But the Burmese had suffered heavily in the taking of Ayutthaya and knew the Siamese would return to take up battle. Knowing they could not hold Ayutthaya, the Burmese retreated after only one week.

War campaigns continued over the years, ebbing and flowing, until the Siamese armies united during 1779 in Thonburi. Thong Duang now known as Chakri became the military commander. He realized that the Royal Court of King Taaksin was in such disharmony because the King, weary of wars, had resorted to religion rather than addressed the needs of his subjects. The lack of leadership caused rebellions to break out.

Rebels marched on Thonburi, calling for the overthrow and replacement of King Taaksin with their beloved "Chakri." As a result Chaophraya Chakri took the title "King Ramathibodi" and reigned as King Rama I from April 6 1782 until 1809.

As an experienced military campaigner, King Rama I of the Chakri Dynasty knew that the city of Thonburi was vulnerable to possible Burmese attack from the west. Accordingly, he commanded that a new Capital be established across Chaophraya River. And so Krung - Thep (Bangkok) was created.

Chakri Day commemorates the founding of the Chakri Dynasty in 1782 by King Rama I. In the new capital city of Bangkok, King

Rama I built the Grand Palace that now houses the Emerald Buddha. In addition, he helped release Thailand from the Burmese control, after Ayutthaya succumbed 14 years earlier.

In commemorating “Chakri Day,” the national flag is proudly displayed by the people of Thailand and both government officials and members of the community participate in traditional ceremonies, making offerings of flowers and garlands at the many statues of Kings in the House of Chakri.

King Bhumibol Adulyadej is the current King, known as King Rama IX or the ninth King of the Chakri dynasty. A Royal ceremony is performed by the King to pay respects to King Rama I the Great, the founder of the Chakri Dynasty.

-- 2012-04-06

[eagleflyinghigh]

Thank you for this nice short recapitulation which shows clearly that the Chakri dynasty was born by acclamation of the people and at that time quite revolutionary by its pragmatism. The Thais were ahead 7 years to the French revolution 1789 which is certainly interesting.

The descendants of "Chakri", many of them outstanding personalities, continued with wisdom and dedication to lead Thailand towards a modern democracy. It is certainly not their fault if Thai people lack the maturity to take these opportunities. Thailand without them would be even a bigger mess.

Edited April 6, 2012 by eagleflyinghigh

[Gillespie]

A good summary of the beginnings of the Chakri dynasty, but it leaves out what happened to poor old Ta[a]ksin. Was that deliberate?

[soundman]

Post and replies, disrespectful in nature have been removed.

Remember where you are before you post.

[webfact]

Special Report: Chakri Day celebrated in remembrance of past monarchs

April 6 marks the anniversary of the establishment of the Chakri dynasty, of which the present ruling monarch, King Bhumibol Adulyadej, is the ninth king. Thai people celebrate this special day to pay respect to their past rulers as well as to give thanks to their dedication and contributions to the Kingdom of Thailand.

The Chakri dynasty was founded 230 years ago by King Buddha Yodfa Chulaloke, or Rama I. Born on March 20, 1737, he ascended to the throne on April 6, 1782. Well-versed in warfare, politics, religion, arts and culture, the primary monarch of the Chakri dynasty founded the Kingdom of Rattanakosin, with the City of Angels, or Bangkok, as its capital. The king took it upon himself to restore the nation back to its former glory after having been engaged in a long period of continuous battles. Determined to achieve this goal, the ruler dedicated time and money to build the Grand Palace, the Temple of the Emerald Buddha as well as reviving all kinds of art, including architecture, literature and carving, among others; all the while not forgetting his duty to defend the Kingdom against its enemies.

Ruling for 28 glorious years, King Rama I passed away on September 7, 1809, at the age of 72. He is remembered as a great lawmaker, an accomplished poet, and a devout Buddhist. Grateful for his contributions to the nation, the title of "the Great" was conferred upon the first king of the Chakri dynasty on the occasion of the 200th anniversary of the founding of Rattanakosin.

Chakri Day was first celebrated on April 6, 1918, during the reign of King Rama VI. The king commanded that the statues of five kings, including King Rama I, King Rama II, King Rama III, King Rama IV, and King Rama V, were to be housed in the Prasat Phra Dhepbidorn, or the Royal Pantheon, in the Temple of the Emerald Buddha, to allow all Thais to reminisce and pay respect to all the deceased kings, who had played important roles in shaping the Thai nation.

As part of the celebration, a religious ceremony is usually presided over by His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej, accompanied by members of the royal family, in order to make merit and pay respect to His Majesty's Predecessors. At the same time, Thai people from all walks of life will make offerings of flowers and garlands to the statues of the past kings of the House of Chakri. This is a Thai way of showing gratitude to our rulers' devotion to the betterment of Thailand.

Looking back on the Thai history, we feel indebted to all of our great monarchs for their determination and effort in building, defending and creating Thailand into the nation it is today.

-- NNT 2012-04-06

[tigermonkey]

Thank you for this nice short recapitulation which shows clearly that the Chakri dynasty was born by acclamation of the people and at that time quite revolutionary by its pragmatism. The Thais were ahead 7 years to the French revolution 1789 which is certainly interesting.

The descendants of "Chakri", many of them outstanding personalities, continued with wisdom and dedication to lead Thailand towards a modern democracy. It is certainly not their fault if Thai people lack the maturity to take these opportunities. Thailand without them would be even a bigger mess.

I am not sure why we need a "recapitulation" -- I am not even sure what was the original capitulation that you refer to -- just who was it that surrendered to whom ? when and why ?

However, it is an excellent precis of the official Chakri Dynasty history as regurgitated and taught for memorization in all Thai schools. Any negative comment regarding the veracity of this history could, of course, result in lese majeste charges against the writer.

[FangFerang]

I would like to read a story like this on each national holiday.

[how241]

I would like to read a story like this on each national holiday.

Good info. Thanks for the post.

[JohnAllan]

Thank you for this nice short recapitulation which shows clearly that the Chakri dynasty was born by acclamation of the people and at that time quite revolutionary by its pragmatism. The Thais were ahead 7 years to the French revolution 1789 which is certainly interesting.

The descendants of "Chakri", many of them outstanding personalities, continued with wisdom and dedication to lead Thailand towards a modern democracy. It is certainly not their fault if Thai people lack the maturity to take these opportunities. Thailand without them would be even a bigger mess.

I'm not sure that the Thai revolution can be said to compare to the French Revolution which, incidentally, was followed by two more.

[fred110]

Thank you for this nice short recapitulation which shows clearly that the Chakri dynasty was born by acclamation of the people and at that time quite revolutionary by its pragmatism. The Thais were ahead 7 years to the French revolution 1789 which is certainly interesting.

The descendants of "Chakri", many of them outstanding personalities, continued with wisdom and dedication to lead Thailand towards a modern democracy. It is certainly not their fault if Thai people lack the maturity to take these opportunities. Thailand without them would be even a bigger mess.

I am not sure why we need a "recapitulation" -- I am not even sure what was the original capitulation that you refer to -- just who was it that surrendered to whom ? when and why ?

However, it is an excellent precis of the official Chakri Dynasty history as regurgitated and taught for memorization in all Thai schools. Any negative comment regarding the veracity of this history could, of course, result in lese majeste charges against the writer.

recapitulation

[ree-kuh-pich-uh-ley-shuhn]   Example Sentences Origin

re·ca·pit·u·la·tion

   [ree-kuh-pich-uh-ley-shuhn] Show IPA

noun

1.

the act of recapitulating or the state of being recapitulated.

2.

a brief review or summary, as of a speech.

[agudbuk]

Good story,

Is it possible to reproduce the dynasty photo with the names and dates?

[tigermonkey]

Thank you for this nice short recapitulation which shows clearly that the Chakri dynasty was born by acclamation of the people and at that time quite revolutionary by its pragmatism. The Thais were ahead 7 years to the French revolution 1789 which is certainly interesting.

The descendants of "Chakri", many of them outstanding personalities, continued with wisdom and dedication to lead Thailand towards a modern democracy. It is certainly not their fault if Thai people lack the maturity to take these opportunities. Thailand without them would be even a bigger mess.

I am not sure why we need a "recapitulation" -- I am not even sure what was the original capitulation that you refer to -- just who was it that surrendered to whom ? when and why ?

However, it is an excellent precis of the official Chakri Dynasty history as regurgitated and taught for memorization in all Thai schools. Any negative comment regarding the veracity of this history could, of course, result in lese majeste charges against the writer.

recapitulation

[ree-kuh-pich-uh-ley-shuhn]   Example Sentences Origin

re·ca·pit·u·la·tion

   [ree-kuh-pich-uh-ley-shuhn] recapitulating or the state of being recapitulated.

2.

a brief review or summary, as of a speech.

Definition of FACETIOUS

1

: joking or jesting often inappropriately : waggish <just being facetious>

2

: meant to be humorous or funny : not serious <a facetious remark>

[robia6]

Special Report: Chakri Day celebrated in remembrance of past monarchs

April 6 marks the anniversary of the establishment of the Chakri dynasty, of which the present ruling monarch, King Bhumibol Adulyadej, is the ninth king. Thai people celebrate this special day to pay respect to their past rulers as well as to give thanks to their dedication and contributions to the Kingdom of Thailand.

The Chakri dynasty was founded 230 years ago by King Buddha Yodfa Chulaloke, or Rama I. Born on March 20, 1737, he ascended to the throne on April 6, 1782. Well-versed in warfare, politics, religion, arts and culture, the primary monarch of the Chakri dynasty founded the Kingdom of Rattanakosin, with the City of Angels, or Bangkok, as its capital. The king took it upon himself to restore the nation back to its former glory after having been engaged in a long period of continuous battles. Determined to achieve this goal, the ruler dedicated time and money to build the Grand Palace, the Temple of the Emerald Buddha as well as reviving all kinds of art, including architecture, literature and carving, among others; all the while not forgetting his duty to defend the Kingdom against its enemies.

Ruling for 28 glorious years, King Rama I passed away on September 7, 1809, at the age of 72. He is remembered as a great lawmaker, an accomplished poet, and a devout Buddhist. Grateful for his contributions to the nation, the title of "the Great" was conferred upon the first king of the Chakri dynasty on the occasion of the 200th anniversary of the founding of Rattanakosin.

Chakri Day was first celebrated on April 6, 1918, during the reign of King Rama VI. The king commanded that the statues of five kings, including King Rama I, King Rama II, King Rama III, King Rama IV, and King Rama V, were to be housed in the Prasat Phra Dhepbidorn, or the Royal Pantheon, in the Temple of the Emerald Buddha, to allow all Thais to reminisce and pay respect to all the deceased kings, who had played important roles in shaping the Thai nation.

As part of the celebration, a religious ceremony is usually presided over by His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej, accompanied by members of the royal family, in order to make merit and pay respect to His Majesty's Predecessors. At the same time, Thai people from all walks of life will make offerings of flowers and garlands to the statues of the past kings of the House of Chakri. This is a Thai way of showing gratitude to our rulers' devotion to the betterment of Thailand.

Looking back on the Thai history, we feel indebted to all of our great monarchs for their determination and effort in building, defending and creating Thailand into the nation it is today.

-- NNT 2012-04-06

Very interesting, thanks.

[marquess]

Best to close a topic like this from the beginning, LM dictates all!

[PattayaPhom]

Never neen invaded ?

[tombkk]

Never neen invaded ?

I see the OP and the NNT articles as brief summaries of why Chakri Day is celebrated in Thailand. IN fact, many newcomers to Thailand may not know it, so it is a good thing that these articles were posted, IMHO.

It is not the full history of Thailand, which you have to admit would not fit into an article on a webboard but would require the space of several books. Glad to hear that you are interested in other or all facets of Thai history, but this topic is dedicated to Chakri Day.

[Suradit69]

I am not sure why we need a "recapitulation" -- I am not even sure what was the original capitulation that you refer to -- just who was it that surrendered to whom ? when and why ?

Hadn't really thought before about how capitulate and recapitulate have decidedly different meanings...

capitulate and recapitulate

these verbs, the first meaning to surrender, the second to state again the main points of a matter, strangely seem to have no sense in common. Recapitulate certainly doesn’t mean to surrender again. However, as their forms suggest, both derive from the same Latin word, capitulum, a diminutive of caput, head; capitulum meant a chapter or title, in general the heading of a discourse. Both capitulate and recapitulate came into English within a few years of each other — near the end of the sixteenth century — but their paths have diverged greatly.

The early users of capitulate meant by it much what the Romans did by its progenitor — the verb capitulare that was derived from capitulum — to list by chapters or headings, to enumerate or specify. In English capitulate took on the sense of drawing up articles of agreement or proposing terms, specifically to bargain or parlay to end a military conflict. Shakespeare is the first known user, in the first part of Henry IV. The king says, “Percy, Northumberland, / The archbishop’s grace of York, Douglas, Mortimer, / Capitulate against us.” By this the king means that these individuals were parleying with him. Over the next century, capitulate moved further to suggest concluding an agreement; by the end of the seventeenth century it came to refer in particular to agreeing a surrender, the sense which it still retains.

Recapitulate, on the other hand, has stuck closely to the meaning of its Latin progenitor, actually to a late Latin derivative, the verb recapitulare. This meant to go through a text again, heading by heading. Recapitulate has always had the idea of going over something a second time, usually in a summary or more concise form.

http://www.worldwide.../qa/qa-cap1.htm

Edited April 7, 2012 by Suradit69