King Vajiravudh (KING RAMA Vl) (1910-1925) Vajiravudh, also known as King Rama VI, reigning title Phra Mongkut Klao Chao Yu Hua (Thai: วชิราวุธ; RTGS: Wachirawut; 1 January 1881 – 26 November 1925), was the sixth monarch of Siam under the Chakri dynasty, ruling from 1910 until his death in 1925. King Vajiravudh is known for his efforts to create and promote Siamese nationalism. His reign was characterized by Siam's movement further towards democracy and minimal participation in World War I. King Rama Vl was the son of King Rama V and Queen Saowabha, was born on 1st January 1881, his name was Prince Maha Vajiravudh. During his childhood, he studied Thai with Phraya Visuth Suriyasak as his teacher. He was established as Krommn Khuu Theptlrnrnravadi of the royal rank at the age of 8. In 1984, King Rama V his father sent him to study in England, and was accompanied Phraya Visuth Suriyasak as a special teacher for Thai language. In 1894 Prince Maha Vachirunhit his elder brother, the first Crown Prince died, King Rama V established him as a new Crown Prince of Thailand. King Vajiravudh was the first Thai King who educated abroad when he was twelve, and stayed in England for nine years. He acquired a general education at the famous public school, and recieved special military training at Sandhurst and through service with several British infanty and artillery units. In 1900 he attended Oxford University, Christ Church College, where he studied history, administration and law, his masterpiece while he was studying at Oxford University, he wrote the book of history "The War of the Polish Succession." For the Thai traditions, he did not lapse, while he was studying abroad, preceptors were occasionally sent to England to instruct him and also in Thai language, in Buddhism, in Thai culture and ethics. Be proved himself more English than the other people in Thailand. This was the reason for the growing influence and popularity of the British in Thailand. As a result of the King's policy, Thailand entered the first world war on the allies side declared war on Germany in 1917, and sent a division of volunteers to France and after the world war, Thailand got a valuable amount of German shipping fell into the property of Thai navy. During his reign, Thailand had increasingly Western civilization, Western customs had profited from Western knowledge and technology. The social reform in his reign had been included as follows 1. Law, the King established the Department of Draft Bill in 1923, and recodification of the Civil Code. The school of Law, which was established in the reign of King Rama V. The King commanded the school of law, and was under the administration of the Ministry of Justice, the Minister was responsible for the school of law administration, and the establishment of the Bar Association in 1904. The King promulgated a Firearms Act and the Act of the Establishment of the Association. 2. Court of Justice, the King managed the regulation of the court of justice by separating the duties of the Ministry of Justice into two duties, the duty of Ministry routine work, and the duty of court of justice and Supreme court, were under administered of the Ministry of Justice. 3. State Administration, the King organized the state administration, he established the Ministry of the Royal Navy, separating from Ministry of Defence, and set up the Ministry of Commerce. The King organized the status of the Department of Public Works, and became the Ministry of Communication, changing the name of the Ministry of Religous Affairs (Thammakarn) to the Ministry of Education, annexing Ministry of Metropolitan Authority to the Ministry of Interior. The King appointed the high ranking officials and someprinces as Uparajs (the King's representatives).Uparaj had duties to inspect and controlled Monthons (an official division comprising a number of provinces, it might be five, six or seven provinces), and Uparajs were directly controlled by the King, and changed the Thai word "Muang" to "Changwat", Muang and Changwat meaning a province, for example Muang Chiengmai called Changwat Chiengmai (the Province of Chiengmai), and the Civil and Commercial Code was promulgated in this reign. Public health, the King began to build Chulalongkorn Hospital in 1911, and completed in 1914, established Pasteur Institute in 1915 for curing the disease of hydrophobia, in 1920 the King established Saowabha Institute for producing vaccines and serums, used to prevent or cure a disease obtained from the blood of an animal that had been made immune to the disease. And set up the Department of Public Health in 1918, and established the school for nurses of the Red Cross Society in 1922 and the school of medicine for military service, Vachira Hospitai (Vachira Payaban) in 1912, and opened Bangkok Water Supply Station in 1914 Education, it had been improved in accordance with western style. For instance the King founded a boarding school, Vajiravudh School which was on the line of an English public school. The standard of education in Thailand in his reign was improved and enlarged to university level, the king changed the status of the School of Civil Officials from school to university level in 1917 and called Chulalongkorn University with four faculties, Faculty of Medicine, Public Administration, Engineering, Art and Science. So Chulalongkorn University is the first University' in Thailand, was set up in the memory of King Chulalongkorn and was named after him. Concerning the vocational education, the King aimed to train Thai students to have an experience in many kinds of profession for their future occupations. The King held an exhibition of the Students Art and Craft in 1912. Later the King established the School of Art and Craft in 1913, the Woman Teacher Training College (Benchama Rajalai School) in the same year, the School of Commerce in 1912, the Elementary School of Agriculture in 1917 The educational system had been developed further in this reign, some people set up private schools for Thai students and for the purpose of well organization of the private school, the King promulgated the Private School Act in 1918. In order to avoid the people's illiteracy and encouraging them to be the people who were able to read and write, the Law of Elementary Education was promulgated in 1921, and was made compulsory for Thai people all over country. In addition the King gave attention to the education in the rural area, and set up the elementary school in the rural area (the Prachaban School), and the schools were under the administration of the Ministry of Education. The Prachaban school was subsidized by educational tax (an extra money called Suksa Plee contributed by the people for the Prachaban school). The King had a policy in social reform by building schools instead of building temples. In a general way, the King supported a national education, and assisted private schools, so at that time there were many schools in Thailand were under the patronage of the King. Improvement of Railroads and Air Ports In the reign of King Rama V, the railroads had been constructed, and was continually carried on in this reign. The King commanded to combine two railway authorities of northern and southern lines into one authority and called "Royal State Railway of Thailand", the King appointed Prince Kampangpetch as Commander of Royal State Railway, Prince Kampangpetch enlarged the railroad to every line. The eastern line extended from Chachoengsao to Aranyaprathet. The north-eastern line proceeded from Nakhon Rajsima to Ubon Ratchathani, and another line from Nakhon Rajsima to Khon Kaen, and finally proceeded to Nong Khai. The southern line to Padang Besar station, between a border of Thailand and Malaysia. The northern line in the reign of King Rama V, the railroad construction was accomplished to Uttaradit Station. In this reign the construction extending to Khun Tan Hill in the northern part of Thailand. Finally the Khun Tan Hill was bored as a hollow space in the pattern of railway tunnel, . the Royal State Railway Authority continually constructed a railroad from Khun Tan Station to Chiengmai, and this railroad line was opened in 1922 by the express started from Bangkok to Chiengmai. The construction of a railway bridge across Chao Phraya River was carried on in this reign, for the purpose of connection of south line and north line, and completed in 1922 and was named "H.ama VI Bridge" Don Muang or Bangkok Air Port was constructed in this reign for the purpose of an airplane starting and landing and for an air liner carrying passengers to Thailand, and from Thailand to foreign countries. For broadcasting, or sending out by radio, the King set up two radio stations at Saladang Location in Bangkok, and another one in Songkhla in the south of Thailand, all radio activities was commanded by an efficiency and a great effort of Prince Kampangpetch. And the1 broadcasting system has been gradually developed to the present day. Improvement in Social Activities 1. The King commanded to use Buddhist Era (B.E.) for calling Thai official year instead of R.S., R.S. or Ratanakosin Sok, meaning the Era dating from the founding of the city of Ratanakosin (Bangkok), the old ·system of calling the official yea. r .as R.S. was abolished in this reign and began to use B.E. in 1913 or B.E. 2456 (for example A.D. 1982 the same to B.E. 2525) 2. The King issued the Law of Surname, that resulted Thai people having name, for first name, with surname or family name. That will be encouraged the people who have family name, he would behave himself as a good citizen that for the fame of his family name.