Monarchy of Thailand
constitutional monarchy and monarch of the Kingdom of Thailand
The monarchy of Thailand is the constitutional form of government of Thailand (formerly Siam). The king of Thailand (Thai: พระมหากษัตริย์ไทย, RTGS: Phra Maha Kasat Thai, pronounced [pʰrá(ʔ) má.hǎː kà.sàt tʰāj], historically the king of Siam; Thai: พระเจ้ากรุงสยาม, RTGS: Phrachao Krung Sayam, pronounced [pʰrá(ʔ).tɕâːw krūŋ sà.jǎːm]) is the head of state and head of the ruling Chakri dynasty.
Although the current Chakri dynasty was founded in 1782, the existence of monarchy in Thailand is traditionally considered to have its roots in the founding of the Sukhothai Kingdom in 1238, with a brief interregnum from the death of Ekkathat to the accession of Taksin in the 18th century. The institution was transformed into a constitutional monarchy in 1932 after the bloodless Siamese Revolution of 1932. The monarchy's official ceremonial residence is the Grand Palace in Bangkok, while the private residence has been at the Dusit Palace. The king of Thailand is head of state, Highest Commander of the Royal Thai Armed Forces, adherent of Buddhism and upholder of religions.
History
Origin
Thai kingship evolved through 800 years of autocracy. The first king of a unified Thailand was the founder of the Sukhothai Kingdom, King Si Inthrathit, in 1238. This early kingship is said to be based on two concepts derived from Hinduism and Theravada Buddhist beliefs. The first concept is based on the ancient Indian Kshatriya (Thai: กษัตริย์ RTGS: Kasat pronounced [kà.sàt]), or warrior-ruler, in which the king derives his powers from military might.
The public source identifies “Monarchy of Thailand” as constitutional monarchy and monarch of the Kingdom of Thailand. This brief keeps that definition visible, then builds a research path around Monarchy, Thailand and constitutional.
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Chronology provides the most reliable spine for this subject; interpretation should follow only after identities and dates are secure. The source revision retrieved here is dated Sep 17, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q2663787. None of the 2 selected statements returned an explicit reference. The first chronological checks are 1782, 1238 and 1932.
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This entry incorporates text from “Monarchy of Thailand” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.