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King Bhumibol receives the he United Nations Human Development Lifetime Achievement Award from former UN Secretary-Geneal Kofi Annan in 2006.
Title and honour in Thailand’s latent caste system.
When I glanced through a Thai newspaper recently, I found almost everyone in the limelight of Thai society had a decorative name — be it military, police or academic rank.
This includes people with royally bestowed titles like Thanpuying Chanut Piyaoui, owner of the Dusit Thani Hotel chain and whose main hotel in Bangkok sits on land belonging to the royal family.
Another is Thanpuying Naraporn Chan-ocha, wife of General Prayuth Chan-ocha, the self-appointed prime minister of Thailand and junta chief. Earlier this year she was labelled as the ‘most able’ woman in Thailand.
And of course, there are lower royal rankings where a title can be purchased from a donation to various royally sponsored projects. This category includes Khunying Sasima Srivikorn, owner of the President Hotel chain who has donated millions and millions of baht to royal projects.
This penchant for prestigious titles is also typical of Thailand’s military.
Retired generals often fail to mention in any print media that they are a retired general, whereas in the UK, Australia or in the US their counterparts’ names are customarily followed with the word “retired.” Such practice is fair and decent so that people who may be dealing with the general know that he is no longer in active service and thus no longer in a position of power.
Because of the prevalence of Thailand’s latent caste system, even low raking military and police personnel often refer to themselves with a title.
These examples reflect the prevalence of Thailand’s hierarchy, which places the royal family at the top of the pyramid.
The Thai King’s official name is Phra Bat Somdet Phra Poramintharamaha Bhumibol Adulyadej Mahitalathibet Ramathibodi Chakkrinaruebodin Sayamminthrathirat Borommanatbophit (in Thai р╕Юр╕гр╕░р╕Ър╕▓р╕Чр╕кр╕бр╣Ар╕Фр╣Зр╕Ир╕Юр╕гр╕░р╕Ыр╕гр╕бр╕┤р╕Щр╕Чр╕гр╕бр╕лр╕▓р╕ар╕╣р╕бр╕┤р╕Юр╕ер╕нр╕Фр╕╕р╕ер╕вр╣Ар╕Фр╕К р╕бр╕лр╕┤р╕Хр╕ер╕▓р╕Шр╕┤р╣Ар╕Ър╕ир╕гр╕гр╕▓р╕бр╕▓р╕Шр╕┤р╕Ър╕Фр╕╡ р╕Ир╕▒р╕Бр╕гр╕╡р╕Щр╕др╕Ър╕Фр╕┤р╕Щр╕Чр╕г р╕кр╕вр╕▓р╕бр╕┤р╕Щр╕Чр╕гр╕▓р╕Шр╕┤р╕гр╕▓р╕К р╕Ър╕гр╕бр╕Щр╕▓р╕Цр╕Ър╕Юр╕┤р╕Хр╕г).
The Queen of Thailand’s formal name and title is Somdet Phra Nang Chao Sirikit Phra.
As if their names and titles weren’t long and prestigious enough, through royal lobbyist efforts the royal couple have been bestowed with a number of honorary doctorate degrees from foreign universities, mainly in the USA.
For example, the Thai king was bestowed honorary doctorates in law from Tufts University and Ohio University in 1985 and 2000 respectively.
This is quite a feat of scholarship; even more remarkable when it’s considered that King Bhumibol has not finished a bachelor’s degree from any college.
The Queen was given an honorary doctorate degree in Humane Letters from Tufts University and Georgetown University in 1981 and 1993 respectively. She received the same degree from Johns Hopkins University in 1995. The queen has never finished a bachelor’s level degree either.
As for Thai universities, the royal couple have been given honorary doctorates in all fields of knowledge by every university in the kingdom.
And in the world of Thai politics, politicians would also feel naked if she or he has no title preceding their name. Foreign universities’ doctorate degrees are the most sought-after by Thai politicians or other elitist individuals in the limelight of Thai society.
A number of Thai politicians shamefully call themselves “Doctor,” even though they purchased an “honorary” degree, not the conventional doctorate degree that requires them to conduct new research and complete a dissertation. Such behavior reflects the low quality of Thailand’s key leaders in Thailand.
Fortunately most decent universities would not sell their accreditation to any elitist Thai even when offered a huge amount of money.
I applaud the Australian National University for refusing to grant an honorary degree to King Bhumibol Adulyadej in August 1962, despite massive lobbying efforts by Thai diplomats and the country’s ambassador to Australia at the time.
Chatwadee Rose Amornpat is based in London. She was charged with lese majeste by the Thai junta in July 2014. For previous New Mandala coverage of her situation see this post.
I think, if Kofi Anan had not been the UN secretary-general, but an ordinary Thai, he would never have become an “elite” in Thai society, because of his skin colour.
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Neither the Thai King nor Queen received actual university degrees because they either choose not to do the required study and work or were incapable of doing the required study or work. They control billions of $’s, have 100’s of expensive cars, many large houses, 1000’s of servants whereas ordinary Thais get by on a few thousand $’s a year.
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As well as the point about retired generals, what about those in the police and army who have been “transferred to inactive posts”? What is an inactive post anyway? It conjures up a picture of someone sitting at the naughty desk all day long twiddling their thumbs and collecting a pay check at the end of the week.
Another point worth mentioning is the requirement for Thais to use a special language when addressing royalty. Who gets taught this language in the first place? When and where? Is it on the curriculum of every school in the country? (That is a genuine question, by the way. I just don’t know.)
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Sam,
A long time ago, in a school far, far away, I spent some time with р╕гр╕▓р╕Кр╕▓р╕ир╕▒р╕Юр╕Чр╣М. My recollection is that every high school student gets a fair bit of exposure to the language (in Thai class, and elsewhere), and many successful high school graduates have at least a solid passive understanding.
That said, in all my years working with Thais I can’t think of all that many who would claim a strong active capacity to use the royal vocabulary. Rendering a speech in the royal form takes real effort if it deviates from the standard scripts and expectations.
I also recall watching certain royal words and phrases being taught to primary school children in a mountainous area of northern Thailand over a decade ago. That was much more basic, but all part of the comprehensive education on offer.
I hope others can weigh in with their own experiences and knowledge. Perhaps school students today are getting a heavier introduction that means they will be confident using the royal form?
It’s a fascinating topic for all sorts of reasons.
Best wishes to all,
Nich
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Thanks Nicholas, that was interesting. I suppose the other side of the coin is whether the royal form is a bit like Latin, scheduled at some stage for extinction.
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As long as the monarchial system still exists in Thailand, the royal words (р╕гр╕▓р╕Кр╕▓р╕ир╕▒р╕Юр╕Чр╣М)are expected to be used when addressing or referring to members of the royal family. This form of language distinguishes between royally heaven and laymen’s hell!
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Many societies have strict hierarchies like this, including the UK. Here in London you can’t move without bumping into this or that lord, sir, knight, baron, MBE, CBE, OBE, major, flight lieutenant, doctor, fellow… Their titles have no bearing on their actual ability of course.
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In answer to Sam Deedes question about “inactive posts”. When I was getting married I was advised to check with the local Thai infantry regiment as they hosted weddings at a reasonable cost.
My future wife with chaperone and I went to the regimental offices and went to a large long room on the second floor full of women dressed in civilian clothes shuffling paper or typing. It was a non air conditioned room and at a tressle table in one corner sat a Colonel with books of photos of previous weddings. It was his job to “sell weddings”.
He looked unkept, his hair was long, his uniform devoid of most of the “tin” ribbons and paraphernalia you see on normal officers of that rank and he looked as though he was in his late sixties. He was 53 years old and had been “inactive” for a number of years. I did not ask why he was “inactive” or whose toes he had trodden on.
I referred to him as the Commanding Officer – Weddings.
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HM the King’s knowledge in the field of agriculture and engineering is far beyond bachelor’s degree level. He does not need a piece of diploma to prove to you. Poor people in up-country are grateful to HM the king and queen for their sacrifice to improve the living standard of the poor.
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I cannot hold my tears, let me share this.
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Rose has been absent from Thailand for more than a decade. She knows nothing about the 4100 royal projects that our King has initiated and is in charge. She is an ungrateful individual, even though she attended a royally patronized school. She should not call herself Thai as she won’t be welcome in Thailand.
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Ms Rachanee . . . Of course you are right. Silly, silly Rose, and here silly, silly, silly admirers. In addition to politicians’ useless, you call our attention to the uselessness of civil servants in Thailand. Let’s abolish all the ministries and fire all their officers, as His Majesty and his Office of Royal Projects are can solve all of Thailand’s problems without them!
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