Thread: Memory Lane (In my own language)

A documentary titled "Talad Noi"

Talad Noi: A Walking Guide to the Secret Bangkok Chinatown - A Life Without Borders

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Praya (a high rank for a nobleman granted by the king) Anuchit Chanchai (name given by the king) was the assistant chief of the royal police officer for King Rama VI.

His job was flawless. Once the King was invited to visit the British Malaya, he was one of the King’s entourage.

On the day before the royal grand dinner at the Raffle Hotel, the King’s close chamberlain was requested the names of the attendees. He, later on, submitted the list but 7 persons, including our ‘Praya’ were, unintentionally, missing.

So, when the cars came in the evening to pick everyone up, those 7 people had no seats because each seat had name attached.

Being sure of being left out, they decided to go out and have some fun on their own.

At the hotel's dinner table, 7 missing persons caught the King’s attention. Surely that he was furious and assumed at that time that they used their official visit granted by the King for their own pleasure.

So, the King decided to give punishment by ordering them be sent back to Siam before original schedule.

Next morning, those 7 people knowing their decree, came before the King to ask for his pardon and tell the truth but King did not believe.

So, they were sent back to Siam.

In Siam, once the King was back, they came before the King once again to ask for his pardon. This time, there were only 6. The seventh who was our ‘Praya’ did not come for he stood firmly that he was not wrong.

He was right in a way but this was the King and the King deemed him being proud and arrogant.

Since then our ‘Praya’ was one of those in the reign of King Rama VI who fell from grace.


(Computer colored version showing Praya Anuchit Chanchai in full uniform of the royal police officer)

Linga fixed on Khao (= mount) Moh, known generally as ‘rock garden’, at Wat Poh which is located on Rattanakosin Island, directly south of the Grand Palace.

The Wat which has been existed since Ayutthaya Kingdom (during 1350-1767) is known also as the Temple of the Reclining Buddha. Its official name is Wat Pra Chetuphon… (blah… blah… blah…).

This linga is estimated to be very old dated back in Khmer Kingdom (9^th – 15^th century). It was very important during the early Rattanakosin Kingdom when it was used during the Brahmanism ritual concerning with the ‘Giant Swing’ ceremony (related article on page 12/279).

This computer colored version shown above was shot in the reign of King Rama VI. It still stands there at present.



(Khao Moh shot in 1950s)

Siam/Thai royal funerals are elaborate events, organized as royal ceremonies akin to state funerals. They are held for deceased members of the royal family, and consist of numerous rituals which typically span several months to over a year.

The practices date to at least the 17^th century, during the time of the Ayutthaya Kingdom.

When Rattanakosin kingdom was established, the cremation ceremonies are held in the royal field of Sanam Luang in the historic center of Bangkok.

Featuring a mixture of Buddhist and animist beliefs, as well as Hindu symbolism mixed with Brahmanism, these rituals include the initial rites that take place after death, a lengthy period of lying-in-state, during which Buddhist ceremonies take place, and a final cremation ceremony.

For the highest-ranking royalty, the cremation ceremonies are grand public spectacles, featuring the pageantry of large funeral processions and ornate purpose-built funeral pyres or temporary crematoria known as ‘Merumat’ or just ‘Main’.

The construction of the ‘Merumat’ often took months, if not years, to complete. This, along with the fact that the cremation had to take place in the dry season, partly contributed to the practice of waiting lengthy periods before cremation. Often, by the time a ‘Merumat’ was completed, it would be used for multiple cremations, as multiple royal deaths had occurred.

The practice of building a very large and elegant ‘Merumat’ was last seen in the funeral of King Mongkut (Rama IV, died 1868). His successor, King Chulalongkorn (Rama V), expressed his distaste of the waste of labor and money, and also wished to refrain from making a funeral a festival like before but to just show genuine respect for those who have passed away, ordered that a simple structure be built for his cremation instead.

Since then, royal funerals have employed such simplified designs for the ‘Merumat’, and the terms are now only used to distinguish the rank of the deceased.


King Rama IV’s Merumat


King Rama V’s Merumat (computer colored version)



The construction of King Rama V’s Merumat took only 4 months to complete
(computer colored version)



King Rama V in his royal urn is seen carried to his Merumat at Sanam Luang; background is the Ministry of Defence sited opposite to the Grand Palace (computer colored version)



King Rama VI is seen walking from the Grand Palace towards the Merumat of his father (King Rama V) to perform a part of the Royal Funeral Ritual (computer colored version)

1952 'Song taew' in Phuket (locally called Po Tong Bus)




1956 Thonburi




1966 'Ban Mee' train station, Lopburi Province




1967 Going to Chainat (Province)

The most sacred statue located at Kampangpet National Museum is the early 16^th century bronze statue of Shiva measuring 210 centimeters high that was originally kept in the nearby Shiva shrine.

An inscription on the base says the image was made by order of the ruler of Kampangpet in 1510 (the era of the Ayutthaya Kingdom) to protect the town’s inhabitants.

In the reign of King Rama V (1868-1910), a German named Rustmann wandered to Kampangpet and found this statue in good condition despite being exposed to the sun and the rain for some 300-400 years.

He cut off the head and hands of Shiva and smuggled the pieces intending to be sent to Germany but was caught in Bangkok shortly after.

This news spread into King Rama V’s ears and he deemed that ancient artifacts left abandoned here and there in the wilderness were risky to get smuggled and lost if they were not well maintained.

For a start, he ordered his officials to go and command the authority of Kampangpet to deliver those valuable antiques such as Nakhon Chum stone inscription and etc. including the broken Shiva to be kept safely in the capital of Bangkok.

When the construction of the Kampangpet National Museum was completed, the Shiva statue after being restored was moved back to display for the public until today.


(The statue of restored Shiva at Wung Na (the palace for the heirs to the throne in the early Ratanakosin Kingdom; related story on page 23/562) by the command of King Rama V)



(The statue of Shiva at the Kampangpet National Museum today)