Thread: Memory Lane (In my own language)

The portrait of King Rama V with Supreme Queen Consort Sripacharintra and their sons.




This portrait was drawn using the prototype photo shown below (computer colored version). If you notice, you will see some differences between those two pictures.




Two grown sons shown in the prototype photo were different people from those shown in the portrait.

Two grown sons shown in the prototype photo were the King’s sons all right but they were not born from the Supreme Queen Consort while two grown sons shown in the portrait were those born from her (i.e. the future King Rama VI and Prince Chakrapong Phuwanat).

The reason; when King Rama V had an idea of his family with his Supreme Queen Consort captured in a portrait. Those two young Princes were absent from Siam. They were studying abroad. So, he ordered other of his sons to temporarily take their places in the prototype photo and the amendment would be fixed later.

More trivia about this portrait; originally the rest three boys who were still very young were wearing top-knotted hairdo (traditional hair style for boys in the old period). After the prototype photo was sent to Florence, Italy, the painter, Edouard Gelli, saw it and refused to make a portrait of it claiming that those three boys had weird hairdo which he had never seen before in his life.

So, the King had to arrange a new prototype photo by having those three boys change into a new look, with sailor outfits. Those sailor hats were covering their top-knots.

The portrait was done and delivered back to Bangkok 2 years later.

It is now hanging at Chakri Maha Prasat Throne Hall inside the Grand Palace.

Siwilailak, Princess of Supanburi (1868 – 1904), was a daughter of King Rama V with one of his Royal Concubines who was a commoner (who was born of a high ranking noble father). She was born while her father was still the heir-apparent for King Rama IV.




She was born outside the Grand Palace because according to an ancient tradition stated that a mother was not allowed to give birth inside the Palace until the prince succeeded to the throne. The privilege of birth within the Grand Palace was reserved for children of the king only.

So, her father, Prince Chulalongkorn (the future King Rama V) prepared a garden house near the Grand Palace for her mother to reside in.

When her mother was pregnant for seven months, she gave birth prematurely. The child came out still in the amniotic sac. The doctor understood that the royal child died so he put the sac in a tight lidded pot and prepared to sink it in the river according to the ancient tradition.

But before the procession was being done, the child’s grandfather, the high ranking noble from the 'Bunnag clan', wanted to know the gender of the baby being a prince or a princess. So he broke the pot and ripped the sac out and found that the child was a female thus, a princess, but what surprised everyone the most was that baby was still breathing.

Her destiny continued back on the road.

When her grandfather, King Rama IV died, her father succeeded to the throne as King Rama V, the little princess, later, was granted the very high ranking royal title because her father had great trust in her and referred to her as My greatest-trusted lovely daughter.




Since she was the eldest child (well, actually the second for the eldest one who was also a daughter, the King was not so fond of), the King assigned her to take care of her half-siblings, especially the young princesses.

According to (ancient) royal tradition any young princesses who were approaching adulthood could not enter adulthood unless they were officially announced by a person whom the King gave his trust for the announcement and that person was this Princess Siwilailak. This job was considered the most important job for female royalty assigned by the King.

On the day that she was granted higher royal title, as being beloved by her younger half-siblings, they helped to make her a diamond necklace, and gave it to her on this special occasion.

Princess Siwilailak suffered from a chronic disease and died on 26 October 1904, at age 36.

After she died in her residence in the area of Grand Palace, King Rama V gave order to the officials to lay her body in the Throne Hall which was in the compound of the Grand Palace.

Until 14 February 1905, her body was moved to Bang Pa-In Royal Palace in Ayutthaya by train from Samsen train station. Her father, the King, was there one day before the Princess' body arrived.

That was the first funeral ever happened to the high ranking royal family’s to be held outside the Grand Palace.

As her body was laid in state in the Pavilion which was constructed in the middle of a pond within the compound of the Palace, mourners thronged to pay their final respects.




The three-day funeral ceremony and ritual officially started on 17 February 1905. The Royal Cremation ceremony created at Wat Nivetthammaprawat (related detail on page 5/119) sited in the area of the Palace was performed by the King and mourned by every member of the royal family.

In the next morning, the King collected his daughter's ashes and transferred into the stupa near the temple.




During the funeral ceremony, one of her half-sisters, while going to pay respect to her body at the Bang Pa-In Royal Palace, suffered from a sudden illness and died on 21 February 1905. According to the news "Move one royal daughter's body down here (Bang Pa-In Palace), and move another one royal daughter's body up there (Grand Palace)".




The Princess Siwilailak's funeral ceremony was a talk of the town. It was the first time ever that the public could join the royal funeral. It was said to be one of the most joyful times. Everyone, may they be royalty, noble or commoner from everywhere each tried to find an opportunity to come joining this event.

There was a saying said that "Whoever did not come to this event was considered utterly out of date".


(A part of the royal funeral; King Rama V’s half-brother, His Holiness the Supreme Patriarch of Siam sat on the royal barge giving Buddhism chants while the barge moved along the klong from Bang Pa-In train station to the destination where the funeral was held at Bang Pa-In Royal Palace; computer colored version of a B&W photo)

King Rama V’s first love, still as Prince Chulalongkorn, before taking the throne.

Though a commoner (born in a high ranking noble family of Bunnag clan) but the Prince had always respected her even though later on, he became the King and, as royal culture, had a lot of wives later.

This computer colored version was taken in 1924 when she was 70 years old. She died in 1943 in the reign of King Rama VIII (born in 1854).

Note: One of their children was Princess Siwilailak, earlier post...

Old advertisement...

Photographic studio.. "Please smile, ma'am"




Bicycle.. "Even a lion can't catch me... ha... ha..."




Snuff powder.. "Rain or shine, fear not"




Tooth powder.. "Made in Thailand with high quality for popular people"




Red bull.. "Whisky taste, so why pay a load?"




Colored TV ('Tanin' brand, made in Thailand).. "Let's see what they are like in colors"

Year: 1957
People: Helena Rubinstein
Location: Nakorn Kasem area, New Road, Bangkok
Photographer: Brian Brake
Image Source: Raymond Wai-Man Lau, Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, New Zealand
















(with Jim Thompson)

Record says that from 1873 to 1910, a heraldic style coat of arms became the national emblem of Siam (renamed as Thailand in 1939).

The Western-style, the Royal Coat of Arms of the Kingdom of Siam, was created at the command of King Rama V which was designed by a prince who was his distant nephew.

The armorial emblem contains almost all the elements of a European coat of arms. However, all the components of the emblem are traditional Thai royal symbols.




1. At the top center is the Crown of Siam

2. Beneath the Crown is the Symbol of the Chakri Family - the Chakra (round object) and the Tri (3-pronged knife) in the middle - 1 and 2 together symbolize the Kings of the Chakri Dynasty

3. At right and left of the Crown are 7-tier umbrellas, symbolizing absolute monarchy

4. Beneath the Crown is a shield-like shape with 3 divides:

The top divide has a three-headed elephant symbolizing the North, the Middle and the South of the Kingdom.
The lower-left divide has a white elephant meaning Laos, which was a colony of Siam at the time.
The lower-right divide has a picture of two ancient knives (krit) one straight and one bent crossing one another meaning Malay (Parid, Saiburi, Kalantan and Tranganu) also a colony of Siam at that time.

5. At left of the shield is a "Kochasri," a half lion half elephant mystical figure holding the umbrella, symbolizing the army

6. At right of the shield is a "Rachasri," or the lion holding the umbrella, symbolizing civil servants -

(Symbols 5 and 6 together are the Defenders of the Kingdom)

7. At bottom of the shield is the Necklace (called Noparatana Rajavaraporn… more detail next), worn by all kings, symbolizing the Buddhist religion, the core religion of Siam. The Necklace is made of gold, 176 cm. in length and has 36 flowered heads alternately decorated with the nine gems - diamond, ruby, emerald, yellow sapphire, garnet, blue sapphire, pearl/moonstone, zircon/topaz, and cat's eye

8. Under the Necklace is called the Chulachomklao Necklace and Medal (more detail next) which means the Kings of the Chakri Dynasty should protect the dynasty, rule with righteousness, and bring peace and prosperity to the land and its people

9. There are further symbols of the Crown Regalia placed at different points around the Crest

Today the Coat of Arms is still used as the cap-badge of the Royal Thai Police and is the official symbol of the Chulachomklao Royal Military Academy. The Courts of Justice and the Supreme Court of Justice also use the Arms as its official seal.

(to be continued)

Year: 1984
Place: Bangkok
Photographer: Doi Kuro
Image Source: Doi Kuro, Japan

New Road










22nd July roundabout area




Democracy Monument




Feng shui and Fortune teller, Pubplachai area




Portrait drawing shop at Hua Lampong

Continued from last article...

The Noparatana Rajavaraporn (necklace/sash) is a part of the ancient and auspicious Order of the nine gems which dates back to the Ayutthaya era.

The Order consisted of necklaces and sash. The nine-gem flowers were added during the reign of King Mongkut (Rama IV). The King traditionally wore it during the Enthronement Ceremony. There are only 27 sets made, one exclusively reserved for the Chakri Kings. The rest were bestowed on selected members of the Royal Family and senior high-ranking officials.


(Above, King Rama IV is wearing the Noparatana as a sash, as do all kings. Below, a close up of a section)



(The Chulachomklao necklace (left) and medal (right); the necklace and medal together makes the most illustrious Order of Chulachomklao which is the highest honor the king could give to whoever he chooses. The honor was introduced by King Chulachomklao (Rama V) in 1873)

Related to page 30/742, further information:




The Siamese Theater troupe’s performances opened in Russia in October 1900 were unsuccessful.

Though they performed beautiful varied dances, such as a Fan Dance, a Lantern Dance, and an extract from a Thai dance-drama, but not many people came to the theater because of the very cold weather and plus, the very cold weather made most of the actors who were not used to this kind of weather sick.

However the troupe had an impact on the Ballet Russes choreographer, Michel Fokine, who had seen the shows in St. Petersburg in 1900 then was inspired to create a solo performance a decade later called La Danse Siamoise (1910) which was performed by Vaslav Nijinsky at the Mariinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg and later at the Paris Opera.




[Painting by Jacques-Emile Blanche (1910)]

Trocadero Hotel, Surawong area, 1800s




Un-Un Hotel, Yaowarat, 1914




King's Hotel, Satorn, 1959-1991-2007




First Hotel, Petchaburi Road, 1960s




Siam Intercontinental Hotel, 1960s




Rama Hotel, Mahaesak - Silom, 1965




Gaysorn area with Arawan Hotel in background, 1966




Montein Hotel, 1967,68






Chawalit Hotel, Sukhumwit, 1968




Florida Hotel, Payatai, 1969




Dusit Thani Hotel, 1971




Narai Hotel, Silom, 1972




Station Hotel, Hua Lampong, 1977




Tropicana Hotel, Chonburi, 1984




Siam Bay View Hotel, Pattaya 1987