Chulalongkorn Day is celebrated as a national holiday in Thailand every 23rd of October each year. This is a public holiday that commemorates King Chulalongkorn or Rama V who is one of the most revered kings in Thailand. He passed away on October 23, 1920, at the age of 57, hence this holiday is his death anniversary. For 42 years, he was the ruler of Siam, a country now known as Thailand.
About Chulalongkorn Day
This holiday focuses on remembering King Chulalongkorn. The whole country of Thailand, especially it’s the capital city of Bangkok, holds various events and observances to commemorate the king. After he passed away, all people – the poor, rich, civil servants, and even merchants – were all grateful for the grace of the former king. They all contributed money to build a statue that represents the king. This statue is called the Equestrian Statue because it looks like the king is riding a horse.
People celebrate Chulalongkorn Day by bringing flowers to pay homage and respect to the king. People remind themselves of the grace of Chulalongkorn. They offer food to the monks. They also hold exhibitions that tell the story and activities of the king during his rule.
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| King Chulalongkorn Memorial Day | |
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| Commemorating the death anniversary of Thailand’s most esteemed king Chulalongkorn Rama V | |
| Date: | October 23rd |
| This Year: | October 23, |
| Significance: |
Honors Thailand’s King Chulalongkorn
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| Observances: |
Commemorations, honoring services, enjoying Thai culture
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History
Chulalongkorn was a ruler of Siam, now called Thailand, for 42 years from 1853 until 1910. At the age of 15 years old, he became the king. But since this was still such a young age, a regent helped him during his early years of reign.
One of the greatest achievements of Chulalongkorn in Thailand is his abolishment of slavery. During his time, there was a system of slavery that was plaguing his country. A family of slaves would simply give birth to another generation of new slaves and so on and so forth. One can get out of being a slave by paying. King Chulalongkorn recognized this as a problem so he abolished the system of Slavery in Siam so as to give everyone equal rights. He also wanted to avoid a Civil War-like situation that occurred in the United States. Also during his time of rule, a European tutor names Anna Leonowens was a great influence on Chulalongkorn. She taught him about Western culture.
This influence made King Chulalongkorn implement pieces of Western culture into Thailand. Two examples include the Royal Military Academy as well as the privy council.
Chulalongkorn has made tons more contributions to the country of Thailand. He has since become one of the most revered persons in the country. To honor and remember him, a special day of celebration called Chulalongkorn Day was made for him. This is how the holiday originated.
Dates
The following are the dates of celebration of the Chulalongkorn Day:
- Friday, October 23, 2015
- Sunday, October 23, 2016
- Monday, October 23, 2017
- Tuesday, October 23,
- Saturday, October 23,
- Friday, October 23,
- Saturday, October 23,
- Sunday, October 23, 2022
- Monday, October 23, 2023
- Wednesday, October 23, 2024
- Thursday, October 23, 2025
Why Celebrate
The following are the main reasons why you should celebrate Chulalongkorn Day:
As a Thai Citizen
If you are a Thai citizen, then this is all the more reason for you to celebrate this special day. You will not be having your life as a Thai citizen now if it weren’t for the significant contributions of King Chulalongkorn. He deserves to be remembered and honored by you in any way that you would want to celebrate the day.
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To Honor Chulalongkorn
Whether you are a Thai citizen or not, you are encouraged to honor Chulalongkorn. He is one of the most significant figures in this world we live in. He is a great example of showing sympathy towards humanity. One of his most significant contributions is the abolishment of slavery in Thailand. This is a great example that must be taught all around the world. This is also one of the many reasons why he deserves to be honored in this day.
To Be Inspired to Make a Difference
Also a good reason to celebrate this day is to be inspired to make a difference just like what King Chulalongkorn did. There are many good things that you can do to make a difference. These things may be small or big. Nevertheless, any good thing you do for someone can ripple and affect them in such a way that they will be motivated to do the same good deed to other people.
Celebration Ideas and Activities
The following are the best things to do to make your celebration of Chulalongkorn Day as best as it can be:
Remember King Chulalongkorn
One good way to celebrate this day is to remember King Chulalongkorn – basically the main essence of this day. You can perhaps read his biography to learn about his life and contributions. You can also watch a documentary or some online videos featuring him.
Celebrate Thai Culture
The culture of Thailand will not be what it is today if it were not for the reforms done by Chulalongkorn. Hence, another good way of celebrating this day is by participating in activities that focus on Thai culture. There are just so much you can learn about such Culture from these activities. Make sure to make the best of them so that you will have a lot of takeaways which you can also share with other people.
Celebrate on Social Media
You can also take your celebration of this day on social media. For instance, you can use the hashtag #ChulalongkornDay to let your friends and followers know that you are also participating in the celebration of this day. This is also another way to encourage other people to join in on the celebration.
Important Vocabularies
- การไปรษณีย์ (gaan bprai-sà-nii) — “post office”
- รถไฟ (rót-fai) — “train”
- โทรศัพท์ (thoo-rá-sàp) — “telephone”
- วันปิยมหาราช (wan-bpì-yá-má-hǎa-râat) — “Chulalongkorn Day”
- รัชกาลที่ 5 (rát-chá-gaan thîi-hâa) — “King Rama V”
- การเลิกทาส (gaan lôoek-thâat) — “abolitionism”
- ลัทธิจักรวรรดินิยม (lát-thí jàk-grà-wàt-ní-yom) — “imperialism”
- เสด็จสวรรคต (sà-dèt sà-wăn-khót) — “die”
- การปกครอง (gaan-bpòk-khraawng) — “administration”
- สภากาชาดไทย (sà-phâa-gaa-châat-thai) — “The Thai Red Cross”
- โทรเลข (thoo-rá-lêek) — “telegraph”
- ประพาส (bprà-phâas) — “travel”
- การบริการของรัฐ (gaan baaw-rí-gaan khǎawng rát) — “government service”