KING VAJIRAVUDH

Whose reigning title was Phra Mongkut Klao Chaoyuhua, was second son of King Chulalongkorn. He was born at Bangkok on January 1, 1881. Following the death of his elder half-brother, Crown Prince Maha Vajirunhis, in 1895, he was appointed Crown Prince. He was educated in England and his great love of literature and poetry in both Thai and English together with his scholastic abilities was later to manifest itseft during his reign. Among his lasting achievements were devising a system of transliteration of Thai into English and of translating the entire works of Shakespeare into Thai . His passion for traditional Thai theater and ballet has left a mass of published scores which form the basis of the study of these arts to the present day. King Vajiravudh's coronation in Bangkok on December 2, 1911 was an occasion of much splendor. Among those present at the ceremonies were members of the royal families of Great Britain, Denmark, Sweden, Russia and Japan (the largest gathering of European royalty on the Asian Continent either before or since). The Russian imperial jewelers, Messrs. Carl Faberge, set up a temporary shop within the hallowed portals of the Oriental Hotel to coincide with the festivities. In 1916 King Vajiravudh declared war on Germany and Thai troops fought with the Allies during the latter part of World War I. He died in Bangkok on November 26, 1925 at the early age of 44.