page_title: Coronation of the Thai monarch
section_title: Modern coronations
hierarchical_section_title: Coronation of the Thai monarch / History / Modern coronations
caption_attribution_description: English: King Vajiravudh on the coronation throne on 11 Novemeber 1911
context_page_description: The Coronation of the Thai monarch is a ceremony in which the King of Thailand is formally consecrated by anointment and crowning. The ceremony is divided into two main events: the coronation rites and the celebration of the Assumption of the Residence. The coronation rites are a blend of Hindu and Buddhist traditions dating back several centuries. The rites included the purification bath of the king, the anointing of the king, the crowning of the king, and the investiture of the royal regalia, the royal utensils, and the royal weapons of sovereignty. The Assumption of the Residence is a private housewarming celebration by members of the royal family at the Grand Palace.
  Historically, the coronation usually took place as soon as possible after the death of the previous monarch. This followed the custom that an unconsecrated king cannot bear certain regalia nor carry out any religious functions. However, in the last century this tradition has been replaced by a mourning period of about a year after the succession. The most recent coronation was held on 4 May 2019 for King Vajiralongkorn.
context_section_description: King Rama V died on 23 October 1910. On 11 November, his son King Rama VI decided to have a solemn ceremony, stripped to its bare essentials, with the anointment and the crowning at the apex of the coronation. The King had decided beforehand to host another coronation ceremony in a year's time. He wanted to invite members of foreign royal families to join him, and to enjoy the festivities without disturbing the customary period of mourning for his father. The second coronation began on 28 November 1911 and continued for thirteen days. Representatives from fourteen different countries attended, including Prince Alexander of Teck of Great Britain, Grand Duke Boris of Russia, Prince Nicholas of Greece, Prince Valdemar of Denmark, Prince Wilhelm of Sweden, and Prince Fushimi-no-miya of Japan. The second event was a much more elaborate affair, including the state progress by land and water, banquets for foreign guests, and parades and fairs for the public. The event cost the state ฿4,884,676 (originally budgeted at only ฿500,000), while the first coronation cost only  ฿100,000. The colossal sum spent was double the cost of the coronation of King George V of the United Kingdom, held earlier the same year. Despite this, the festivities were judged a success and were lauded by the foreign press.
  King Rama VII's coronation ceremony was scheduled for 25 February 1926. Unlike his predecessors, he wanted to wait until after the royal funeral and mourning period of the previous king (his brother had died on 26 November 1925) had come to an end. The coronation ceremony took three days, the state progress on land then took place on 1 March and the state progress on water on 3 March. Prince Devawongse Varopakarn wrote to the Japanese ambassador that King Rama VII's coronation ceremony: "Will only be one ceremony, for reasons of economy, and it will be on a simpler scale than hitherto. Special envoys from foreign countries have not been invited, but there will be no objection to the foreign envoys already in this country being so appointed for the occasion." Nevertheless, envoys from forty-seven different countries attended, and the ceremonies were completed in full. For the first time a book and several photographs of the ceremony were published by the Royal Household. An 11 minutes and 8 second silent film of the coronation ceremonies was made by the Royal State Railways of Siam with intertitles in both Thai and English.
caption: King Vajiravudh (Rama VI) seated on the throne after his second coronation in 1911.
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