Thai royal and noble titles

The Thai royal and noble titles signify distance of the bearers to the King. The system is somewhat complicated and usually not well understood even by most Thai people. A particular title may not be confined to just the beginning or the end of the name, but may be split across the name as will be demonstrated. Another point of note about the titles is that the King has the power to bestow any title on anybody, regardless of the rule. However, such promotion is personal and the children of the person will not normally benefit from it (see, for example, Phra Worawong Ther Phra Ong Chao).

Title for a royal consort

Traditionally, titles of the royal wives depended both on their birth titles and royal favour. Only the princesses (Chao Fa, Phra Ong Chao, Mom Chao Ying) would be able to take up the title higher than Chao Chom . There were no clear rule about the hierarchy of the titles above Chao Chom until the time of King Mongkut; even then the titles kept changing over the successive reigns. The rule about the commoner also seems to be evolving over time; it appears that there is no more restriction for a commoner to become queen. Most of the titles listed here are taken from the time King Vajiravhud enacted the Succession Law in 1924.

Related Topics:
Chao Fa - Phra Ong Chao - Mom Chao Ying - Chao Chom - Mongkut - Vajiravhud - 1924

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The queen

Only the holders of the titles listed here (all contained the word "rajini") are the queens in the Western sense, although the concept of queen was only introduced first in the reign of King Rama V. There can be only one "rajini" at a time; the actual title depends on the status of the holder.

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Somdej Phra Boromarajininat

Somdej Phra Boromarajininat (สมเด็จพระบรมราชินีนาถ -- the Queen Regent) is the highest rank among the royal wives. Holder of this title must have acted as a regent. (The word "nat" at the end of the title means "ruler".) This title is normally used in the form of:

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:"Somdej + + Phra boromarajininat"

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or

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:"Somdej Phra Nangchao + + Phra boromarajininat".

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For example, Queen Sawaphaphongsri (born as Phra Ong Chao Sawaphaphongsri, one of King Chulalongkorn's half-sisters and wives) was given a honorific name of "Phra Sri Patcharindra" when she was invested the queen regent; her name was thus Somdej Phra Sri Patcharindra Boromarajininat. As for the current Queen of Thailand, her name has been retained, thus: Somdej Phra Nangchao Sirikit Phra Boromarajininat.

Related Topics:
Phra Ong Chao - Sawaphaphongsri - Chulalongkorn's - Sri Patcharindra - Sirikit

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Somdej Phra Boromarajini

Somdej Phra Boromarajini (สมเด็จพระบรมราชินี) is the title of the queen who has never acted as a regent. The King conferred this title to Queen Sirikit on his coronation. She was then known as Somdej Phra Nangchao Sirikit Phra Boromarajini.

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Somdej Phra Rajini

Somdej Phra Rajini (สมเด็จพระราชินี) is a somewhat temporary title held by the most prestigious royal wife of the king who has not yet been crowned (see also Somdej Phra Chao Yu Hua, above). This title is appended to the front of the queen's name. Queen Sirikit held this title for seven days as "Somdej Phra Rajini Sirikit", prior to King Bhumibol's coronation.

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Other royal consorts who were born princesses

The following titles can traditionally only be held by the royal consorts who were born princesses, that is, holding the title of Chao Fa, Phra Ong Chao, or Mom Chao Ying. Together with the queen, they are known as Phra Panya Chao (พระภรรยาเจ้า -- 'royal wives').

Related Topics:
Chao Fa - Phra Ong Chao - Mom Chao Ying - The queen

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Somdej Phra Boromarajathevi

Somdej Phra Boromarajathevi (สมเด็จพระบรมราชเทวี) had been the most prestigious title among the royal wives until King Chulalongkorn created the Rajini titles. Only one person can hold this title at any one time, for example Somdej Phra Nangchao Sunanthakumarirat Phra Boromarajathevi (born Phra Ong Chao Sunanthakumarirat, another half-sister and wife of King Chulalongkorn). This should now be considered as the first royal consort (as oppose to queen).

Related Topics:
''Rajini'' titles - Sunanthakumarirat - Phra Ong Chao

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Phra Nangchao Phra Rajathevi / Phra Nangchao Phra Akra Rajathevi

Phra Nangchao ... Phra Rajathevi / Phra Nangchao ... Phra Akra Rajathevi (พระนางเจ้า...พระราชเทวี / พระนางเจ้า...พระอัครราชเทวี) is a lesser title than Somdej Phra Boromarajathevi. Queen Sri Pacharindra (see above) used to hold this title as Phra Nangchao Sawaphaphongsri Phra Akra Rajathevi before she was made queen regent.

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Phra Nang Ther

Phra Nang Ther (พระนางเธอ) is the title of a royal wife of lesser importance than Phra Nangchao Phra Rajathevi. This title usually prefixes a honorific name, for example: Phra Nang Ter Laksamilawan, one of the wives of King Vajiravhud.

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Phra Akra Chaya Ther

Phra Akra Chaya Ther (พระอัครชายาเธอ) is the next prestigious title to Phra Nang Ther. In contrast to the previous titles, this title prefixes the previous style of the holder including the royal title from birth, for example: Phra Akra Chaya Ther Phra Ong Chao Sawapak Narirat (born Phra Ong Chao Sawanapak Narirat, a cousin and wife of King Chulalongkorn), as oppose to Phra Nangchao Sawaphaphongsri Phra Akra Rajathevi, who were also born Phra Ong Chao Sawaphaphongsri.

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Phra Racha Chaya

Phra Racha Chaya (พระราชชายา) existed only during the reign of King Chulalongkorn. The only holder of this title was Phra Racha Chaya Chao Dara Rasmi, a princess ('Chao') from the Thipjakrathiwong dynasty of Chiang Mai. Technically, she was a "commoner" from the point of view of the Chakri dynasty, and was thus appointed as a Chao Chom initially. She was later 'ennobled' and given this particular title, which, although higher in status than Chao Chom, was still the most junior among the royal wives who were born princesses.

Related Topics:
Chao - Chiang Mai - Chakri dynasty - Chao Chom

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Royal consorts who were born commoners

Chao Chom

Chao Chom (เจ้าจอม) is the only title held by the royal wives who were born as a commoner (Mom Rajawongse and below). If they were successful in producing a child for the king, the title would be changed to Chao Chom Manda (เจ้าจอมมารดา). This title also prefixes previous royal title, for example: Chao Chom Mom Rajawongse Sadab (born Mom Rajawongse Sadab Laddawan).

Related Topics:
Mom Rajawongse

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