Thai royal and noble titles

"Chao Fa" redirects here. For the title used by some rulers of the Shan states, see Saopha.

Thai royal and noble titles are the royal and noble styles indicating relationship to the king which were introduced by King Trailokanat (reigned 1448–1488). The system is rooted in the Thai language equivalent of feudalism, Sakdina (ศักดินา: "power over fields"). It is somewhat similar to peerage, but more complicated and obscure even to most Thais. A title of honor may not be confined to the beginning or the end of the name, but may be split across the name. Those with titles ceased to be known by personal names, and were referred to by the awarded (or similar) title.[1] The King may bestow any title on anyone, although such promotion is personal and the person's children will not normally benefit from it.

The king

There are two styles which can be used for a king in ordinary speech, depending on whether he has been crowned:

Consorts

Traditionally, titles of royal wives depended on their birth titles and royal favour; only princesses of high birth (Chao Fa, Phra Ong Chao and Mom Chao Ying) assuming titles higher than Chao Chom. There were no clear rules about the hierarchy of titles above Chao Chom until the time of King Mongkut, and titles changed over successive reigns. The rule about commoners also seems to be evolving, and it appears that there are no more restrictions on a commoner from becoming queen. Most of the titles below are from King Vajiravudh's 1924 enactment of the Succession Law.

Consorts
Rank Title Style Remarks
Somdet Phra Akkhara Mahesi
สมเด็จพระอัครมเหสี
(Supreme Royal Consort)		 Somdet Phra Boromma Rajininat
สมเด็จพระบรมราชินีนาถ
(Queen Regent)		 Somdet Phra Nang Chao + Name + Phra Boromma Rajini Nat
Her Majesty, the Queen 		Nat (นาถ) means "shelter".
Somdet Phra Boromma Rajini
สมเด็จพระบรมราชินี 		Somdet Phra Nang Chao + Name + Phra Boromma Rajini
Her Majesty, the Queen
Somdet Phra Rajini
สมเด็จพระราชินี		 Somdet Phra Rajini + Name Temporary title before coronation
Phra Mahesi
พระมเหสี
(Royal Consort)		 Somdet Phra Boromma Rajadevi
สมเด็จพระบรมราชเทวี		 Somdet Phra Nang Chao + Name + Phra Boromma Rajadevi
Her Majesty, the Queen
Somdet Phra Akkhara Rajadevi
สมเด็จพระอัครราชเทวี 		Somdet Phra Nang Chao + Name + Phra Akkhara Rajadevi
Her Majesty, the Queen
Phra Akkhara Rajadevi
พระอัครราชเทวี		 Phra Nang Chao + Name + Phra Akkhara Rajadevi
Her Royal Highness, Princess, Royal Consort
Phra Vara Rajadevi
พระวรราชเทวี		 Phra Nang Chao + Name + Phra Vara Rajadevi
Her Royal Highness, Princess, Royal Consort
Phra Rajadevi
พระราชเทวี		 Phra Nang Chao + Name + Phra Rajadevi
Her Royal Highness, Princess, Royal Consort
Phra Nang Thoe
พระนางเธอ		 Phra Nang Thoe + Name
Her Royal Highness, Princess, Royal Consort
Phra Akkhara Chaya Thoe
พระอรรคชายาเธอ		 Phra Akkhara Chaya Thoe + Name
Her Highness, Princess, Royal Consort
Phra Raja Chaya Thoe
พระราชชายาเธอ		 Phra Raja Chaya Thoe + Name
Her Highness, Princess, Royal Consort
Phra Sanom
พระสนม
Royal Concubine		 Chao Khun Chom Manda
เจ้าคุณจอมมารดา
Supreme Royal Concubine		 Chao Khun Chom Manda + Name Appointed to
* Foreign princess
* Mom Chao (Her Serene Highness, Princess)
* Mom Rajawongse
* Mom Laung
* Commoners
During pregnancy, known as
Chao Chom Manda. Manda means "mother".
Phra was used during Rama VI's reign.
Chao Chom Manda
เจ้าจอมมารดา 		Chao Chom Manda + Name
Chom Manda
จอมมารดา 		Chom Manda + Name
Chao Chom
เจ้าจอม		 Chao Chom + Name
Phra
พระ		 Phra + Name

Princes and princesses

Holders of these titles are still considered royal, since they are (at most) two generations removed from a king. Nai Luang (ในหลวง) is an epithet for a king.[2] Children of a king are called Luk Luang (ลูก หลวง "royal children"), and grandchildren of a king are called Laan Luang (หลาน หลวง "royal grandchildren"). In English, they are normally called "prince" or "princess". Special forms are used when one wishes to address them, although the language is less elaborate than when speaking to the king or the queen. A male Luk Luang who does not accede to the throne would assume a new royal surname, normally reflecting his birth name (as opposed to an honorific given later). The surname can be used by his wife if she is a commoner by birth, possibly with Na Ayudhya added if she has no noble title. It is otherwise not normally used until his children (or grandchildren) first hold the title of Mom Chao, when the surname will first appear in their names.

Sovereign's children

Further information: Saopha
Order of precedence of a sovereign's children
Rank Title Remarks
Thai English
Somdet Chao Fa Somdet Phra Anujadhiraj His Royal Highness, Prince Elevated to "Heir Apparent" by Rama VI
Higher than the other royal family; for example,
Somdet Chao Fa
Special Class		 His Royal Highness, Prince Elevated to "Special Class" by Rama VII and Bhanurangsi Savangvongse, Prince Banubandhu Vongsevoradej
Somdet Phra Chao Borommawong Thoe
Chao Fa
First Class		 His Royal Highness, Prince (Princess) For a sovereign's children with:
  1. The Queen
  2. Royal consorts who are a sovereign's daughter
Somdet Phra Chao Borommawong Thoe
Chao Fa
Second Class		 His Royal Highness, Prince (Princess) For a sovereign's children with:
  1. Royal consorts
  2. A foreign princess
Phra Ong Chao
First Class		 Phra Choa Baromwongse Ther
Phra Ong Chao 		His Royal Highness, Prince (Princess) For a sovereign's children with:
  1. HSH Princess
  2. A royal concubine

Maha Uparaj's children

Order of precedence of Maha Uparaj's children
Rank Title Remarks
Thai English
Special Class Phra Chao Rajvorawongse Ther Chao Fa
(พระเจ้าราชวรวงศ์เธอ เจ้าฟ้า) 		His Royal Highness, Prince (Princess) For Maha Uparaj's children with a royal consort who is a princess
Phra Ong Chao Phra Chao Rajvorawongse Ther
Phra Ong Chao
(พระเจ้าราชวรวงศ์เธอ พระองค์เจ้า) 		His Royal Highness, Prince (Princess) For children of Maha Uparaj
  1. Maha Sura Singhanat
  2. Maha Senanurak
  3. Maha Sakdi Balasebya
  4. Pinklao
Phra Rajvorawongse Ther
Phra Ong Chao
(พระราชวรวงศ์เธอ พระองค์เจ้า) 		His Royal Highness, Prince (Princess) For children of Wichaichan

Sovereign's grandchildren

Order of precedence of sovereign's grandchildren
Rank Title Remarks
Thai English
Special Class Phra Chao Lanh Ther Chao Fa
(พระเจ้าหลานเธอ เจ้าฟ้า) 		His Royal Highness, Prince (Princess) For children of the sovereign's daughters or the sovereign's sisters with a prince. They are the third class of Chao Fa.
Phra Ong Chao Phra Chao Lanh Ther Phra Ong Chao
(พระเจ้าหลานเธอ พระองค์เจ้า) 		His Royal Highness, Prince (Princess) For children of the sovereign's sons (First Class) with a princess or royal consort.

After their grandfather's reign, their title changes to Phra Chao Voravongse Ther Phra Ong Chao (พระเจ้าวรวงศ์เธอ พระองค์เจ้า)

Phra Lanh Ther Phra Ong Chao
(พระหลานเธอ พระองค์เจ้า) 		His Highness, Prince (Princess) For children of:
  1. The sovereign's sons (First Class) with a commoner elevated by the king
  2. The sovereign's sons (Second Class) with a princess

After their grandfather's reign, their title changes to Phra Voravongse Ther Phra Ong Chao (พระวรวงศ์เธอ พระองค์เจ้า)

Phra Sambandhawongse Ther
Phra Ong Chao
(พระสัมพันธเธอ พระองค์เจ้า) 		His Highness, Prince (Princess) For children of Prince Matayabitaksa, maternal grandfather of Rama V
Mom Chao Mom Chao
(หม่อมเจ้า) 		His Serene Highness, Prince (Princess) For children of the sovereign's sons with a commoner

Sovereign's nephew or niece

Order of precedence of sovereign's nephew or niece
Rank Title Remarks
Thai English
Chao Fa Phra Sambhandhawongse Ther
Chao Fa
(พระสัมพันธวงศ์เธอ เจ้าฟ้า) 		His Royal Highness, Prince (Princess) For children of Rama I's eldest sisters; Princess Debsudavadi and Princess Sri Sudaraksha
Phra Ong Chao Phra Prabhandhawongse Ther
Phra Ong Chao
(พระประพันธวงศ์เธอ พระองค์เจ้า) 		His Highness, Prince (Princess) For children of deputy vice-king Anuraksha Deveshra with a royal consort
Mom Chao Mom Chao
(หม่อมเจ้า) 		His Serene Highness, Prince (Princess) For children of:
  1. Sons and daughters of Princess Debsudavadi and Princess Sri Sudaraksha's son
  2. Sons and daughters of deputy vice-king Anuraksha Deveshra with a concubine

Maha Uparaj's grandchildren

Order of precedence of Maha Uparaj's grandchildren
Rank Title Remarks
Thai English
Mom Chao Mom Chao
(หม่อมเจ้า) 		His Serene Highness, Prince (Princess) For the sovereign's grandchildren

Sovereign's great-grandchildren

Order of precedence of sovereign's great-grandchildren
Rank Title Remarks
Thai English
Mom Chao Mom Chao
(หม่อมเจ้า) 		His Serene Highness, Prince (Princess) For children of the sovereign's grandchildren in the class of Phra Chao Lanh Thor Phra Ong Chao (HRH, Prince)
Mom Rajawongse Mom Rajawongse
(หม่อมราชวงศ์) 		Mom Rajawongse For children of the sovereign's grandchildren in the class of Phra Lanh Thor Phra Ong Chao (HH Prince) and Mom Chao (HSH Prince). They are not members of the royal family.

Royal descendants

More distant royal progeny, starting from the children of male Mom Chao, are considered commoners. However, these commoners have titles indicating that their ancestry can be traced back to a king.

Mom Rajawongse

Mom Rajawongse (หม่อมราชวงศ์, rtgs: Mom Ratchawong; abbreviated in Thai as ม.ร.ว. and in English as M. R. and translated as "The Honourable") is the title assumed by children of male Mom Chao. Informally, they may be called Khun Chai (male) or Khun Ying (female) (คุณชาย.../คุณหญิง...). Holders of this title are occasionally erroneously referred to as princes or princesses in older English documents; it is now more common to use the correct title, "Mom Rajawongse".

Mom Luang

Mom Luang (หม่อมหลวง, abbreviated in Thai ม.ล. and sometimes in English as M. L. and translated as "The Honourable") are the last royal descendants retaining a title. Mom Luang titles are conferred on children of male Mom Rajawongse. Colloquially (although incorrectly), they are sometimes addressed as "Mom"; the correct informal address is "Khun" (คุณ).

Na Ayudhya

In the Family Name Act, B. E. 2465, Rama VI ordered that royal descendants who do not hold any title should append "Na Ayudhya" (ณ อยุธยา) to their surname to signify they are descended from a royal bloodline.

Wife of prince

Wives of princes have titles, depending on the titles on both sides.

Phra Vorachaya

Phra Vorachaya (พระวรชายา) is a title of the royal consort of the Crown Prince. She is elevated to Phra Chao Vorawongse Ther Phra Ong Chao.

Phra Chaya

Phra Chaya (พระชายา) is a princess, Chao Fa (HRH Princess) or Phra Ong Chao (HRH Princess) who is married to prince, at every level. She retains her own title. When referring to her as a wife of the prince, she may be called "Phra Chaya Nai (husband's name)".

Chaya

Chaya (ชายา) is a princess or Mom Chao (HSH Princess) who is married to prince, at every level. Again, she would retain her own title. When referring to her as a wife of the prince, she may be called "Chaya Nai (husband's name)".

Mom

Mom (หม่อม), in this context, is a commoner married to a prince. She uses this title as a prefix of her name, adding na Ayudhya to her new surname; for example, Mom Srirasmi Mahidol na Ayudhya (a wife of Chao Fa Maha Vajiralongkorn, whose surname is Mahidol). If she has her own title (Mom Rajawonge or Mom Luang), she retains it.

Married princesses

The son of a holder of the following titles generally inherits a title one step below; a female Mom Rajawongse married to a commoner would produce a child with no title. According to the Royal Marriages Act, B. E. 2475, a princess wishing to marry to a commoner must request royal permission and abandon her royal title. For example, if princess Chao Fa, HRH Princess of Thailand, wished to marry a Mom Rajawongse commoner she would lose her royal title (Chao Fa, HRH Princess of Thailand) but retain royal style as follows:

However, Chao Fa Chulabhonwalailak received permission from the king to keep her title when she married commoner Weerayut Disayasirin.

Nobility

The nobility of Siamese feudalism was enacted by Trailokkanat, king of the Ayutthaya Kingdom, in 1454. The Act of Sakdina of Civil, Military and Colony classified citizens by role and responsibilities: royal family, nobility, bhikkhus, commoners and slaves.

The nobility is part of the Thai honour system for rewarding bravery, achievement, or service to the monarch. The sovereign confers peerages, including titles of nobility and orders of chivalry. Thai peerage is an honour under the crown, and a holder can be withdrawn or elevated to higher rank. The peerage consists of a prefix signifying the rank (บรรดาศักดิ์ – Bandasakdi) and an honorific name (ราชทินนาม – Raja Dinnanam). Before the Siamese revolution of 1932, the peerage had four groups: royal, civil and military, courtiers and clergy.

Royal peerage

Enacted by King Narayana the Great, the peer has Krom for managing their household and staffs. The ranks of royal peerage are:

The sovereign may grant titles to other royal-family members:

  1. Somdet Phra Prathom Borom Ratchachonok: HRH Prince Father of Rama I
  2. Somdet Phra Rupsirisobakya Mahanaknari: HRH Princess Rupsirisobakya Mahanaknari, Mother of Queen Amarindra
  3. Somdet Phra Piyamavadi Sri Bajarindra Mata: HRH Princess Piyamavadi Sri Bajarindra Mata, Mother of Queen Saovabha Bongsri
  4. Somdet Phra Sri Savarindira Barom Raja Devi: HM Queen Sri Savarindira, Queen Grandmother of Rama VI and Rama VII
  5. Somdet Phra Mahitaladhibes Adulyadejvikrom Phra Borom Ratchachonok: HRH Prince Mahidol Adulyadej, Prince Father of Rama VIII and Rama IX
  6. Somdet Phra Debaratanarajasuda Chao Fa Maha Chakri Sirindhorn Rathasimagunakornpiyajat Sayamboromrajakumari: HRH Princess Sirindhorn

Civil and military peerage

Men

These titles were given only to men and were not inheritable, similar to a life peerage. European equivalents were also used on diplomatic missions. Although all are obsolete, Phan and Nai have modern meanings. Civil and military peerage had the following order of precedence:

  1. Somdet Chao Phraya Maha Kshatriyas Suek: Granted by King Taksin of Thonburi
  2. Somdet Chao Phraya Borom Maha Bijaya Yati: Granted by Rama IV
  3. Somdet Chao Phraya Borom Maha Prayurawongse: Also granted by Rama IV
  4. Somdet Chao Phraya Borom Maha Sri Suriyawongse: Granted by Rama V
  1. Gold Class (engraved title on gold leaf): For ministers who are Mom Rajawongse or Mom Luang; also awarded to commoners.
  2. Silver Class (engraved title on silver leaf): For ministers who are commoners and other honorees
  3. Regular Class

Women

These titles were given only to women, and were not inheritable. They were ordered as follows:

Peerage of Courtier

Men

Women

Chao Khun (เจ้าคุณ), Thao (ท้าว), Luang Mae Chao (หลวงแม่เจ้า), and Cha (จ่า) are all obsolete.

Khun (courtesy title)

Khun (คุณ), a courtesy title pronounced with a middle tone, should not be confused with the similarly-spelled tree or the feudal title of Khun (ขุน, pronounced in a rising tone. The courtesy title is used for children born to a noble mother who gave up her title to marry a man of lesser rank; a notable example is Khun Poom Jensen. Today, this word is used informally to courteously address nearly anyone except those who hold a title of Mom Rajawongse or higher. It is T-V distinct from thoe (เธอ).[3]

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ Roberts, Edmund (12 October 2007) [First published in 1837]. "Chapter XIX―titles of the king". Embassy to the Eastern courts of Cochin-China, Siam, and Muscat: in the U. S. sloop-of-war Peacock ... during the years 1832-3-4. Harper & brothers. pp. 301–303. Retrieved 25 April 2012.
  2. ↑ "คนไทยรักนายหลวง" [Thai people love the King]. Community page. Google+. 31 August 2013. Archived from the original on 2013-08-31. Retrieved 31 August 2013.
  3. ↑ "Thai words for 'you'". Retrieved 22 Apr 2010.

References

External links

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