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{{Short description|King of Siam from 1925 to 1935}}
{{About|the seventh king of Siam|the aircraft named after him|Prajadhipok (aircraft)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2020}}
{{EngvarB|date=January 2020}} 
{{More citations needed|date=October 2013}}
{{Rewrite|date=January 2025}}
{{Infobox royalty
| title        = King Rama VII
| image        = King Prajadhipok portrait photograph.jpg
| caption      = Formal portrait, {{circa|1930s}}
| name         = {{ubl|Prajadhipok|{{langn|th|ประชาธิปก}}}}
| succession   = [[Monarchy of Thailand|King of Siam]]
| reign        = 26 November 1925 – {{nowrap|2 March 1935}}
| coronation   = 25 February 1926
| cor-type     = [[Coronation of the Thai monarch|Coronation]]
| predecessor  = [[Vajiravudh]] (Rama VI)
| successor    = [[Ananda Mahidol]] (Rama VIII)
| regent       = {{ubl|[[Paribatra Sukhumbandhu]]|[[Narisara Nuwattiwong]]}}
| reg-type     = [[Regent of Thailand|Regent]]
| birth_date   = {{birth date|df=y|1893|11|08}}
| birth_place  = [[Bangkok]], [[Rattanakosin Kingdom (1782–1932)|Siam]]
| death_date   = {{death date and age|df=y|1941|5|30|1893|11|8}}
| death_place  = [[Surrey]], England
| burial_date  = 3 June 1941
| burial_place = [[Golders Green Crematorium]], London,&nbsp;England
| spouse       = {{marriage|[[Rambai Barni]]|August 1918}}
| house        = [[Chakri dynasty]]
| father       = [[Chulalongkorn]] (Rama V)
| mother       = [[Saovabha Phongsri]]
| religion     = [[Theravada Buddhism]]
| signature    = Prajadhipok signature (1928-07-13).svg
}}

'''Prajadhipok'''{{efn|{{langx|th|ประชาธิปก}}; [[Royal Thai General System of Transcription|RTGS]]: ''Prachathipok''}} (8 November 1893&nbsp;– 30 May 1941) was the seventh monarch of the [[Chakri dynasty]] and the last [[king of Siam]] under the absolute monarchy. He ascended the throne in 1925 and reigned until his abdication in 1935, overseeing the country's transition to a constitutional monarchy after the [[1932 Siamese Revolution]].

Born during the reign of King [[Chulalongkorn]], Prajadhipok was the youngest son of Chulalongkorn and Queen [[Saovabha Phongsri]]. He succeeded his brother, King [[Vajiravudh]], and pursued significant reforms, including establishing the Privy Council, modernizing financial and public-utility regulations, advancing municipal administration, founding the National Library, expanding university education, establishing the Royal Institute, and commissioning the complete Thai-script edition of the [[Tripitaka]]. After 1932, he granted Siam its first permanent constitution.

Following his abdication, Prajadhipok and Queen [[Rambai Barni]] settled in England and never returned to Siam. As he left no heirs, the cabinet and parliament invited Prince [[Ananda Mahidol]] to become king at age nine, marking the rise of the Mahidol branch. After Ananda's death in 1946, his brother [[Bhumibol Adulyadej]] (Rama IX) succeeded him.

[[UNESCO]] has acknowledged the historical importance of documents and artifacts related to King Prajadhipok's reign. His personal collection of photographs and films documented Siam's transition. Additionally, "The Minute Books of the Council of State of Siam (1893-1932)", which include records from his time, are listed on the UNESCO [[Memory of the World Register]]. UNESCO has also recognized him as a "great personality" in commemorations.

==Early life==
[[File:Prajadhipok's coronation records - 003.jpg|left|160px|thumb|Young Prajadhipok and his mother, [[Saovabha Phongsri]]]]
Prajadhipok was born on 8 November 1893 in [[Bangkok]], Siam (now Thailand) to King [[Chulalongkorn]] and Queen [[Saovabha Phongsri]]. Prince Prajadhipok was the youngest of nine children born to the couple. Overall he was the king's second-youngest child (of a total of 77), and the 33rd and youngest of Chulalongkorn's sons.<ref name="Soravij">{{cite web |last1=Bhorombhakdi |first1=Soravij |title=HM King Prajadhipok |url=http://www.soravij.com/royalty/rama7/rama7.html |website=The Siamese Royalty A Personal Fascination |access-date=20 October 2018}}</ref>

Unlikely to succeed to the throne, Prince Prajadhipok chose to pursue a military career. Like many of the king's children, he was sent abroad to study, going to [[Eton College]] in 1906, then to the [[Royal Military Academy, Woolwich|Woolwich Military Academy]] from which he graduated in 1913. He received a commission in the [[Royal Horse Artillery]] in the [[British Army]] based in [[Aldershot]]. In 1910 Chulalongkorn died and was succeeded by Prajadhipok's older brother (also a son of Queen Saovabha), [[Crown Prince of Thailand|Crown Prince]] [[Vajiravudh]], who became King Rama VI. Prince Prajadhipok was by then commissioned in both the British Army and the Royal Siamese Army. With the outbreak of the [[First World War]] and the declaration of Siamese neutrality, King [[Vajiravudh]] ordered his younger brother to resign his British commission and return to Siam immediately, a great embarrassment to the prince, who wanted to serve with his men on the Western front. Once home, Prajadhipok became a high-ranking military official in Siam. In 1917 he was ordained temporarily as a monk,<ref name="Batson, Benjamin 1984" />{{RP|30}} as was customary for most Buddhist Siamese men.

In 26 August 1918 Prince Prajadhipok married his childhood friend and cousin [[Rambai Barni]], a descendant of King Mongkut (Prajadhipok's grandfather) and his Royal Consort [[Piam]]. They were married at [[Sukhothai Palace]] which was a wedding gift to the couple from Queen [[Saovabha]].<ref name="Soravij" />

After the war in Europe ended, he attended the [[École spéciale militaire de Saint-Cyr|École Superieure de Guerre]] in France, returning to Siam to the Siamese military. During this time, he was granted the additional title ''Krom Luang Sukhothai'' (Prince of [[Sukhothai Province|Sukhothai]]). Prajadhipok lived a generally quiet life with his wife at their residence, [[Sukhothai Palace]], next to the [[Chao Phraya River]]. The couple had no children. Prajadhipok soon found himself rising rapidly in succession to the throne, as his brothers all died within a relatively short period. In 1925, King [[Vajiravudh]] himself died at the age of 44. Prajadhipok became absolute monarch at only thirty-two. He was crowned King of Siam on 25 February 1926.

==Last absolute monarch==
[[File:King of Siam Prajadhipok Time Magazine 1931.png|thumb|King Prajadhipok on [[Time (magazine)|TIME magazine]] cover in 1931|alt=]]
[[File:Rama 7 in stamp.jpg|thumb|200px|Thai stamp of Rama VII's reign]]
Relatively unprepared for his new responsibilities, Prajadhipok was nevertheless intelligent, diplomatic in his dealings with others, modest, and eager to learn.<ref name="Wyatt, David K. 1982">Wyatt, David K. (1982) ''Thailand: A Short History''. New Haven.</ref>{{RP|235}} However, he had inherited serious political and economic problems from his predecessor.<ref name="Batson, Benjamin 1984" />{{RP|30}} The budget was heavily in deficit, and the royal financial accounts were in serious disorder. The entire world was in the throes of the [[Great Depression]].

In an institutional innovation intended to restore confidence in the monarchy and government, Prajadhipok, in what was virtually his first act as king, announced the creation of the [[Supreme Council of the State of Siam]]. This council was made up of five experienced members of the royal family, although to emphasise the break with the previous reign the selected five had all fallen out of favour with the previous monarch.<ref name="Batson, Benjamin 1984" />{{RP|31}} The council thus comprised three of the king's uncles, Prince Bhanurangsi, Prince Naris and Prince [[Damrong Rajanubhab]] and two of his half-brothers, Prince Kitiyakon (Prince Chantaburi) and Prince Boriphat.<ref name="Terwiel, B.J. 2005" />{{RP|253}}

Many of the Princes of the Supreme Council felt that it was their duty to make amends for the mistakes of the previous reign, but their acts were not generally appreciated, for the government failed to communicate to the public the purpose of the policies they pursued to rectify Vajiravudh's extreme financial extravagances.<ref name="Stowe, Judith A. 1990">Stowe, Judith A. (1990) ''Siam Becomes Thailand''. Hurst & Company.</ref> Gradually these princes arrogated power to themselves, monopolising all the main ministerial positions and appointing their sons and brothers to both administrative and military posts. By April 1926 almost the entire cabinet of ministry heads had been replaced with newly appointed Princes or nobles, with only three former members being re-appointed.<ref name="Terwiel, B.J. 2005" />{{RP|254}} While the family appointments brought back men of talent and experience, they also signalled a return to royal oligarchy.

The king clearly wished to demonstrate a clear break with the discredited sixth reign, and his choice of men to fill the top positions appeared to be guided largely by a wish to restore a Chulalongkorn-type government.<ref name="Terwiel, B.J. 2005">Terwiel, B.J. (2005) ''Thailand's Political History: From the Fall of Ayutthaya to Recent Times''. River Books.</ref> Unlike his predecessor, the king read virtually all state papers that came his way, from ministerial submissions to petitions by citizens.<ref name="Terwiel, B.J. 2005" />{{RP|255}} The king was painstaking and conscientious; he would elicit comments and suggestions from a range of experts and study them, noting the good points in each submission, but when various options were available he would seldom be able to select the best one and abandon others. He would often rely upon the Supreme Council to prod him in a particular direction.<ref name="Terwiel, B.J. 2005" />{{RP|254}}

[[File:King Prajadhipok (Rama VII) of Siam.jpg|thumb|140px|left|King Prajadhipok in [[Khrui]], carrying [[Dha (sword)|Krabi sword]].]]

From the beginning of his reign King Prajadhipok was acutely aware that political change was necessary if the monarchy was to be preserved.<ref name="Batson, Benjamin 1984" />{{RP|130}} He viewed his newly established Supreme Council as an institutional check upon the powers of an absolute monarch.<ref name="Batson, Benjamin 1984" />{{RP|130}} During 1926, Prajadhipok experimented with using the Privy Council, which had over 200 members at that time, as a quasi-legislative body.<ref name="Batson, Benjamin 1984" />{{RP|134}} This large of an assembly proved too cumbersome, and in 1927 Prajadhipok created the Committee of the Privy Council consisting of 40 members selected from the royal family or nobility.<ref name="Batson, Benjamin 1984" />{{RP|135}} The committee was received positively by the press and was envisaged as a forerunner of a parliament or National Assembly.<ref name="Batson, Benjamin 1984" />{{RP|137–139}} In practice however the committee remained relatively unimportant and did not develop into a more powerful or representative body.<ref name="Batson, Benjamin 1984" />{{RP|137}}

In 1926 Prajadhipok wrote a lengthy memorandum to his American adviser [[Francis Bowes Sayre, Sr.|Francis B. Sayre]] titled "Problems of Siam" in which he set forth nine questions he felt were the most serious facing the nation. The third question asked whether Siam should have a parliamentary system, which Prajadhipok doubted. The fourth question asked whether Siam was ready for representative government, to which Prajadhipok answered "my personal opinion is an emphatic NO".<ref name="Batson, Benjamin 1984" />{{RP|38}} However, the king did see a possibility to introduce reform at the local level as the "next step in our educational move towards democracy".<ref name="Batson, Benjamin 1984" />{{RP|140}} In 1926 he began moves to develop the concept of ''prachaphiban'', or "municipality", which had emerged late in the fifth reign as a law regarding public health and sanitation.<ref>Sonthi Techanan (1976) ''Plans for Democratic Development in the Seventh Reign''. Kasetsart University.</ref> Information was obtained regarding local self-government in surrounding countries, and proposals to allow certain municipalities to raise local taxes and manage their own budgets were drawn up. The fact that the public was not sufficiently educated to make the scheme work militated against the success of this administrative venture. Nevertheless, the idea of teaching the Siamese the concept of democracy through a measure of decentralisation of power in municipalities had become, in Prajadhipok's mind, fundamental to future policy-making.<ref name="Batson, Benjamin 1984">Batson, Benjamin. (1984) ''The End of the Absolute Monarchy in Siam''. Oxford University Press.</ref> However, Yasukichi Yatabe, Japanese minister to Siam, criticized the king's way and that it would not be accomplished in a hundred years' time.<ref name="ชิงสุก">[https://www.silpa-mag.com/history/article_49962 "ชิงสุกก่อนห่าม" วาทกรรมซัดกลับคณะราษฎร ในแบบเรียนประวัติศาสตร์ไทย]</ref>

[[File:King Rama VII leaving after a worship at the Great Buddha of Kamakura.jpg|thumb|State visit of Rama VII to Japan, at [[Kōtoku-in]], 1931]]

In September 1931 Britain abandoned the gold standard and devalued sterling by 30 percent.<ref name="Terwiel, B.J. 2005" />{{RP|259}} This created a crisis for Siam since most of its foreign exchange was held in sterling.<ref name="Batson, Benjamin 1984" />{{RP|195}} The Minister of Finance kept Siam on the gold standard by linking the currency to the US dollar, but debate about this policy raged within the government into 1932.<ref name="Batson, Benjamin 1984" />{{RP|195–196}} One impact of this policy was that Siam's rice exports became more expensive than competitor exporters, negatively impacting revenue.<ref name="Wyatt, David K. 1982" />{{RP|240}}

In mid-October 1931 the king returned from a trip to Canada and the US and ordered [[Prince Devawongse Varoprakar]], the Minister of Foreign Affairs to prepare a constitution. The task of drafting this document was given to the American [[Raymond B. Stevens]] and Phaya Sri Wisarn Waja.<ref name="Batson, Benjamin 1984" />{{RP|148}} In March the following year they submitted an "Outline of Changes in the Form of Government" together with their comments.<ref name="Batson, Benjamin 1984" />{{RP|149}} Prajadhipok originally planned to announce the new constitution to the nation of 6 April at the opening of the [[Memorial Bridge (Thailand)|Memorial Bridge]] to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the Chakri dynasty.<ref name="Batson, Benjamin 1984" />{{RP|150}} These proposals met strong opposition from Prince Damrong and other royal members of the Supreme Council and despite his own misgivings that to not proceed would result in a coup against his government, the king ultimately did not make the planned announcement.

On 20 January 1932, with the country deep in depression, the king convened a "round table" meeting to discuss the many competing arguments and to agree on how to tackle the crisis.<ref name="Batson, Benjamin 1984" />{{RP|204}} From this meeting it was agreed to make large cuts in government spending and implement a retrenchment programme. Two weeks later on 5 February the king addressed a group of military officers and spoke at length about the economic situation. In this speech he remarked "I myself know nothing at all about managing finances, and all I can do is listen to the opinions of others and choose the best...If I have made a mistake, I believe I really deserve to be excused by the people of Siam".<ref name="Batson, Benjamin 1984" />{{RP|204}} No previous monarch had ever spoken so honestly.<ref name="Batson, Benjamin 1984" />{{RP|205}} The speech was widely reported and many interpreted his words not as a frank appeal for understanding and cooperation, but as a sign of weakness and proof that the system of rule of fallible autocrats should be abolished.<ref>Vella, Walter (1955) ''The Impact of the West on Government in Thailand''. University of California Press.</ref>

==Revolution of 1932==
{{Page numbers needed|date=March 2016|section}}
{{Main|Siamese Revolution of 1932}}
[[File:Peoples-party-in-ananta-samakhom-throne-hall.jpg|thumb|A [[Khana Ratsadon]] meeting in [[Ananta Samakhom Throne Hall|Ananta Samakhom]]]]
A small group of soldiers and civil servants began secretly plotting to overthrow [[absolute monarchy]] and bring a constitutional government to the kingdom. Their efforts culminated in an almost [[Siamese coup d'état of 1932|bloodless "revolution"]] on the morning of 24 June 1932 by the self-proclaimed [[Khana Ratsadon]] (''People's Party''; คณะราษฎร).<ref name="Terwiel, B.J. 2005" />{{RP|262}} While Prajadhipok was away at [[Klai Kangwon Palace]] in [[Hua Hin]], the plotters took control of the [[Ananda Samakhom Throne Hall]] in Bangkok and arrested key officials (mainly princes and relatives of the king).<ref name="Terwiel, B.J. 2005" />{{RP|262}} The People's Party demanded Prajadhipok become a constitutional monarch and grant Thai people a constitution. In the event of a negative response, they reserved the right to declare Siam a republic. The king immediately accepted the People's Party's request and the first "permanent" constitution of Siam was promulgated on 10 December.<ref name="Terwiel, B.J. 2005" />{{RP|263}}

Prajadhipok returned to Bangkok on 26 June and received the coup plotters in a royal audience. As they entered the room, Prajadhipok greeted them, saying "I rise in honour of the Khana Ratsadon."<ref>Thawatt Mokarapong. (1972) ''History of the Thai Revolution''. Chalermnit.</ref><ref>Pridi Phanomyong (1974) ''Ma vie mouvementée''. Paris.</ref> It was a significant gesture because, according to previous royal rituals, monarchs were to remain seated while their subjects made obeisance, this showed that Prajadhipok was acknowledging the changed circumstances.<ref name="Stowe, Judith A. 1990"/>

==First constitutional monarch==
{{Chakri Kings}}
[[File:King Prajadhipok Signs Constitution of Siam 1932.jpg|thumb|200px|left|King Prajadhipok signs [[Constitution of Thailand#1932 constitution|The Constitution of the Siam Kingdom]] on 10 December 1932.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Jumbala |first=Prudhisan |date=22 Feb 2014 |title=King Prajadhipok and democracy in Siam |url=https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/politics/396380/king-prajadhipok-and-democracy-in-siam |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250216160216/https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/politics/396380/king-prajadhipok-and-democracy-in-siam |archive-date=16 Feb 2025 |access-date=16 Feb 2025 |website=Bangkok Post}}</ref>]]

In the early stages of the constitutional monarchy, the King and the royalists seemed to be able to compromise with Khana Ratsadon. The constitutional bill which was drafted by [[Pridi Banomyong]] and intended to be a permanent one was made temporary. The new constitution restored some of the monarch's lost power and status. Among them were introduction of unelected half of the House of Representatives and royal veto power. The country's first prime minister [[Phraya Manopakorn Nitithada]] was a conservative and royalist nobleman.

The compromise broke down quickly. He did not contest when his interpretation of Pridi's economic plan, which also aim on land reform and seizure of royal land, was released with his signature. The king played a role in the [[April 1933 Siamese coup d'état|coup d'état of April 1933]], where the House was ordered to close by the prime minister. He signed an order to execute Khana Ratsadon leaders. But Khana Ratsadon's military wing leader [[Phraya Phahonphonphayuhasena]] [[June 1933 Siamese coup d'état|ousted]] the government and restored its power.

He played an active role in an anti-revolutionary network, which also aimed to assassinate Khana Ratsadon's leaders.<ref name="ณัฐพล"/>{{rp|27}}

In October 1933, the maverick Prince [[Boworadej]], a former minister of defence, led an armed revolt against the government. In the [[Boworadet Rebellion]], he mobilised several provincial garrisons and marched on Bangkok, occupying the [[Don Mueang International Airport|Don Muang]] aerodrome. Prince Boworadej accused the government of being disrespectful to the monarch and of promoting communism, and demanded that government leaders resign. However, the rebellion ultimately failed.

The king did not directly support the rebellion, but there was a cheque from the treasury to Boworadej.<ref name="ณัฐพล">{{cite book |last1=ใจจริง |first1=ณัฐพล |title=ขอฝันใฝ่ในฝันอันเหลือเชื่อ: ความเคลื่อนไหวของขบวนการปฏิปักษ์ปฏิวัติสยาม (พ.ศ. 2475-2500) |date=2013 |publisher=ฟ้าเดียวกัน |isbn=9786167667188 |edition=1 |language=th}}</ref>{{rp|11}} The insurrection diminished the king's prestige. When the revolt began, Prajadhipok immediately informed the government that he regretted the strife and civil disturbances. The royal couple then took refuge at [[Songkhla]], in the far south. The king's withdrawal from the scene was interpreted by the Khana Ratsadorn as a failure to do his duty. By not throwing his full support behind government forces, he had undermined their trust in him.<ref name="Batson, Benjamin 1984"/>

In 1934 the Assembly voted to amend civil and military penal codes. The king vetoed the changes to the separation between personal and royal assets as he did not want to pay tax, and protested an amendment to diminish the king's consideration of death sentence over the courts.<ref name="ณัฐพล"/>{{rp|34–5}} After many losses to Khana Ratsadon, the king seemed to change his stance and expressed support for democracy and blamed Khana Ratsadon for being anti-democratic.<ref name="ณัฐพล"/>{{rp|35–6}} However, Phibul later discussed in the House that unelected parliamentary members were the king's wish,<ref name="ณัฐพล"/>{{rp|17–8}} and another House member criticized the king for being unbearable.<ref name="ณัฐพล"/>{{rp|36}}

Prajadhipok, whose relations with the Khana Ratsadon had been deteriorating for some time, went on a tour of Europe before visiting England for medical treatment. He continued to correspond with the government regarding the conditions under which he would continue to serve. He tried to retain some of the royal powers, such as power to veto law with no possible override. Other disagreements were on royal assets and royal benefits. After the government did not comply, on 14 October Prajadhipok announced his intention to abdicate unless his requests were met.

===Trip to Europe===
<gallery class="central" widths="180px" heights="180px" perrow="4">
File:Hitler and Rama VII.jpg|King Prajadhipok and [[Adolf Hitler]] at [[Berlin Tempelhof Airport]] in Nazi Germany, 1934
File:Bundesarchiv Bild 183-2005-0524-508, Berlin, Ankunft des siamesischen Königspaares.jpg|King Prajadhipok and Queen [[Rambai Barni]] with [[Konstantin von Neurath]] in Nazi Germany, 1934
File:King Prajadhipok and Queen Rambhai Barni with British Premier Ramsay Macdonald in 1934.jpg|King Prajadhipok and Queen [[Rambai Barni]] with British Premier [[Ramsay MacDonald]] at Number [[10 Downing Street]], 1934
File:พระบาท สมเด็จ พระเจ้าอยู่หัว เสด็จ เฝ้า สมเด็จ สันโตปาปา ที่ ๑๑ ณ กรุงโรม.jpg|King Rama VII and Queen Rambai Barni after an audience with Pope [[Pius XI]] at [[Vatican City]], 1934
</gallery>

==Abdication==
[[File:Rama VII Train.jpeg|thumb|275px|Prajadhipok looking outside a train, c. 1930]]
The People's Party rejected the ultimatum, and on 2 March 1935, Prajadhipok abdicated, to be replaced by [[Ananda Mahidol]]. Prajadhipok issued a brief statement criticising the regime that included the following phrases, since often quoted by critics of Thailand's slow political development.

{{cquote|''I am willing to surrender the powers I formerly exercised to the people as a whole, but I am not willing to turn them over to any individual or any group to use in an autocratic manner without heeding the voice of the people.'' |cquote}}

According to Dutch-Australian anthropologist and historian Barend Jan Terwiel, the former king had good grounds for complaint.<ref name="Terwiel, B.J. 2005"/>

Reaction to the abdication was muted. Stowe wrote that the absolutism of the monarchy had been replaced by that of the People's Party, with the military looming in the wings as the ultimate arbiter of power.<ref name="Stowe, Judith A. 1990"/>

==Life after abdication and death==
[[File:Queen Rambhai Barni and King RamaVII's ashes.jpg|thumb|175px|Queen Rambhai Barni bringing Prajadhipok's ashes back to Thailand, 1949]]
Prajadhipok spent the rest of his life with Queen [[Rambhai Barni]] in England. At the time of abdication, the couple lived at Knowle House, in [[Surrey]], just outside London. However, this house was not suitable considering his health, so they moved to a smaller house in Virginia Water (still in Surrey), but with more space. The house was named "Hangmoor", but wishing to give it a more pleasant name, he called it "Glen Pammant", an anagram of an old Thai phrase ''tam pleng nam''.{{Citation needed|date=February 2019}} They remained there for two years. They moved again to Vane Court, the oldest house in the village of [[Biddenden]] in Kent.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Lawrie |first1=Sam |title=£5.5m country estate and former home of King of Siam for sale in Biddenden, near Ashford |url=https://www.kentonline.co.uk/maidstone/news/former-kent-home-of-the-king-of-siam-on-the-market-for-5-5m-290999/ |website=Kent Online |date=August 2023 |access-date=2 August 2023}}</ref> He led a peaceful life there, gardening in the morning and writing his autobiography in the afternoon.

In 1938 the royal couple moved to Compton House, in the village of [[Wentworth, Surrey|Wentworth]] in [[Virginia Water]], Surrey.

Due to [[Battle of Britain|bombing]] by the German [[Luftwaffe]] in 1940, the couple again moved, first to a small house in [[Devon]], and then to Lake Vyrnwy Hotel in [[Powys]], Wales, where the former king had a heart attack.

The couple returned to Compton House, as he expressed his preference to die there. King Prajadhipok died from heart failure on 30 May 1941.

His cremation was held at the [[Golders Green Crematorium]] in north London.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.silpa-mag.com/old-photos-tell-the-historical-story/article_12544|title = อัญเชิญพระบรมอัฐิร.7 จากลอนดอนกลับสยาม แรกบรรจุใน "หีบ" ก่อนใช้พระโกศให้สมพระเกียรติ|date = 31 May 2021}}</ref> It was a simple affair attended by just Queen Ramphai and a handful of close relatives. Queen Ramphaiphanni stayed at Compton House for a further eight years before she returned to Thailand in 1949, bringing the king's ashes back with her.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://lifestyle.campus-star.com/knowledge/88087.html|title=พระมหากษัตริย์ผู้ไม่มีงานออกพระเมรุ พระบาทสมเด็จพระปกเกล้าเจ้าอยู่หัว (ร.7)|date=30 October 2017}}</ref>

==Legacy==
Historian [[David K. Wyatt]] writes that Prajadhipok was "a hard-working, effective executor" who was "intellectually equal to the demands of his office", and whose main failing was to underestimate the Bangkok elite's growing nationalism, and that "[a]s late as his death in exile, many would have agreed with his judgement that a move towards democracy in 1932 was premature."<ref name="Wyatt, David K. 1982"/>{{Rp|page=242}} The idea that the 1932 revolution was premature is echoed in a common royalist sentiment that proliferated as the Thai monarchy regained status over ensuing decades. In this view, Prajadhipok is credited as the "father of Thai democracy",<ref name=":0">{{Cite journal |last=Ferrara |first=Federico |date=2012 |title=The legend of King Prajadhipok: Tall tales and stubborn facts on the seventh reign in Siam |url=https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S0022463411000646/type/journal_article |journal=Journal of Southeast Asian Studies |language=en |volume=43 |issue=1 |pages=4–31 |doi=10.1017/S0022463411000646 |s2cid=153723441 |issn=0022-4634|url-access=subscription }}</ref> who already intended to usher in democracy before the Khana Ratsadon prematurely carried out their revolution. Prajadhipok's abdication statement is often cited in support of this view.<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Baker |first1=Chris |url=https://archive.org/details/historyofthailan00bake |title=A History of Thailand |last2=Phongpaichit |first2=Pasuk |publisher=Cambridge University Press |year=2005 |location=New York |pages=232 |author-link=Chris Baker (writer) |author-link2=Pasuk Phongpaichit}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=อิ๋วสกุล |first=ธนาพล |date=2018-06-25 |title=The Third Emergence of the People's Party |url=https://www.the101.world/the-third-emergence-of-the-peoples-party/ |access-date=2022-08-30 |website=The 101 World |language=en-US}}</ref> Later historians have challenged it as a myth, citing evidence that Prajadhipok's political maneuvers leading up to his abdication had more to do with preserving the power and status of the declining monarchy than challenging the Khana Ratsadon's actual failures to uphold democratic ideals.<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite book |last=ก้องกีรติ |first=ประจักษ์ |title=และแล้วความเคลื่อนไหวก็ปรากฏ |publisher=ฟ้าเดียวกัน |year=2013 |isbn=978-616-7667-25-6 |pages=415–421 |language=th}}</ref>

==Tributes to Prajadhipok==
{{CSS image crop
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 |Location    = right
 |Description = In 1928, he donated funds to [[Eton College]] to create a new garden between College Field and the Provost's Garden. A commemorative plaque bearing the [[Emblem of Thailand|Siamese Garuda]] was installed on the garden wall to mark his contribution. He returned to the school in 1934 and inspected the completed "King of Siam's Garden."<ref>{{cite web |url=https://catalogue.etoncollege.com/object-fda-p-124-2010 |title=H.M. King Prajadhipok of Siam – Eton College Collections |website=Eton College Catalogue |access-date=14 November 2025}}</ref><ref>[https://www.alamy.com/plaque-marking-the-garden-of-prajadhipok-the-king-of-siam-at-eton-college-image415911225.html Plaque marking the garden of Prajadhipok, the King of Siam, at Eton College.]</ref>
}}
{{Infobox royal styles
|royal name = {{ubl|King Prajadhipok|Rama VII of Siam}}
|image = King's Standard of Thailand.svg
|image_size = 100px
|dipstyle = [[Majesty|His Majesty]]
|offstyle = Your Majesty
}}
{{multiple image
| align = right
| total_width = 227
| image1 = Royal Monogram of Prajadhipok (use for Siamese military colours).svg
| image2 = Royal Monogram of Prajadhipok.svg
| footer = Royal Monograms of King Prajadhipok
}}
<gallery>
File:Monument of King Rama VII at Sukhothai Thammathirat Open University 01.jpg|A Statue of the king in [[Sukhothai Thammathirat Open University]], Nonthaburi
File:Prajadhipok statue - Thai Parliament Museum - 2017-01-26 (008).jpg|King Rama VII statue at [[Parliament House of Thailand]]
</gallery>

===Infrastructure===
* [[Sukhothai Thammathirat Open University|Sukhothai Thammathirat University]]
* [[Phra Pok Klao Bridge]], Bangkok
* Prajadhipok Road, Bangkok
* [[Prapokklao Hospital]], Chanthaburi Province

===Military ranks===
* [[Field Marshal]], [[Admiral of the Fleet]]

===National honours===
* [[File:Order_of_the_Royal_House_of_Chakri_(Thailand)_ribbon.svg|80x80px]] [[Order of the Royal House of Chakri|The Most Illustrious Order of the Royal House of Chakri]]
* [[File:Order_of_the_Nine_Gems_(Thailand)_ribbon.svg|80x80px]] [[Order of the Nine Gems|The Ancient and Auspicious Order of the Nine Gems]]
* [[File:Order_of_Chula_Chom_Klao_-_Special_Class_(Thailand)_ribbon.svg|80x80px]] Knight Grand Cordon of the [[Order of Chula Chom Klao]]
* [[File:Ratana Varabhorn Order of Merit ribbon.svg|80x80px]] [[Ratana Varabhorn Order of Merit]]
* [[File:Order_of_Rama_1st_Class_ribbon.svg|80x80px]] Knight Grand Commander of the [[Order of Rama]]
* [[File:Order_of_the_White_Elephant_-_Special_Class_(Thailand)_ribbon.svg|80x80px]] Knight Grand Cordon of the [[Order of the White Elephant]]
* [[File:Order_of_the_Crown_of_Thailand_-_Special_Class_(Thailand)_ribbon.svg|80x80px]] Knight Grand Cordon of the [[Order of the Crown of Thailand]]
* [[File:Ribbon bar of Dushdi Mala - Civilian, Service to the Nation (Thailand).svg|80x80px]] [[Dushdi Mala]] Pin of Service to the Nation (Civilian)
* [[File:Chakra Mala Medal (Thailand) ribbon.svg|80x80px]] Chakra Mala Medal
* [[File:King Rama V Royal Cypher Medal (Thailand) ribbon.svg|80x80px]] [[Chulalongkorn|King Rama V]] Royal Cypher Medal, First Class
* [[File:King Rama VI Royal Cypher Medal (Thailand) ribbon.svg|80x80px]] [[Vajiravudh|King Rama VI]] Royal Cypher Medal, First Class
* [[File:King Rama VII Royal Cypher Medal (Thailand) ribbon.svg|80x80px]] King Rama VII Royal Cypher Medal, First Class
* [[File:Queen's Medal (Thailand) ribbon.svg|80x80px]] Rajini Medal

===Foreign honours===
* {{Flag|Japan}} :
** [[File:JPN Daikun'i kikkasho BAR.svg|80x80px]] Grand Cordon of the [[Order of the Chrysanthemum]]
* {{Flag|Denmark}} :
** [[File:Order of the Elephant Ribbon bar.svg|80x80px]] Knight of the [[Order of the Elephant]], ''8 February 1926''<ref>{{cite book|author=Jørgen Pedersen|title=Riddere af Elefantordenen, 1559–2009|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=glw-AQAAIAAJ|year=2009|publisher=Syddansk Universitetsforlag|language=da|isbn=978-87-7674-434-2|page=470}}</ref>
* {{Flag|Netherlands}} :
** [[File:Order of the Netherlands Lion ribbon - Knight Grand Cross.svg|80x80px]] Knight Grand Cross of the [[Order of the Netherlands Lion]]
* {{Flag|UK}} :
** [[File:Order of the Bath UK ribbon.svg|80x80px]] Knight Grand Cross of the [[Order of the Bath]] (GCB)
* {{Flag|Belgium}} :
** [[File:BEL - Order of Leopold - Grand Cordon bar.svg|80x80px]] Grand Cordon of the [[Order of Leopold (Belgium)|Order of Leopold]], ''1926''<ref>Mémorial du centenaire de l'Ordre de Léopold. 1832–1932. Bruxelles, J. Rozez, 1933.</ref>
* {{Flag|France}} :
** [[File:Legion Honneur GC ribbon.svg|80x80px]] Grand Cross of the [[Legion of Honour]]
* {{Flag|Kingdom of Italy}} :
** [[File:Order of the Most Holy Annunciation BAR.svg|80x80px]] Knight of the [[Supreme Order of the Most Holy Annunciation]]
* {{Flag|Sweden}} :
** [[File:Order of the Seraphim - Ribbon bar.svg|80x80px]] Knight of the [[Order of the Seraphim]]
* {{Flag|Monaco}} : 
** [[File:MCO Order of Saint-Charles - Grand Cross BAR.svg|80x80px]] Grand Cross of the [[Order of Saint-Charles]], ''1 March 1934''<ref>{{Cite web| title=Journal de Monaco | date=1934-03-01 | url=https://journaldemonaco.gouv.mc/var/jdm/storage/original/application/c87adfd3158c152aa679116218662f23.pdf | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220320031658/https://journaldemonaco.gouv.mc/var/jdm/storage/original/application/c87adfd3158c152aa679116218662f23.pdf | archive-date=2022-03-20}}</ref>
* {{Flag|Hungary}} :
** [[File:HUN Order of Merit of the Hungarian Rep (civil) 1class BAR.svg|80x80px]] Grand Cross of the [[Hungarian Order of Merit]]
* {{Flag|Czechoslovakia}} :
** [[File:CZE Rad Bileho Lva 3 tridy BAR.svg|80x80px]] [[Order of the White Lion]], First Class

===Honorary degrees===
* 1931: Doctor of Laws, [[George Washington University]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://provost.gwu.edu/honorary-degree-recipients|title=Honorary Degree Recipients|work=George Washington University|access-date=23 November 2024}}</ref>

==Ancestry==
{{ahnentafel
|collapsed=yes |align=center
| boxstyle_1 = background-color: #fcc;
| boxstyle_2 = background-color: #fb9;
| boxstyle_3 = background-color: #ffc;
| boxstyle_4 = background-color: #bfc;
| 1 = 1. '''King Prajadhipok, Rama VII of Siam'''
| 2 = 2. [[Chulalongkorn|King Chulalongkorn, Rama V of Siam]]
| 3 = 3. [[Saovabha Phongsri|Princess Saovabha Phongsri of Siam]]
| 4 = 4. (=6.) [[Mongkut|King Mongkut, Rama IV of Siam]]
| 5 = 5. [[Debsirindra|Princess Ramphoei Siriwong of Siam]]
| 6 = 6. (=4.) [[Mongkut|King Mongkut, Rama IV of Siam]]
| 7 = 7. [[Piyamavadi|Piam Sucharitakul]]
| 8 = 8. (=12.) [[Rama II|King Phutthaloetla Naphalai, Rama II of Rattanakosin]]
| 9 = 9. (=13.) [[Sri Suriyendra|Princess Bunrot of Rattanakosin]]
| 10 = 10. Prince Siriwongse, Prince Matyabidhak
| 11 = 11. Noi
| 12 = 12. (=8.) [[Rama II|King Phutthaloetla Naphalai, Rama II of Rattanakosin]]
| 13 = 13. (=9.) [[Sri Suriyendra|Princess Bunrot of Rattanakosin]]
| 14 = 14. Taeng Sucharitakul, Luang Asasamdaeng
| 15 = 15. Nak, Thao Sucharitthamrong
}}

==See also==
*[[King Prajadhipok Museum]]
*[[Siamese coup d'état of 1932]]
*[[History of Thailand (1932-1973)|History of Thailand (1932–1973)]]
*[[List of covers of Time magazine (1930s)]]

==Notes==
{{notelist}}

==References==
{{commons category|Prajadhipok}}
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://www.kpi.ac.th/ King Prajadhipok's Institute]
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XYZIyKG2r_8 Prajadhipok's coronation] at YouTube by the [[Thai Film Archive]]
* {{PM20|FID=pe/013790}}

{{s-start}}
{{s-hou|[[Chakri dynasty|House of Chakri]]|8 November|1893|30 May|1941|name=Prajadhipok (Rama VII)}}
{{s-reg}}
{{s-bef|before=[[Vajiravudh]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[Monarchy of Thailand|King of Siam]]|years=26 November 1925 – 2 March 1935}}
{{s-aft|after=[[Ananda Mahidol]]}}
{{s-end}}

{{Monarchs of Thailand}}
{{King Chulalongkorn's children who received Krom titles}}
{{Thai princes}}
{{Rattanakosin}}
{{History of Thailand (1932–1973)}}
{{Biddenden}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:1893 births]]
[[Category:1941 deaths]]
[[Category:Thai people of Mon descent]]
[[Category:Thai anti-communists]]
[[Category:19th-century Chakri dynasty]]
[[Category:20th-century Chakri dynasty]]
[[Category:20th-century Thai monarchs]]
[[Category:Rattanakosin Kingdom]]
[[Category:Monarchs who abdicated]]
[[Category:Exiled royalty]]
[[Category:People educated at Eton College]]
[[Category:People from Biddenden]]
[[Category:Graduates of the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich]]
[[Category:Sons of Chulalongkorn]]
[[Category:Thai male Chao Fa]]
[[Category:Grand Crosses of the Order of Saint-Charles]]