Dusit Thani ( th, ดุสิตธานี) was a
miniature city
A miniature park is a display of miniature buildings and models, usually as a recreational and tourist attraction open to the public. A miniature park may contain a model of a single city or town, often called a miniature city or model village ...
and
micronation
A micronation is a political entity whose members claim that they belong to an independent nation or sovereign state, but which lacks legal recognition by world governments or major international organizations. Micronations are classified se ...
project created by King
Vajiravudh
Vajiravudh ( th, วชิราวุธ, , 1 January 188126 November 1925) was the sixth monarch of Siam under the Chakri dynasty as Rama VI. He ruled from 23 October 1910 until his death in 1925. King Vajiravudh is best known for his efforts ...
(Rama VI) of Siam (Thailand) in
Dusit Palace
Dusit Palace ( th, พระราชวังดุสิต, RTGS: ''Phra Ratcha Wang Dusit'') is a compound of royal residences in Bangkok, Thailand. Constructed over a large area north of Rattanakosin Island between 1897 and 1901 by King Chu ...
(later moved to Phaya Thai) in the 1910s–1920s. The project explored aspects of democracy, as members of the court were to be "citizens" owning property in the model city. Elections were held, a constitution written, and two newspapers regularly published for the fictional country. Although critics have dismissed the project as nothing more than the king playing with dollhouses, others regard it as the first trial of a constitutional government in Thailand.
Creation
In the nineteenth century,
miniature
A miniature is a small-scale reproduction, or a small version. It may refer to:
* Portrait miniature, a miniature portrait painting
* Miniature art, miniature painting, engraving and sculpture
* Miniature (chess), a masterful chess game or probl ...
objects became a
fad
A fad or trend is any form of collective behavior that develops within a culture, a generation or social group in which a group of people enthusiastically follow an impulse for a short period.
Fads are objects or behaviors that achieve short- ...
, especially in England where King Rama VI was educated. Dusit Thani was an example of the miniature object at that period. The intention of the city was to show equality of all citizens in a democratic society. Craftsmen were hired by noble families in Bangkok in order to reconstruct their houses in the miniature city. They had to register and buy land to become citizens in the city. They could freely express and participate in debating public affairs in the city. Two political groups were founded in Dusit Thani, the Blue Party and the Red Party. King Rama VI adopted the name "MR. Rama" to participate in the city.
The reign of
King Rama VI
Vajiravudh ( th, วชิราวุธ, , 1 January 188126 November 1925) was the sixth monarch of Siam under the Chakri dynasty as Rama VI. He ruled from 23 October 1910 until his death in 1925. King Vajiravudh is best known for his effort ...
is considered one of the golden ages of Thai literature. He was hoping to educate his citizens about
democracy
Democracy (From grc, δημοκρατία, dēmokratía, ''dēmos'' 'people' and ''kratos'' 'rule') is a form of government in which the people have the authority to deliberate and decide legislation (" direct democracy"), or to choose gov ...
and set up Dusit Thani, a democratic model city. It was difficult for Thais at that time to understand the king, who was Westernized, and his concept of democracy because it was unfamiliar and hard to comprehend.
Dusit Thani was a Thai miniature city that was designed as a model city, established by King Vajiravudh or King Rama VI of Thailand. It was reported that Dusit Park was originally sited as the location of the city, which later was moved to Phraya Thai at the end of 1919. "Dusit Thani" means 'town in heaven'. "Dusit" is the name of the fourth of the six levels of Buddhist heaven and "Thani" means 'town'.
King Rama VI was interested in democracy as he was the first Thai king to go to study abroad in England and to pursue the intention of his father (King Rama V) and grandfather (King Rama IV) of bringing modernization to the nation. The city was an experiment in democratic constitution which the king, himself, chose to initiate.
Construction
Dusit Park was a rice field before modernizing. The miniature model city was planned on one acre of the Dusit Park or the Royal Amporn Gardens near the present Congress building. Buildings inside Dusit Thani were scaled to one-fifteenth life size. Palaces, hotels, hospitals, a clock tower, 12-story buildings, a fire brigade, a bank, flying bridges, trade centers, canal locks, and newspapers, were represented in the city.
Later, Dusit Thani was relocated to
Phraya Thai where it was redeveloped.
Subsequent events
The project did not proceed beyond its model scale. The constitution would be used only in the miniature city but not nationwide. The constitution of Dusit Thani was written by King Rama VI and it was administered by the Blue and the Red political groups with representatives selected by elections. In 1925, the king died, which caused a halt to the miniature city project and the city was abandoned.
There were some attempts by Thai students, who were educated in Europe and had been interested in democracy and modernization, to carry on the ideal of democracy. Seven years after the king's death a revolution occurred. A new government, a
constitutional monarchy
A constitutional monarchy, parliamentary monarchy, or democratic monarchy is a form of monarchy in which the monarch exercises their authority in accordance with a constitution and is not alone in decision making. Constitutional monarchies dif ...
, replaced 700 years of absolute monarchy. However, Dusit Thani had a different path. The model city was poorly preserved after the king's death and had never been repaired. Only a few surviving buildings were moved to the gardens of the Monk's Hospital. They were either covered by dust or ended up in trash cans. No remains are left to be seen today except for a tiny bandstand.
References
{{Reflist
Rama VI period
Miniature parks
Micronations
Demolished buildings and structures in Bangkok