__NOTOC__ The Most Exalted Order of the White Elephant ( th, เครื่องราชอิสริยาภรณ์อันเป็นที่เชิดชูยิ่งช้างเผือก; ) is an order of

Thailand Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is bo ...

. It was established in 1861 by King

Rama IV Mongkut ( th, มงกุฏ; 18 October 18041 October 1868) was the fourth monarch of Siam (Thailand) under the House of Chakri, titled Rama IV. He ruled from 1851 to 1868. His full title in Thai was ''Phra Bat Somdet Phra Menthora Ramathibo ...

of the

Kingdom of Siam Kingdom of Siam may refer to: * Sukhothai Kingdom (1238–1351) * Ayutthaya Kingdom (1351–1767) * Thonburi Kingdom (1768–1782) * Rattanakosin Kingdom (1782–1932) * Thailand Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and official ...

. Along with the

Order of the Crown of Thailand The Most Noble Order of the Crown of Thailand ( th, เครื่องราชอิสริยาภรณ์อันมีเกียรติยศยิ่งมงกุฎไทย; ) is a Thai order, established in 1869 by King Rama ...

, it is regularly awarded to any government official for services rendered to Thailand for five years, making it Thailand's most-commonly awarded order.

Classes

The order consists of eight classes:

Gallery

Old designs

File:Woodcraving of the Order of the White Elephant,1st Class (Maha Varabhorn), Wat Ratchabophit.jpg, A woodcarving of "Maha Varabhorn", the Knight Grand Cross (First Class) of the Order of the White Elephant, version that used from 1869 to 1909, at gates of Phra Vihara of Wat Ratchabophit Sathit Maha Simaram, Bangkok. File:Mother-of-pearl inlay of the Order of the White Elephant,1st Class (Maha Varabhorn), Wat Ratchabophit.jpg, Knight Grand Cross (1st Class) of Order of the White Elephant, design before 1909 (mother of pearl gates of Phra Uposatha of Wat Ratchabophit Sathit Maha Simaram, Bangkok.) File:TH Knight's badge of the Order of the White Elephant.jpg, Badge of the Companion (4th Class) of Order of the White Elephant, design before 1909

Current designs

File:Order of the White Elephant - Special Class (Knight Grand Cordon) - badge.jpg, Badge of the Knight Grand Cordon (Special Class) of Order of the White Elephant File:Knight Grand Cross (First Class) of the Order of the White Elephant.jpg, Knight Grand Cross (1st Class) of Order of the White Elephant File:Order of the White Elephant - 1st Class (Knight Grand Cross) - badge (1).jpg, Badge of the Knight Grand Cross (1st Class) of Order of the White Elephant File:Order of the White Elephant - 1st Class (Knight Grand Cross) - star.jpg, Star of the Knight Grand Cross (1st Class) and the Kinght Commander (2nd Class) of Order of the White Elephant File:Knight Commander of the Most Exalted Order of the White Elephant.jpg, Knight Commander (2nd Class) of Order of the White Elephant File:Order of the White Elephant - 3rd Class (Commander) - badge.jpg, Badge of the Knight Commander (2nd Class) and the Cammander (3rd Class) of Order of the White Elephant File:Order of the White Elephant - 5th Class (Member) - male.jpg, Badge of the Member (5th Class) of Order of the White Elephant File:Order of the White Elephant - 5th Class (Member) - female.jpg, Badge of the Member (5th Class) of Order of the White Elephant, female version File:Order of the White Elephant - 6th Class (Gold Medal) - female.jpg, Gold Medal (6th Class) of Order of the White Elephant, female version File:Order of the White Elephant - 7th Class (Silver Medal) - male.jpg, Silver Medal (7th Class) of Order of the White Elephant

Selected recipients

* Emperor

Napoleon III Napoleon III (Charles Louis Napoléon Bonaparte; 20 April 18089 January 1873) was the first President of France (as Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte) from 1848 to 1852 and the last monarch of France as Emperor of the French from 1852 to 1870. A nephew ...

- Knight Grand Cross (1851, Custom Design) * Be Biauw Tjoan, Majoor-titulair der Chinezen – Knight (1895) *

Plaek Phibunsongkhram Field Marshal Plaek Phibunsongkhram ( th, แปลก พิบูลสงคราม ; alternatively transcribed as ''Pibulsongkram'' or ''Pibulsonggram''; 14 July 1897 – 11 June 1964), locally known as Marshal P. ( th, จอมพล � ...

- Knight Grand Cordon *

Sultan Ibrahim of Johor Sultan Sir Ibrahim Al-Masyhur Ibni Almarhum Sultan Abu Bakar Al-Khalil Ibrahim Shah (17 September 1873 – 8 May 1959) was a Malaysian sultan and the 22nd Sultan of Johor and the 2nd Sultan of modern Johor. He was considered to be "fabulously ...

- Knight Grand Cordon * Sultan Abdul Hamid Halim Shah of Kedah - Knight Grand Cordon *

Chavalit Yongchaiyudh Chavalit Yongchaiyudh ( th, ชวลิต ยงใจยุทธ, , ; born 15 May 1932), also known as "Big Jiew" (, , ), is a Thai politician and retired army officer. From 1986 to 1990 he was the Commander-in-chief of the Royal Thai Army ...

- Knight Grand Cordon *

Sarit Thanarat Field Marshal Sarit Thanarat (also spelt ''Dhanarajata''; th, สฤษดิ์ ธนะรัชต์, ; 16 June 1908 – 8 December 1963) was a Thai general who staged a coup in 1957, replacing Plaek Phibunsongkhram as Thailand's prime m ...

- Knight Grand Cordon *

Thanom Kittikachorn Field Marshal Thanom Kittikachorn ( th, ถนอม กิตติขจร, ; 11 August 1911 – 16 June 2004) was the leader of Thailand from 1963 to 1973, during which he staged a self-coup, until public protests which exploded into viole ...

- Knight Grand Cordon *

Praphas Charusathien Praphas Charusathien ( th, ประภาส จารุเสถียร, , ; 25 November 1912 – 18 August 1997) was a Thai military officer and politician. He was a field marshal (''chom phon'') of the Royal Thai Army and minister of inter ...

- Knight Grand Cordon *

Phin Choonhavan Field Marshal Phin Choonhavan ( th, ผิน ชุณหะวัณ; ; August 14, 1891 – 26 January 1973) was a Thai military leader and Deputy Prime Minister of Thailand. Phin was a leader of several coups against the government, most nota ...

- Knight Grand Cordon *

Prem Tinsulanonda Prem Tinsulanonda ( th, เปรม ติณสูลานนท์, , ; 26 August 1920 – 26 May 2019) was a Thai military officer, politician, and statesman who served as the Prime Minister of Thailand from 3 March 1980 to 4 August 1988, ...

- Knight Grand Cordon *

Chatichai Choonhavan Chatichai Choonhavan ( th, ชาติชาย ชุณหะวัณ, , ; 5 April 1920 – 6 May 1998) was a Thai army officer, diplomat and politician. From 1986 to 1991, he was the chairman of the Thai Nation Party and served as the Prim ...

- Knight Grand Cordon *

Prayut Chan-o-cha Prayut Chan-o-cha (sometimes spelled Prayuth Chan-ocha; th, ประยุทธ์ จันทร์โอชา, ; born 21 March 1954) is a Thai politician and retired Royal Thai Army, army officer who has served as the Prime Minister of T ...

- Knight Grand Cordon *

Surayud Chulanont Surayud Chulanont ( th, สุรยุทธ์ จุลานนท์, , ; born 28 August 1943) is a Thai politician. He was the Prime Minister of Thailand and head of Thailand's interim government between 2006 and 2008. He is a former supr ...

- Knight Grand Cordon *

Arthit Kamlang-ek Arthit Kamlang-ek (31 August 1925 – 19 January 2015; th, อาทิตย์ กำลังเอก, ) was a Thai general. He was the Commander-in-Chief of the Royal Thai Army from 1982 to 1986 and parallel the Supreme Commander of the R ...

- Knight Grand Cordon *

Fuen Ronnaphagrad Ritthakhanee Marshal of the Royal Thai Air Force Fuen Ronnaphagrad Ritthakhanee ( th, ฟื้น รณนภากาศ ฤทธาคนี) (21 February 1900 – 8 July 1987) was a Royal Thai Air Force officer who served as the Commander of the Roya ...

- Knight Grand Cordon * Phao Siyanon - Knight Grand Cordon * Chakthip Chaijinda - Knight Grand Cordon * Somyot Poompanmoung - Knight Grand Cordon *

Thanasak Patimaprakorn Thanasak Patimaprakorn ( th, ธนะศักดิ์ ปฏิมาประกร; born 9 November 1953) is a Thai military officer who formerly served as its deputy prime minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs. He was appointed by prim ...

- Knight Grand Cordon *

Pongsapat Pongcharoen Pongsapat Pongcharoen ( th, พงศพัศ พงษ์เจริญ) was the Deputy Commissioner-General of the Royal Thai Police and 2013 Bangkok gubernatorial candidate for Pheu Thai Party. Early life Pongsapat's former name was 'Pair ...

- Knight Grand Cordon *

Apirat Kongsompong Apirat Kongsompong ( th, อภิรัชต์ คงสมพงษ์; ; born 23 March 1960) was the Commander in Chief of the Royal Thai Army from 1 October 2018 to 30 September 2020. He currently serves as the Vice-Chamberlain of the Roya ...

- Knight Grand Cross * Pornpipat Benyasri - Knight Grand Cordon * Chatchai Sriworakan - Knight Grand Cordon *

Chalermpol Srisawat Chalermpol Srisawat ( th, เฉลิมพล ศรีสวัสดิ์) is a Thai military general. he serves as Chief of Defence Forces of the Royal Thai Armed Forces. Education and careers Chalermpol study in primary and secondary ...

- Knight Grand Cross *

Udomdej Sitabutr Udomdej Sitabutr ( th, อุดมเดช สีตบุตร, born 15 August 1955) is a Thai military officer. He served as Commander-in-Chief of the Royal Thai Army from 2014 to 2015. Education Udomdej studied at Saint Gabriel's Colleg ...

- Knight Grand Cordon * Luechai Rutdit - Knight Grand Cordon * Naris Pratumsuwan - Knight Grand Cordon * Airbull Suttiwan - Knight Grand Cross * Manat Wongwat - Knight Grand Cross * Prince

Paribatra Sukhumbandhu Marshal-Admiral Paribatra Sukhumbandhu, Prince of Nakhon Sawan (; Thai: สมเด็จพระเจ้าบรมวงศ์เธอ เจ้าฟ้าบริพัตรสุขุมพันธุ์ กรมพระนค� ...