The Royal Ceremonies of the Twelve Months ( th, พระราชพิธีสิบสองเดือน, , also known by Pali/Sanskrit loanwords as ''phraratchaphithi thawathotsamat'', ) is a historical description of the annual royal ceremonies undertaken throughout the year by the monarchy of Siam (now Thailand). They are described in the Palace Law of the

Ayutthaya Kingdom The Ayutthaya Kingdom (; th, อยุธยา, , IAST: or , ) was a Siamese kingdom that existed in Southeast Asia from 1351 to 1767, centered around the city of Ayutthaya, in Siam, or present-day Thailand. The Ayutthaya Kingdom is conside ...

(14th–18th centuries), and mentioned in the 15th-century ''

Thawathotsamat ''Thawathotsamat'' ( th, ทวาทศมาส, ; ) is a poem of 1,042 lines in Thai, probably composed in the late fifteenth century CE. The title is a Thai adaptation of the Pali- Sanskrit words ''dvā dasa māsa'', two ten months. The male ...

'' epic poem. The ceremonies received renewed interest from the monarchy and aristocracy during the middle Rattanakosin period. During the reign of King

Mongkut 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 Ramathibod ...

(Rama IV, 1851–1868), Prince wrote an epic poem about the ceremonies, titled ''Khlong Phraratchaphithi Thawathotsamat'' (), which was first published in book form in 1920. Mongkut's successor King

Chulalongkorn Chulalongkorn ( th, จุฬาลงกรณ์, 20 September 1853 – 23 October 1910) was the fifth monarch of Siam under the House of Chakri, titled Rama V. He was known to the Siamese of his time as ''Phra Phuttha Chao Luang'' (พร� ...

(Rama V, r. 1868–1910) wrote and published, in prose, a treatise on the ceremonies titled ''Phraratchaphithi Sip Song Duean'' in 1888. The kings, as well as Chulalongkorn's successor King Vajiravudh (Rama VI, 1910–1925) modified and updated many of the ceremonies. The practices ceased following the abolition of absolute monarchy in 1932, but some ceremonies were revived during the reign of King Bhumibol Adulyadej, especially with the re-popularisation of the monarchy during the 1960s–1970s. The Royal Ploughing Ceremony is one of the few royal ceremonies that are still held annually today.

References

External links

Text of ''Phraratchaphithi Sip Song Duean'', from the Vajirayana Digital Library

1956 edition of ''Khlong Phraratchaphithi Thawathotsamat'', from the Internet Archive
{{in lang, th Thai monarchy Ceremonies in Thailand State ritual and ceremonies Cultural history of Thailand