The Bureau of the Royal Household (BRH) ( th, สำนักพระราชวัง) is an agency of the

monarchy of Thailand The monarchy of Thailand (whose monarch is referred to as the king of Thailand; th, พระมหากษัตริย์ไทย, or historically, king of Siam; th, พระมหากษัตริย์สยาม) refers to the c ...

. In addition to a range of administrative and ceremonial responsibilities, the bureau also serves as a conduit for royal philanthropy. The 2019 budget for the Bureau of the Royal Household was 6,800 million

baht The baht (; th, บาท, ; sign: ฿; code: THB) is the official currency of Thailand. It is divided into 100 ''satang'' (, ). The issuance of currency is the responsibility of the Bank of Thailand. SWIFT ranked the Thai baht as the 10th-m ...

, up from 6,391.4 million baht in FY2018.

History

The history of the king's household pre-dates modern Thailand, links with the past are preserved. For example, the importance of "institutional memory" led to the appointment in the 1980s of a nonagenarian Khun Sawet Thunapradit as "Special Consultant to the Royal Household". From 2017, The Office of His Majesty's Principal Private Secretary falls under the direct supervision of Bureau of the Royal Household. The agency's headquarters, headed by the Lord Chamberlain, is at Suan Amphon near

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 Ch ...

in Bangkok.

Palaces

The bureau is responsible for promoting and maintaining three different royal palaces: *

Grand Palace The Grand Palace ( th, พระบรมมหาราชวัง, Royal Institute of Thailand. (2011). ''How to read and how to write.'' (20th Edition). Bangkok: Royal Institute of Thailand. .) is a complex of buildings at the heart of Ba ...

* Bang Pa-In Palace

Public relations

Some of the public relations of the monarchy are handled by officials of this bureau. For example, during a period in which the king was quite ill, the bureau's official announcements provided information about the monarch's condition. The BRH, through its Royal Ceremonial Division, is also responsible for organizing events related to the Royal Family of Thailand.

Finances

In 1932, assets of the royal family and household were seized. Much of it was restored after 1947. The monarchy's household and finances are managed by the Bureau of the Royal Household and the

Crown Property Bureau The Crown Property Bureau (CPB) ( th, สำนักงานทรัพย์สินพระมหากษัตริย์; ) is legally the administrative agency responsible for managing the property of the King of Thailand. It has no ...

, respectively. They are quasi-government agencies of the Royal Thai Government with nominal cabinet representation on their respective governing boards but with the majority of personnel, in practice, being appointed by the palace.

References

External links