The Origins of the Thai National Anthem

May 31, 2005

In May 2005 there was a storm of criticism in Thailand over the move to come up with six new arrangements of the country's national anthem. This controversy faded away, since Culture Minister Uraiwan Thienthong insisted on sticking with the official new version adopted in 2004. However, debate on the propriety of the campaign and questionable motives behind it continued to rage.

Former defence minister General Samphan Boonyanant said the idea to improve the national anthem was first mentioned in June 2002 by Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who wanted the Defence Ministry to help instil a sense of patriotism among the people. However, the patriotic campaign did not become an issue until GMM Grammy, an entertainment giant that has enjoyed good relations with the government, was asked to create the new arrangements free of charge.

Many wondered exactly what the defence minister was trying to do in attempting to tamper with the national anthem. What did he think of the current national anthem? Did he seriously believe people had to sing it to demonstrate their love of country? Did he believe today’s Thais could not appreciate the anthem because of an outdated musical style? Did he believe that several versions created by those in the entertainment industry could attract a wider audience and inspire citizens to a more robust patriotism?

It is interesting to note that many Thais strongly criticised GMM Grammy for failing to come up with an improvement over the existing version. However, most neglected to question the defence minister’s hidden motives and had not delved into the core issue. Few Thais know the origins of the national anthem and so fail to understand its true significance and meaning. Many consider the anthem sacred, inspired by the gods. To the the intensely superstitious Thais, any criticism of it or move to alter it would wreak supernatural havoc.

The national anthem was created following the June 1932 coup that introduced the current system of constitutional monarchy. There was no national anthem during the Sukhothai and Ayutthaya periods, nor even in the early days of the Rattanakosin dynasty. The concept of a Thai, or Siamese, national anthem dates to 1871, during a visit by King Chulalongkorn (Rama V) to Singapore, at the time a British colony, and the British anthem God Save the Queen was played as part of the welcoming ceremony. He believed that somehow Europeans were superior and that his Kingdom should emulate their characteristics and therefore have its own anthem.

Immediately upon returning to Bangkok, King Chulalongkorn assigned a group of court musicians to compose a Thai national anthem and Bulan Loy Luen (Moving Floating Moon), composed and written by King Rama II, was selected, with a new arrangement by a Western musician named Heutsen. This became our second national anthem, after the unpopular Jom Raj Jong Charoen (Long Live the King), written by Phraya Sri Sunthornvoharn, which was derived from a British anthem introduced to the Thai royal court during the reign of King Mongkut by two British army officers assigned to train a military band.

Bulan Loy Luen was dropped in 1888, when Russian musician Pyotr Schurovsky composed music for lyrics written by Prince Naris. This third national anthem is known today as the Royal Anthem, or Sansoen Phra Barami (A Salute to the Monarch), and was played as the national anthem from 1888 until the 1932 coup.

Having brought an end to absolute monarchy, the coup plotters, known as the Promoters, decided the Siamese should have a new national anthem.

Chat Mahachai - adapted from Mahachai, a traditional song from the Ayutthaya period sung during Buddhist ceremonies - became the fourth national anthem in 1932. Its lyrics, written by Chaophraya Dhammasakmontri, inspired citizens to national unity during the political transition. However, this fourth anthem was short-lived. The promoters were of the opinion that only a famed musician like Phra Jenduriyang could write a new and appropriate national anthem. Phra Jen was told that the royal anthem was for the King and that ordinary folk needed a new national anthem, something similar in spirit to France’s rousing La Marseillaise.

Wichitmatra, or Sangha Kamchanakpan, wrote the lyrics for the fifth anthem, broadcast on the radio for the first time in July 1932. Rewritten in 1934 by Chan Kamwilai, the resulting sixth anthem was played from 1934 to 1939.

In 1939, when the country’s name was changed from Siam to Thailand, Field Marshal Plaek Phibunsongkhram’s government held a competition for new lyrics. Luang Saranuprapan won a 1,000 baht prize for writing the words still used today. Thailand's seventh anthem, which debuted on December 10, 1939, urges Thais to believe in and uphold “the unity of a pure Thai race”, “the nation of a pure Thai race” and “sacrifice to the nation in battle with foreign invaders”. However, it makes no mention of any aspiration to build a prosperous country by the nation’s different ethnicities. By modern Thai standards, such an ethnocentric emphasis is a bit outdated in a world that celebrates multiculturalism. Significantly, it fails to mention the role of the monarchy, and some have questioned whether that is appropriate for a constitutional monarchy like Thailand.

If Thailand's national anthem does get changed, GMM Grammy should not be the one entrusted with such an important responsibility, which is quite beyond its capabilities, intellectually and politically. That responsibility rests with the government as well as with each and every Thai citizen.