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Vajiravudh (January 1, 1881 – November 25, 1925) (Rama VI, reigning title Phra Mongkut Klao Chaoyuhua; Thai: พระบาทสมเด็จพระมงกุฎเกล้าเจ้าอยู่หัว) was King of Siam (now Thailand) from 1910 until his death. Vajiravudh is known for his efforts to create and promote Siamese nationalism. His reign was characterized by Siam's movement further towards democracy and minimal participation in World War I.

Education and accession

When Vajiravudh was only eleven years old, he was sent to study at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst. Later he studied history and law at Christ Church, Oxford. Vijiravudh also served briefly in the British Army, as a platoon commander with the Durham Light Infantry. As a result of his long stay in Britain, he was greatly influenced by English culture. When his brother Crown Prince Vajirunhis unexpectedly died at age 16, Vajiravudh was named crown prince. After his father's death, he became the sixth monarch of the Chakri Dynasty on October 23, 1910.

King of ThailandKing Vajiravudh reigned during the transition from an old-fashioned to a modernized Thailand. He continued the modernizations introduced by his father, whose achievements were difficult to follow. At the end of the reign of Rama VI, Siam suffered from many serious problems, some of which were setbacks resulting from modernization. Siam had spent much money on western technology, while receiving little from the export of its mainly agricultural products. The King considered political reform or democratization of the system of absolute monarchy, but ultimately decided the people were not ready for it. When King Vajiravudh, ascended to the throne, he was the only hope for the people of the serious famine and plague stricken country for years. In the late 1910s and early 1920s, the country on managing these economic and political problems. Vajiravudh, 'a liberal', always rejected sudden intervention of the government in economic problems such as the rise of rice price, proposed by new officials graduated from European countries. Apparentlythe King eventually became a very active critic of the ethnic Chinese rice traders and rice mill owners, seen as greedy businessmen who were exploiting poor people. Vajiravudh thus always compared these Chinese merchants with 'jews' in Germany. However, as serious disasters and troubles continued, he was discredited. Some of his followers were disappointed to see that the king could barely manage the tasks that were essential for the country.