Luang Wichitwathakan

Major-General Luang Wichitwathakan (also known as just Wichit Wichitwathakan) (Thai หลวงวิจิตรวาทการ, วิจิตร วิจิตรวาทการ; Chinese 金良) (August 11, 1898–March 31, 1962) was a Thai politician, historian, novelist and playwright.

He was the chief ideologue and creator of cultural campaigns during the pre-World War II military rule of Field Marshal Plaek Pibulsonggram, aimed at increasing the sense of nationalism of the Thais.

Luang Wichitwathakan was prominently engaged in politics and the modernization of Thailand and was in his time the most important figure in the establishment of Thai national identity.

He was the originator and prime mover responsible for changing the name of the country from Siam to Thailand.

Wichitwathakan was born Kim Liang (Chinese: 金良), the son of a merchant in Uthai Thani Province,. According to a cousin, Wichitwathakan's paternal grandfather was Chinese.

He received his primary education in a Buddhist temple school in Uthaithani and continued the Buddhist education at Wat Mahathat in Bangkok where he excelled in Buddhist studies, reaching a high stage of Prien and graduating first in the kingdom. At the age of 16 years, he received royal award from King Vajiravudh for academic excellence.

While still a monk in Wat Mahatat, Wichitwathakan wrote extensively in papers which he circulated among the monks. The papers were written in English, French, or German and were sometimes inflammatory regarding temple rules and regulations. This was finally stopped by the abbot, who prohibited the use of western languages.

At the age of 20, Wichitwathakan decided to leave the monkhood in favor of secular life and was admitted to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as a junior clerk. From this position in 1918, Wichitwathakan rose, through his own exceptional capability and diligence, to become Minister of Foreign Affairs in 1942.

In 1921, Wichitwathakan was posted to the Royal Siamese Legation (equivalent to present-day embassy) in Paris, France, as Third Secretary. During his five years in Europe, Wichitwathakan served as a member of the Siamese delegation that attended and participated in deliberations of the League of Nations in Geneva, Switzerland. He also studied Law and Political Sciences at the University of Paris. It was in Paris that he developed close friendships with the future revolutionaries, Pridi Phanomyong, also studying Law at Sorbonne, and Plaek Pibulsongkram, a military officer studying Artillery in France.

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