About Thawi Thaphisek Medal
Compiled from partner sources; under review and editing by our team.
Translated from Thai by AI and not yet reviewed by our team. Names and royal titles may need correction.
History
The Thawi Thaphisek Medal is a royal decoration medal, abbreviated "Tho. So." (ท.ศ.). King Chulalongkorn (Rama V) graciously commanded its creation in 1903 (B.E. 2446), to be conferred upon both the Front (court officials) and the Inner Court (women of the palace), as a commemoration of the occasion on which His Majesty had reigned, continuing the royal lineage, into the 36th year of his reign, amounting to 12,244 days as of 3 October R.S. 122 (1903). This was longer than the reign of any earlier monarch of the Chakri Dynasty, and exactly twice the number of days of the reign of King Mongkut (Rama IV).
The medal shown in the photograph is of silver-gilt. When first conferred, it came with a ribbon. It is a medal of two joined oval shapes.
It bears a mark struck on the side, which is believed to indicate production at the Paris Mint.
Description: a medal of two joined ovals, with a link for threading the ribbon.
Obverse: shows shields. The front shield bears the emblem of the Chulamongkut (the Chula Crown, a small crown) on a two-tiered stand; the rear shield bears the Mahamongkut (Great Crown) on a stand of the same kind. It is encircled by the Great Chain of the Order of the Nine Gems (Noppharat Ratchawaraphon), with a laurel wreath (Chaiyaphruek leaves) around the outside. A sword (phra khan) and a staff (thanphra kon) are crossed behind. A Phra Unahit (frame, crown) is above both faces. The shape is a rounded oval.
Reverse: in the center of the shield is a three-headed elephant, flanked on both sides by sprays of PhutthaMrak (canna) flowers, with a Phra Unahit above, within which is an Unalom. Above the shield, an inscription runs around: "ที่ระลึกรัชกาลที่ ๕ เสมอ ๒ เท่า รัชกาลที่ ๔ รัตนโกสินทรศก ๑๒๒" (Commemorating the Fifth Reign, equal to twice the Fourth Reign, Rattanakosin Era 122). It is identical on both faces.
