Wat Suthat

Wat Suthat Thep Wararam (Thai: วัดสุทัศนเทพวราราม, Thai pronunciation: [wát su.tʰát tʰêːp.wáʔraːraːm]) is a Buddhist temple in Bangkok, Thailand. It is a royal temple of the first grade, one of ten such temples in Bangkok (23 in Thailand). Construction was begun by King Rama I in 1807 (B.E. 2350). Further construction and decorations were carried out by King Rama II who helped carve the wooden doors, but the temple was not completed until the reign of King Rama III in 1847 (B.E.2390). This temple contains the Buddha image Phra Sri Sakyamuni (Thai: พระศรีศากยมุนี; rtgs: Phra Si Sakkayamuni) which have been moved from Sukhothai province. At the lower terrace of the base, there are 28 Chinese pagodas which mean the 28 Buddhas born on this earth. Wat Suthat also contains Phra Buddha Trilokachet (Thai: พระพุทธไตรโลกเชษฐ์; rtgs: Phra Phuttha Trai Lokkachet) in the Ubosot (Ordinary Hall) and Phra Buddha Setthamuni (Thai: พระพุทธเศรษฐมุนี; rtgs: Phra Phuttha Setthamuni) in the Sala Kan Parian (Meeting Hall)

Thai royal and noble titles

Thai royal and noble titles are the royal and noble styles signifying relationship to the King introduced by King Trailokanat, who reigned 1448 to 1488. The system is rooted in the Thai language equivalent of feudalism, Sakdina (ศักดินา: literally, power over fields). It is somewhat similar to that of peerage, but is complicated and usually not well understood even by most Thais. A particular title of honor may not be confined to just the beginning or the end of the name, but may be split across the name as will be demonstrated. Those who possessed titles ceased to be designated by personal names and were never spoken of except by the awarded or other similar titles. Another point about the titles is that the King has the power to bestow any title on anybody, regardless of the rule. However, such promotion is personal and the children of the person will not normally benefit from it (see, for example, Phra Worawong Ther Phra Ong Chao).

The King (Sovereign)

There are two styles which can be used for a king in ordinary speech, depending on whether or not he has been crowned:

Dharmachakra

The dharmachakra (IAST: dharmacakra; Pali dhammacakka; "Wheel of the Dharma"), is one of the Ashtamangala of Indian religions such as Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism. It has represented the Buddhist dharma, Gautama Buddha's teaching of the path to Nirvana, since the time of early Buddhism.

Etymology

The Sanskrit noun dharma is a derivation from the root dhṛ, which has a meaning of "to hold, maintain, keep", and takes a meaning of "what is established or firm", and hence "law". It is derived from the Vedic Sanskrit n-stem dharman- with the meaning "bearer, supporter" in the historical Vedic religion conceived of as an aspect of Ṛta.

The word chakra "wheel" derives from Proto-Indo-European *kʷekʷlos, and its cognates include Greek kyklos, Lithuanian kaklas, Tocharian B kokale, Slavic koleso and English "wheel," as well as "circle" and "cycle." *kʷekʷlos is derived from the root *kʷel-, a verb that meant "to turn.". Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, first Vice President of India has stated that the Ashoka Chakra of India represents the Dharmachakra.

Bangkok

Bangkok (English pronunciation: /ˈbæŋkɒk/) is the capital and most populous city of Thailand. It is known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon (กรุงเทพมหานคร, pronounced  [krūŋ tʰêːp mahǎː nákʰɔ̄ːn]) or simply  Krung Thep . The city occupies 1,568.7 square kilometres (605.7 sq mi) in the Chao Phraya River delta in Central Thailand, and has a population of over 8 million, or 12.6 percent of the country's population. Over 14 million people (22.2 percent) live within the surrounding Bangkok Metropolitan Region, making Bangkok an extreme primate city, dwarfing Thailand's other urban centres in terms of importance.

Bangkok traces its roots to a small trading post during the Ayutthaya Kingdom in the 15th century, which eventually grew in size and became the site of two capital cities: Thonburi in 1768 and Rattanakosin in 1782. Bangkok was at the heart of Siam's (as Thailand used to be known) modernization, during the later 19th century, as the country faced pressures from the West. The city was the centre of Thailand's political struggles, throughout the 20th century, as the country abolished absolute monarchy, adopted constitutional rule and underwent numerous coups and several uprisings. The city grew rapidly during the 1960s through the 1980s and now exerts a significant impact among Thailand's politics, economy, education, media and modern society.