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10 KPI Congress 15 th

order to care for the interest of the majority of his subjects. This is consistent with the
idea of creating peace and good governance. While still in power, King Rama VII began

to promote democracy by laying the foundation for drafting municipal law and by writing
two draft constitutions in preparation for political transition. He established a personnel
management system with virtue (merit system) for the civil service and modernized the

covil service system, and set up the Office of the Public Civil Service Commission. This
was to prevent executives from exercising their power with bias.

Furthermore, the King also supported civic education by sending a letter to the
Ministry of Justice, ordering it to ensure the educational preparedness of the public.

He supported local democracy by encouraging the holding of local elections before a
national election. He supported the equality of men and women, and drafted a family

law to foster monogamy. He promoted people’s well-being by means of several laws. For
example the Act on Trade Control so as not to Affect the Security and Well-Being of
the Public, B.E. 2471 (1928) was meant to protect the welfare of the people; the law

covered trade and finance, as well as infrastructure such as water supply, irrigation,
power, rail, aviation, and insurance. We can conclude that King Prajadhipok’s royal

conduct reflected great Dharmarãjã and served to bring happiness to the people. This
became a starting point for kings in democratic regimes.

In honor of the 120th anniversary of His Majesty King Prajadhipok’s birthday, on
8 November 2013, King Prajadhipok’s Institute will host the fifteenth annual

King Prajadhipok’s Institute Congress 2013 on the topic of “Dharmarãjã” to honor and
celebrate King Rama VII as the “Dharmarãjã” of the transition from “absolute
Dharmarãjã” to “constitutional monarchy” peacefully, without the shedding of blood. This

congress will analyze and compare the concept of Dharmarãjã in the Eastern context
with comparable Western ideas. It will also allow the exchange of ideas about applying

the Dharmarãjã concept as the guiding principle for rulers. This will include considering
King Rama VII’s initiatives, intentions, and royal conduct to see what lessons they hold
for leaders today regarding the promotion of democracy and peace for the people.

2.
Objectives

1. To serve as a public forum for presenting academic work on issues related
to the Dharmarãjã concept, merit principles for leaders, and governance in all
sectors.

2. To exchange learning and experiences of relevant issues among qualified
experts from Thailand and abroad.