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Dharmaraja
in
Thai’s
Democracy
and
Plato’s
Philosopher
King
:
Similarity
and
Differences

Mr. Kritsada Kaewkliang*

Abstract

The concepts of Dharmaraja and Philosopher King emerged in

different social contexts, namely western society and eastern society.
Both concepts aim at explaining the desirable qualifications of rulers.
The concept of Dharmaraja is a mixture of elements from Brahman

and Buddhist cultures, emphasizing the major virtues, namely the
Duties of Rulers and the Tenfold Code of Rulers, which are stipulated

for the practice of rulers in order to achieve the state of Dharmaraja.
The concept of Philosopher King was created by a philosopher named
Plato who perceived that good rulers must have qualifications of

philosophers so that they could bring justice to the state. Comparison
of the two concepts shows both similarities and differences. Similarities

include consideration of public benefits; the need for good rapport
between rulers and their people; respectful position of rulers;
knowledge and capacity of rulers; and virtues of rulers. Differences

between the two concepts include the origin of the concepts;
individual characteristics of rulers; requirements concerning the practice

of rulers; and individual reference. However, in this article, both
concepts are applied to analyze the characteristics of the Thai King in
democracy. It is found that the Thai King in democracy possesses the

characteristics of both Dharmaraja and Philosopher King. Although the
King is under the Constitution, he is able to adjust his duties to be in

compliance with the Constitution. Besides, the Constitution also
considers the former context of Thai society in which the King is the
center. Therefore, the laws provide chances for the King to conduct

traditional royal duties for the benefit of the people, although the

* Graduate student in the Division of Social Research, Faculty of Sociology and
Anthropology, Thammasat University