Purachatra Jayakara

Purachatra Jayakara, Prince of Kamphaengphet (Thai: บุรฉัตรไชยากร; RTGS: Burachat Chaiyakon; 23 January 1881 – 14 September 1936) was a Prince of Siam and a member of the Siamese Royal Family (later Thailand). He founded the House of Chatrajaya (ราชสกุลฉัตรไชย), his descendants still use this royal surname. He was a son of King Chulalongkorn (Rama V the Great) of Siam. He was often called the Father of the Thai radio and the Father of the Thai railways, due to his contributions in both fields.

Purachatra Jayakara
บุรฉัตรไชยากร
Prince of Kamphaengphet
HRH Prince of Kamphaengphet
Commander of the Royal Siamese Railway
In office5 June 1917 –8 September 1928
PredecessorHenry Gittins
as the director-general
SuccessorSansoen Duriyang
Minister of Commerce and Transport
In office15 May 1926 –29 June 1932
PredecessorPrince of Chanthaburi (commerce)
Wongsanupraband (transport)
SuccessorWongsanupraband (transport)
Minister of Commerce
In office29 June –10 December 1932
Predecessorhimself as transport and commerce minister
SuccessorWongsanupraband
Born(1881-01-23)23 January 1881
Grand Palace, Bangkok, Siam
Died14 September 1936(1936-09-14) (aged 55)
Singapore, Straits Settlements
SpousePrincess Prabhavasidhi Narumala
Princess Ladakham na Chiangmai
and 5 consorts
Issuesee below
Names
Purachatra Jayakara
HouseChatrajaya family (Chakri Dynasty)
FatherChulalongkorn (Rama V)
MotherWat
SignaturePurachatra Jayakaraบุรฉัตรไชยากร's signature

Biography

Prince Purachatra Jayakara was born on 23 January 1881,[1] in the compound of the Grand Palace. He was the 35th son of Chulalongkorn and Consort Wad.[1] He began his education at Suankularb Wittayalai School, followed by attendance at Harrow School in 1894. The prince then attended the School of Engineering at Trinity College, Cambridge, and engineering at Chatham. He also studied in France and Netherlands in the School of engineering of digging dam-canals. After graduating, he went back to work in England. He became an officer of the Institution of Civil Engineers.

He returned to Thailand in 1904, working as a military engineer and officer of the Siamese Royal Army. He developed the Siamese Department of Engineering militaries using knowledge gained from his Western education. In 1933, he retired to Singapore with his family, residing there until his death on 14 September 1936, at the age of 55.[1]

Royal duties

Thai railways

In the reign of King Chulalongkorn. He gave the Siamese railway offices in control of the foreigners, for administration in the railways system around Thailand. Until his death in 1910, starting the new reign of King Vajiravudh (Rama VI), he requested his stepbrother, Prince Purachatra Jayakara to be the Head of the Northern railway department. Later in 1917, King Vajiravudh merged the railways of the Northern line and the Southern line into the Royal Railway department and had Prince Purachatra Jayakara as the first commander.[2] He developed and well-administrated the railway system. He expanded the rail lines around the northern and southern territory. Moreover, he created Northeastern Line, started from Nakhon Ratchasima Province to Ubon Ratchathani Province. And Eastern Line, started from Chachoengsao Province to Sa Kaeo Province which ended at Aranyaprathet District. He purchased 2 180 horsepower diesel locomotives from Swiss Locomotive and Machine Works to use for local train around Bangkok in 1928, as the first country in Asia to do so.[2][3]

Later, King Vajiravudh dissolved the road department and included into the Royal Railway Department. Prince Purachatra Jayakara was responsibility for creating all the roads and bridges around the country, such as the Kasatsuk Bridge, Ratchadaphisek Bridge in Lampang Province, Phra Buddha Yodfa Bridge and Rama VI Bridge, the first bridge to cross Chao Phraya River.[4]

In 1921, he served as the commander of the railway department. He brought the engine of searching crude oil, firstly in Fang District, Chiang Mai Province where the people there found many amounts of crude oil. He hired the American Geologist to work as surveying in geological system, for finding crude oil and coal around Thailand.

Transportation and Communications
Purachatra Jayakara, Prince of Kamphaengphet and Princess Prabhavasiddh Narumala, photographed in London 2 June 1920

He was the first to bring the communication system into the country. He set up a small radio for trial broadcasting and first broadcast in 1930.[5] He established the first radio broadcasting station called Phayathai radio station. He was the first person of Siam to establishing the communication broadcasting system in the country. Then he became the Ministry of Commerce and Transport. He considered about establishing the television broadcasting transmission, which would have made Siam the first country in Asia to experiment with television, and had contacted an American company to provide and install equipment; however, because of the Siamese Revolution of 1932, the project was cancelled. Furthermore, he created the telegraph offices around the country, for mailing services, parcel, and postal services. He created the communication services from Thailand to many foreign countries.

In the transportation systems, he interested about the flight operation systems. He demonstrated flying, later acknowledged as the first Thai people embarking. He then established the flight operation systems business aviation, including the international aviation, for commercial aviation international services.

On 1 April 1926, he became the Minister of Commerce and Transport, which were both included into the one ministry. After the Siamese Revolution, he usually did the royal duties and royal ceremonies represented his half-brother, King Prajadhipok (Rama VII), before his abdication.

Marriage and issue
Official visit of members of the Royal Family of Thailand to Brisbane, 1927.
Back row, standing, left to right: Lt. Col. Neil Campbell; Princess Mayurachatra, daughter of Prince Purachatra; private secretary to Prince Purachatra; Enid Campbell; Major Cecil Wolff.
Seated left to right: Governor Sir John Goodwin; Princess Purachatra; Prince Purachatra of Siam Kambaeng Bejra, Thailand, and Lady Goodwin

Prince Purachatra Jayakara, the Prince of Kamphaengphet had 7 consorts, and 12 children; 4 sons and 8 daughters.[1]

He firstly married on 16 November 1904 with his cousin, Princess Prabhavasidhi Narumala, daughter of the Prince Chakrabadibongse, King Chulalongkorn's younger brother.[1] The couple had 4 children; 1 son and 3 daughters;

He secondly married with the Chiang Mai's princess, Princess Ladakham of Chiang Mai had 2 daughters;

  • Princess Chatrasuda Chatrajaya (27 February 1920 – 21 May 1996), firstly married with Mom Chao Ravivanna Bairojana Rabhibhat, later relinquished the royal title and married secondly with Narong Wongthongsri, businessman.
  • Princess Bhadaralada Chatrajaya (21 March 1924 – 29 March 2008), married Mom Chao Biriyadis Diskul, had issue.

Mom Pian Chatrajaya na Ayudhya (née Surakup; 1 September 1899 – 14 July 1938), had 1 daughter;

  • Princess Kanchanachatra Chatrajaya (21 December 1921 – 20 July 1988), married Mom Chao Prasomsuksavasdi Suksavasdi, had issue

Mom Pued Chatrajaya na Ayudhaya (née Pheungrakwong; 12 June 1906 – 5 March 1984), had 1 son;

  • Prince Surachatra Chatrajaya (15 June 1929 – 27 August 1993), married firstly with Rajda Israsena na Ayudhya, and secondly with Mom Rajawongse Ruengrambai Jumbala, had issue.

Mom Buaphud Chatrajaya na Ayudhya (née Intrasut; born 5 April 1911), had 1 son and 1 daughter;

  • Princess Fuengchatra Chatrajaya (9 May 1932 – 8 July 2004), married Mom Rajawongse Bibadhanadis Diskul, had issue
  • Prince Bipulchatra Chatrajaya (12 September 1935 – 31 May 1956)

Mom Chamlong Chatrajaya na Ayudhya (née Chalanukroh; 8 September 1913 – 4 November 1968), had 1 daughter;

  • Princess Hiranyachatra Chatrajaya (20 October 1933 – 19 October 1998, relinquished the royal title and married Alfred Fitting, and secondly with Bevan Edwards, had issue.

Mom Euam Chatrajaya na Ayudhya (née Aruntat; 14 October 1910 – 16 February 1948), had 1 son;

  • Prince Dibyachatra Chatrajaya (born 6 October 1934), married Charusri Ratanawaraha, Mandhana Bunnag, and Orasri Leenawat, has issue

Royal decorations

His style was The Prince of Kamphaengphet, translated as Krom Muen Kamphaengphet Akarayothin (Thai: กรมหมื่นกำแพงเพชรอัครโยธิน) on 29 January 1904. Later elevated by King Prajadhipok from Krom Muen to Krom Phra, the second level of the Krom ranks.

Ancestry
Ancestors of Prince Purachatra Jayakara, Krom Phra Kamphaengphet Akarayothin
Prince Purachatra Jayakara, the Prince of Kamphaengphet Father:
Chulalongkorn, King Rama V of Siam		 Paternal Grandfather:
Mongkut, King Rama IV of Siam		 Paternal Great-grandfather:
Buddha Loetla Nabhalai, King Rama II of Siam
Paternal Great-grandmother:
Queen Sri Suriyendra
Paternal Grandmother:
Queen Debsirindra		 Paternal Great-grandfather:
Prince Sirivongse, the Prince Matayabidaksa
Paternal Great-grandmother:
Mom Noi Sirivongs na Ayudhya
Mother:
Wat		 Maternal Grandfather:
Lord Sathiarnraksa		 Maternal Great-grandfather:
unknown
Maternal Great-grandmother:
unknown
Maternal Grandmother:
Prik		 Maternal Great-grandfather:
Phraya Isranubhab
Maternal Great-grandmother:
Kham Kalyanamitra

References
  1. "เกียรติพระประวัติ" [Biography]. Train Relations Journal (in Thai). 5: 9. 2021. Retrieved 5 November 2021.
  2. "Railway of Thailand History". State Railway of Thailand. State Railway of Thailand. Retrieved 5 November 2021.
  3. "รถจักรดีเซลรุ่นแรกในประเทศไทยและรายแรกในทวีปเอเชีย" [First diesel locomotive in Thailand and Asia]. Train Relations Journal (in Thai). 5: 25. 2021. Retrieved 5 November 2021.
  4. "สะพานข้ามแม่น้ำเจ้าพระยาแห่งแรก เชื่อมต่อฝั่งธนบุรี-พระนคร" [The first bridge to cross the Chao Phraya River, connecting Thon Buri and Phra Nakhon side]. Train Relations Journal (in Thai). 5: 28. 2021. Retrieved 5 November 2021.
  5. "กิจการสถานีวิทยุกระจายเสียงแห่งแรกของไทย "สถานีวิทยุกรุงเทพฯ ที่พญาไท"" [Thailand's first radio broadcasting "Bangkok Radio Station at Phaya Thai"]. Train Relations Journal (in Thai). 5: 29. 2021. Retrieved 5 November 2021.
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