Order of the White Elephant

Thai award
The Most Exalted Order of the White Elephant
เครื่องราชอิสริยาภรณ์อันเป็นที่เชิดชูยิ่งช้างเผือก
Knight Grand Cordon (Special Class) of the Most Exalted Order of the White Elephant
Awarded by

the King of Thailand
TypeMilitary and Civilian Order
Established1861
EligibilityRoyal officials
Awarded forFive years of public service
StatusCurrently constituted
FounderKing Mongkut
SovereignKing Vajiralongkorn
GradesKnight Grand Cordon
Knight Grand Cross
Knight Commander
Commander
Companion
Member
Gold Medal
Silver Medal
Former grades4 until 1902, 6 until 1909
Statistics
First induction1861
Last induction23 March 2023
Precedence
Next (higher)Order of Rama
Next (lower)Order of the Crown of Thailand

Ribbon bar of the Order of the Knight Grand Cordon

The Most Exalted Order of the White Elephant (Thai: เครื่องราชอิสริยาภรณ์อันเป็นที่เชิดชูยิ่งช้างเผือก; RTGS: Khrueang Ratcha-itsariyaphon An Pen Thi Choetchu Ying Chang Phueak) is an order of Thailand. It was established in 1861 by King Rama IV of the Kingdom of Siam. Along with the Order of the Crown of Thailand, it is regularly awarded to any government official for services rendered to Thailand for five years, making it Thailand's most-commonly awarded order.[clarification needed][1] the order features the three-headed Airavata, the mount of Sakra, or a white elephant.

Classes

The order consists of eight classes:

Ribbon Class Name Former Name[2] Postnominals Established Date Order of precedence[3]
Knight Grand Cordon
(Special Class)		 มหาปรมาภรณ์ช้างเผือก
(Maha Paramabhorn Chang Phueak)		 - MPCh (GCE) 16 November 1909 8
Knight Grand Cross
(First Class)		 ประถมาภรณ์ช้างเผือก
(Prathamabhorn Chang Phueak)		 มหาวราภรณ์
Maha Varabhorn		 PCh (KCE) 1869 10
Knight Commander
(Second Class)		 ทวีติยาภรณ์ช้างเผือก
(Dvitiyabhorn Chang Phueak)		 จุลวราภรณ์
Chula Varabhorn		 DCh (KCE) 1869 15
Commander
(Third Class)		 ตริตาภรณ์ช้างเผือก
(Tritabhorn Chang Phueak)		 นิภาภรณ์
Nibhabhorn		 TCh (CE) 1869 23
Companion
(Fourth Class)		 จัตุรถาภรณ์ช้างเผือก
(Chattruthabhorn Chang Phueak)		 ภูษนาภรณ์
Bhusanabhorn		 ChCh (OE) 1869 28
Member
(Fifth Class)		 เบญจมาภรณ์ช้างเผือก
(ฺBenchamabhorn Chang Phueak)		 ทิพยาภรณ์
Dibyabhorn		 BCh (ME) 1873 33
Gold Medal
(Sixth Class)		 เหรียญทองช้างเผือก
(Rian Thong Chang Phueak)		 - RThCh (G.M.E.) 20 July 1902 52
Silver Medal
(Seventh Class)		 เหรียญเงินช้างเผือก
(Rian Ngoen Chang Phueak)		 - RNgCh (S.M.E.) 20 July 1902 55

Gallery

Old designs

  • A woodcarving of "Maha Varabhorn", the Knight Grand Cross (First Class) of the Order of the White Elephant, version that used from 1869 to 1909, at gates of Phra Vihara of Wat Ratchabophit Sathit Maha Simaram, Bangkok.
    A woodcarving of "Maha Varabhorn", the Knight Grand Cross (First Class) of the Order of the White Elephant, version that used from 1869 to 1909, at gates of Phra Vihara of Wat Ratchabophit Sathit Maha Simaram, Bangkok.
  • Knight Grand Cross (1st Class) of Order of the White Elephant, design before 1909 (mother of pearl gates of Phra Uposatha of Wat Ratchabophit Sathit Maha Simaram, Bangkok.)
    Knight Grand Cross (1st Class) of Order of the White Elephant, design before 1909 (mother of pearl gates of Phra Uposatha of Wat Ratchabophit Sathit Maha Simaram, Bangkok.)
  • Badge of the Companion (4th Class) of Order of the White Elephant, design before 1909
    Badge of the Companion (4th Class) of Order of the White Elephant, design before 1909

Current designs

  • Badge of the Knight Grand Cordon (Special Class) of Order of the White Elephant
    Badge of the Knight Grand Cordon (Special Class) of Order of the White Elephant
  • Knight Grand Cross (1st Class) of Order of the White Elephant
    Knight Grand Cross (1st Class) of Order of the White Elephant
  • Badge of the Knight Grand Cross (1st Class) of Order of the White Elephant
    Badge of the Knight Grand Cross (1st Class) of Order of the White Elephant
  • Star of the Knight Grand Cross (1st Class) and the Knight Commander (2nd Class) of Order of the White Elephant
    Star of the Knight Grand Cross (1st Class) and the Knight Commander (2nd Class) of Order of the White Elephant
  • Knight Commander (2nd Class) of Order of the White Elephant
    Knight Commander (2nd Class) of Order of the White Elephant
  • Badge of the Knight Commander (2nd Class) and the Commander (3rd Class) of Order of the White Elephant
    Badge of the Knight Commander (2nd Class) and the Commander (3rd Class) of Order of the White Elephant
  • Badge of the Member (5th Class) of Order of the White Elephant
    Badge of the Member (5th Class) of Order of the White Elephant
  • Badge of the Member (5th Class) of Order of the White Elephant, female version
    Badge of the Member (5th Class) of Order of the White Elephant, female version
  • Gold Medal (6th Class) of Order of the White Elephant, female version
    Gold Medal (6th Class) of Order of the White Elephant, female version
  • Silver Medal (7th Class) of Order of the White Elephant
    Silver Medal (7th Class) of Order of the White Elephant

Selected recipients

Certificate for the Commander of Order of the White Elephant, given to Professor Galileo Chini by King Vajiravudh of Siam on 14 August 1913.

See also

  • White elephant (animal) § Thailand

References

  1. ^ Regulation of the Office of the Prime Minister regarding nominations for the Most Exalted Order of the White Elephant and the Most Noble Order of the Crown of Thailand, B.E. 2536. Royal Thai Government Gazette. 1993.
  2. ^ "The Order of the White Elephant, Rattanakosin Era 128, Volume 26, Part 0 B" (PDF). Royal Thai Government Gazette (in Thai). Government of Thailand. 28 November 1909. p. 70. Archived from the original (PDF) on November 14, 2011. Retrieved 29 January 2012.
  3. ^ "Announcement of the Prime Minister's Office Re: Order of Honor of Thai Insignia, Volume 110, Part 29 G, Special Issue" (PDF). Royal Thai Government Gazette (in Thai). Government of Thailand. 12 March 1993. p. 1. Archived from the original (PDF) on November 14, 2011. Retrieved 29 January 2012.
  4. ^ Post, Peter (2010). "Java's Capitan Cina and Javanese Royal families: Status, Modernity and Power- Major Titular Be Kwat Koen and Mungkunegoro VII". International Journal of Asia-Pacific Studies. 13: 49–66. Retrieved 6 December 2019.
  5. ^ President Suharto [dead link]
  6. ^ Lembaga Pemilihan Umum 1983, p. 1023. sfn error: no target: CITEREFLembaga_Pemilihan_Umum1983 (help)
  7. ^ ประกาศสำนักนายกรัฐมนตรี เรื่อง พระราชทานเครื่องราชอิสริยาภรณ์ให้แก่ชาวต่างประเทศ รัฐมนตรีต่างประเทศอาเซียนและประเทศคู่เจรจา รวม ๖ ราย (PDF) (in Thai). Retrieved 26 February 2024.
  8. ^ ประกาศสำนักนายกรัฐมนตรี เรื่อง พระราชทานเครื่องราชอิสริยาภรณ์ให้แก่ชาวต่างประเทศ [นายอาลี อลาตัส] (PDF) (in Thai). Retrieved 26 February 2024.
  9. ^ "A kormányzó érdemrendjei, kitüntetései és jelvényei" [The awards and badges of the governor]. Vitezirend.co.hu (in Hungarian). Retrieved 2018-07-22.
  10. ^ "Capt. Samuel Robinson, Who Won Fame For Rescue Work in Jap Quake, Dies," New York Times. September 7, 1958.
  11. ^ "Arne Skaug" (in Norwegian). Storting.
  12. ^ Windsor, Laura Lynn (2002). Women in medicine: an encyclopedia. ABC-CLIO. p. 204. ISBN 1-57607-392-0.
  13. ^ "Court Circular". Court and Social. The Times. No. 29924. London. 3 July 1880. col G, p. 11.
  14. ^ "Major General Richard V. Secord". af.mil. United States Air Force. February 1982. Retrieved 2018-07-22.
  15. ^ Jiri Sitler
  16. ^ "Ex-Seal Saman posthumously promoted". Bangkok Post. 14 July 2018. Retrieved 21 July 2018.
  17. ^ Royal Thai Embassy, Moscow, Russia (May 17, 2019). "Ceremony of the Conferment of the Royal Decoration Presented to the Former Ambassador of the Russian Federation to the Kingdom of Thailand".{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Order of the White Elephant.
  • The Most Exalted Order of the White Elephant, Secretariat to the Cabinet of Thailand (archived 24 September 2005)
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