The Thai people believe that
Phra Sayam Thewathirat is a
Deva-guardian, or supreme deity, who
perpetually safeguards the Nation,
the King and the Royal Family. The
term was first used by King Rama
IV (1851-1868) who realized that
Thailand must have long had a
Deva-guardian to protect her from all
kinds of threat and calamity, thereby
ensuring her survival, especially
from Western colonialism which, in
the end successfully brought all of
Thailand’s
neighbours under its
control. In this regard, as a measure
of the far-sightedness and prescience
of Thai kings, King Rama III (1824-
1851) warned his most senior
officials near the end of his reign to
start preparing the country against
threats from the Western powers,
stating that in the future there would
no longer be any serious warfare with
neighbouring countries, but only
conflicts with the West, a prognosis
that proved to be remarkably accurate.
As a result of this belief in the
existence of a benevolent Deva-
guardian, King Rama IV commissioned
Prince Pradit Worakarn,
to create a