In the face of the threatening advancements of colonialism, King Rama V or King Chulalongkorn the Great (1868-1910) carried out a major reorganization of the central, regional and local administrations. It is the basis of the present system. His administrative reform and rapid drive for the country’s modernization proved successful both in maintaining the country’s independence throughout the turbulent years of the western colonial threat and in providing a foundation for the modern system of government