Recognizing that the government could not afford to buy such a vessel, the officials decided to lead a drive to enlist funds from the general public. The officials presented their plan to the King, who accepted it, named the sponsoring group the Royal Navy League of Siam, consented to be the patron of the league, and gave the name Phra Raung to the vessel to be obtained. In fact, however, the cruiser fund idea was the King's from the very start: the official story that the idea originated with a group of government servants was undoubtedly put forth to avoid the awkwardness of having His Majesty initiate a drive to give himself a warship.