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HRH Prince Mahidol
of Songkla
The Father of Modern Medicine and Public Health of
Thailand
A Prince is born
On 1 January 1892 at 14.47, the youngest son of His Majesty King Chulalongkorn
(Rama V) and Queen Savang Vadhana was born. After a month, he was given
the name Prince Mahidol Adulyadej.
Prince Mahidol grew up to become the country's most recognised figure
in the development of, among others, medicine and public health. He
became known as the Father of Modern Medicine and Public Health of
Thailand.
During his childhood, Prince Mahidol was brought up according to the
Royal Thai tradition. At 13, he was ordained, like his brothers, as
a Buddhist novice at Bovornnivet Temple and received the title of Prince
of Songkla.
Joining Military Leads in Germany
Educated at Harrow School in England, Prince Mahidol left for Germany
to further his studies according to the wishes of his father, King Chulalongkorn
(Rama V).
At first, Prince Mahidol attended the Royal Prussian Military Preparatory
College at Potsdam for a year, where he took humanities and science
courses - in addition to being subjected to rigorous military discipline.
During this time, he paid regular visits to museums: His self study,
educational background and upbringing helped form a prince who is not
only, in himself, intellectual and philosophical, but is also a highly
compassionate being towards the mankind.
At this time, Prince Mahidol received a cure for his backbone, which
had plagued him since his young days: Physical frailty characterised
the Prince's short life.
Later, Prince Mahidol attended, for four more years, the Imperial Military
Academy at Gross Lichterfelde in Berlin. Then, following the wishes
of his brother, King Vajiravudh (Rama VI) he entered the Mürwik
Imperial German Naval Academy at Flensburg from 1912-1914. Here, he
received heavy training as any other military man, such as field training
on the battleship, where he took responsibilities on deck for cleaning
and coal gathering.
Serving the Royal Thai Navy
At the outbreak of World War I, Prince Mahidol was commissioned back
and entered the Royal Thai Navy for a year.
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Commander
of the Royal Thai Navy in 1915.
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During this time, the Prince, in addition to the usual military responsibilities,
was also given an administrative job for which he had to write up documents.
He contributed to the development of the navy in such areas as the
written structure of the royal navy battleship, propositions for finding
torpedo ships to secure Thai waters and ideas concerning submarines
and nutrition on board. However, due to the many restrictions in the
creation of new projects, Prince Mahidol finally resigned.
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