National Youth Day in Thailand Date in the current year: September 20, 2024

Chulalongkorn, or Rama V, was born on September 20, 1853. He was the fifth King of Siam and is considered to be one of the greatest monarchs of the kingdom. During his reign, Rama V implemented numerous social and governmental reforms. Siam was threatened by Western expensions, but Rama V managed to save the kingdom from colonization by territorial cessions to the United Kingdom and French Indochina. His reforms earned him the epithet the Great Beloved King.

Ananda Mahidol was the grandson of Chulalongkorn and the eighth monarch of Thailand. He was born on September 20, 1925. He became the king of Thailand in 1935, at the age of nine, when he was in Switzerland. He returned to Thailand in 1945 to assume power, but six month later he was found shot dead in his bed.

The celebration of National Youth Day intends to encourage young people throughout the country to realize the significance of their responsibilities toward national development for the sake of stability and prosperity of Thailand.