ABSTRACT
This chapter examines how public relations communication was principally carried out by King Rama IV during his reign to help maintain the countrys sovereignty and to stave off imperialism. The beginning of modern public relations in Thailand, after the countrys political system changed from an absolute monarchy to a constitutional monarchy. The ancient Greeks and Romans used materials intended to publicize and glorify their rulers. Public relations in Siam thus had been initially developed by the king, with attempts to avoid imperialism. Moreover, the kings intentional use of public relations-like approaches signaled the beginning of Siams transition to modernization. The chapter takes the social, political, and cultural context of Siam during King Rama IVs reign and finds that he used public relations through planned and goal-directed communication activities to accomplish the national goal of preserving Siams independence.
