Wongsa Dhiraj Snid

Wongsa Dhiraj Snid (; 9 July 1808 – 14 August 1871) was a Thai medical doctor and diplomat, as well as a member of the reigning Chakri dynasty. An early adopter of Western-style medicine, he was the court physician for much of his life, and was known as the "Doctor Prince."

Early life and family

Wongsa Dhiraj Snid was born in 1808, the 49th son of King Rama II of Siam, and given the title of Phra Ong Chao Nawama. His maternal grandparents were both traditional medical practitioners who served as court physicians during his father's reign. He was the half-brother of both Prince Thap, the future King Rama III, some twenty years his senior, and Prince Mongkut, the future King Rama IV.

Following Thai tradition, Wongsa Dhiraj Snid spent much of his early life learning statecraft, administration, and Buddhist teachings. He was ordained as a Buddhist monk as a young man. During his time as a monk, he was mentored by an uncle, Paramanuchitchinorot, the future Supreme Patriarch of Thailand. He was one of the five Thai plenipotentiaries sent to negotiate the Bowring Treaty with the United Kingdom in 1855. He was also among the signatories of the Harris Treaty between Siam and the United States the following year.

Legacy

The descendants of Wongsa Dhiraj Snid took the name of Sanidwongse (sometimes spelled Sanidvongse, Snidvongs, or other variants). Several of his descendants, like him, served as royal physicians in Thailand. and in 2009 he was featured on a Thai postage stamp.

Among his notable descendants are Queen Sirikit and her son King Rama X of Thailand, along with several other members of the Thai royal family, and prominent surgeon Kalyanakit Kitiyakara.

Ancestry