"Sansoen Phra Barami" (Thai: สรรเสริญพระบารมี, pronounced [sǎn.sɤ̌ːn pʰráʔ bāː.rā.mīː]; transl. "Glorify His Prestige") is the current royal anthem of Thailand. It was a de facto national anthem of Siam before 1932.
The anthem was composed a few days after the revolution of 1932 in the tune vaguely similar to the national anthem of Poland, Poland Is Not Yet Lost, and was first broadcast in July 1932. The original lyrics were by Khun Wichitmatra.
The current anthem replaced "Sansoen Phra Barami" in 1932, which remains as the royal anthem of Thailand. The melody was composed by Phra Chenduriyang (Peter Feit), and the official lyrics were written by Luang Saranupraphan.
According to the practice dates from 1939s during the Plaek Phibunsongkhram era and The Flag Act of 1979, Thais must stop what they are doing and stand at attention to pay homage to the anthem played by all Thai media outlets, twice a day, at 08:00 and again at 18:00. Students in school stand in front of the raised flag and sing the national anthem at 08:00 every school day, while those who do not observe the custom by standing in silence during the anthem are subject to a fine of up to 2,000 baht and not more than one year in prison. At present, there is no longer any compulsion to stand upright and respect the national flag. But most people choose to stand upright and respect the national flag voluntarily.
See also