Royal Thai Survey Department Welfare building

In 1875, a seed was planted. This seed would eventually blossom into the Royal Thai Survey Department Welfare building. King Chulalongkorn, also known as Rama V, initiated the mapping of Siam. This endeavor began with a Mapping Division. It was led by Henry Alabaster, a British expatriate. Their task was to map the route for a telegraph line. This line would connect Bangkok to Battambang. They were also to chart the Thai Gulf. The idea for a formal Survey Department came from Prince Damrong. King Rama V approved the creation of the Thai Survey School in 1882. The initial recruits were drawn from the Royal Guards. A royal decree in 1885 officially established the Royal Survey Department. It separated the surveyors from the Royal Guard. The department focused on cadastral surveys. These surveys defined land ownership for registration and taxation. The Torrens title system was used for land deeds. The first results of this survey appeared in 1901. Ronald Worthy Giblin was the first Department Director. He observed a fortunate coincidence. Forty meters, or 4,000 centimeters, equaled one sen, a Thai unit of measurement. This allowed cadastral plans to be plotted, drawn, and printed at a scale of 1:4,000. The Royal Thai Survey Department also produced and sold detailed maps. Initially, these maps were made using zincography. During World War II, the department printed banknotes. This was due to a shortage of currency. They printed denominations of 1, 10, 20, and 100. These banknotes were similar to those previously ordered from Thomas de la Rue and Co. in London. From 1942, the phrase “the Royal Thai Survey” replaced “Thomas de la Rue and Co., London” on the banknotes. The Royal Thai Survey Department Welfare building stands as a testament to this rich history. It represents the evolution of mapping and surveying in Thailand.