Wichaichan

Who was Wichaichan?

Krom Phra Ratchawang Bowon Wichaichan or Phra Ong Chao Yodyingyot was a Siamese Prince and member of the Chakri Dynasty. He was the eldest son of King Pinklao and Princess Aim, and thus nephew to King Mongkut. Wichaichan succeeded his father by being appointed the Front Palace and Vice King of Siam in 1868, during the reign of his cousin King Chulalongkorn. During his tenure the office of Front Palace was extremely powerful and rivalled that of the monarch's own. Inevitably the two forces clashed in the Front Palace crisis. Wichaichan was defeated and the power of the Front Palace was greatly diminished. After his death in 1885, the last vestiges of the title were abolished in favour of a Crown Prince.