The West's demand for extraterritorial privileges also…

The West's demand for extraterritorial privileges also persuades the king that unless Siam's legal and administrative systems are reformed, the country will never be treated as an equal by the Western powers.

Although little in the way of substantive modernization is accomplished during his reign, Mongkut eliminates some of the ancient mystique of the monarch's divinity by allowing commoners to gaze on his face, publishes a royal gazette of the country's laws, and hires a number of Western experts as consultants, teachers, and technicians.

Long-standing institutions such as slavery remain basically untouched, however, and the political system continues to be dominated by the great families.

Conservatives at court remain strong, and the king's death from malaria in 1868 postpones pending reform projects.