The abolition of slavery and the phrai…

The abolition of slavery and the phrai corvee is one of the most far-reaching of Chulalongkorn's later reforms.

Slavery will be eliminated gradually, allowing considerable time for social and economic adaptation, and will not disappear until 1905.

As a result of the introduction of a head tax paid in currency and a regular army manned by conscription, the corvee loses most of its function, and wage labor, often provided by Chinese immigrants, proved more efficient for public works projects.

Likewise, the introduction of salaries for public officials eliminated the need for the sakdi na.

These reforms wreak profound changes in Thai society.