Thailand postage stamps year 1887 – 1904 King Chulalongkorn

Between 1887 and 1904, Thailand (then Siam) issued several postage stamp series featuring King Chulalongkorn (Rama V), who reigned from 1868 to 1910.

Key Stamp Issues 1887-1904 Featuring King Chulalongkorn:

• The main definitive issue of 1887 released after Siam joined the Universal Postal Union in 1885, featured a profile portrait of King Chulalongkorn. These stamps were bi-colored and printed by De La Rue & Co., London, denominated in “atts.” The series included values from 2 atts up to 64 atts in various color combinations.
• Between 1889 and 1899, many surcharged stamps were issued by handstamping or typesetting over the original 1887 issue, sometimes in Siamese script only; these surcharges had wide value ranges and collectible varieties.
• A 15-stamp set was officially issued between 1899 and 1904 with a profile view of the King; these were the continued definitive stamps with values priced modestly today.
• In 1899, a five-stamp set depicting a full-face portrait of King Chulalongkorn was produced but rejected by the King and mostly not officially issued; a few were released by mistake and are now rare and highly valued.
• The stamps from this era were mostly engraved or typography printed, watermarked with the Siamese chakr symbol, and perforated typically around 14.

King Chulalongkorn is known as the “Great Beloved King” for modernizing Siam and keeping the country independent from colonial powers.

This period is well recognized for its classic Thai philatelic issues with rich varieties, surcharges, and colors, making them popular and collectible among stamp enthusiasts of classical Asian postage.