Wan Waithayakon

Prince Vanna Vaidhayakara (full title: His Royal Highness Prince Vanna Vaidhayakara, the Prince Naradhip Bongsprabandh), known in the West as Wan Waithayakon (1891–1976), was a Thai royal prince and diplomat. He was President of the Eleventh Session of the United Nations General Assembly (1956–1957), while serving as Thailand's Permanent Representative to the United Nations. He was a grandson of King Mongkut (Rama IV).

Early life and education
Prince Wan was born on 25 August 1891 in Bangkok. He began his education at Suan Kularb School and Rajvidyalai (King's College) before continuing his education in England where he earned a degree with honours in History from Balliol College, Oxford. Wan also attended the Ecole Libre des Sciences Politiques (better known as Sciences Po) in Paris.

Career
Prince Wan began his career as a foreign service officer in 1917. He was appointed advisor to his cousin, King Vajiravudh, in 1922. In 1924, he was promoted to the rank of under-secretary for foreign affairs, and was responsible for negotiating several important amendments to political and commercial treaties with Western powers. He was sent to Europe again in 1926 as minister accredited to the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and Belgium. During that period, he also served as head of the Thai delegation to the League of Nations, where he was active in a number of important commissions as member, vice-president, and president. Prince Wan returned to Thailand in 1930, to accept a professorial chair at the Faculty of Arts, Chulalongkorn University.

For the next 30 years, Prince Wan continued to serve his country in a number of important diplomatic missions, some of the notable milestones being negotiations with Japan in 1943 during World War II, representing Thailand at the Greater East Asia Conference, participation in the SEATO Council and the Bandung Conference, where he was elected rapporteur, and negotiations leading to Thailand's admission to the United Nations.

In 1947, Prince Wan was appointed ambassador to the United States and served concurrently as ambassador to the United Nations. In 1956, he was the president of the Eleventh Session of the United Nations' General Assembly. He also served as Thailand's foreign minister from 1952 to 1957 and again in 1958.

Language
Prince Wan's expertise in languages ranged from English and Pali to Sanskrit. He coined Thai words from English which are in use today. They include prachathipatai (democracy), ratthathammanoon (constitution), thanakarn (bank), and songkram (war). His proficiency in languages led to his being made president of the Royal Society of Thailand, the national arbiter of the Thai language. Prince Wan won many academic honours and is regarded as one of the founding fathers of philological textual criticism in Thailand.

Death
Prince Wan died on 5 September 1976, aged 85.

Nation Honours

 * Order of the Royal House of Chakri (Thailand) ribbon.svg The Most Illustrious Order of the Royal House of Chakri
 * Order of Chula Chom Klao - 1st Class (Thailand) ribbon.svg Knight Grand Cross of the Most Illustrious Order of Chula Chom Klao
 * Order of the White Elephant - Special Class (Thailand) ribbon.svg Knight Grand Cordon of the Most Exalted Order of the White Elephant
 * Order of the Crown of Thailand - Special Class (Thailand) ribbon.svg Knight Grand Cordon of the Most Noble Order of the Crown of Thailand
 * Safeguarding the Constitution Medal (Thailand) ribbon.svg Safeguarding the Constitution Medal
 * Ribbon bar of Dushdi Mala - Civilian, Service to the Nation (Thailand).svg Dushdi Mala Medal Civilian, Service to the Nation
 * Dushdi Mala - Civilian (Thailand).svg Dushdi Mala Medal Civilian, arts and sciences
 * Medal for Service in the Interior - Indochina (Thailand) ribbon.svg Medal for Service Rendered in the Interior (Indochina)
 * Border Service Medal (Thailand) ribbon.svg Border Service Medal
 * Chakrabarti Mala Medal (Thailand) ribbon.svg Chakrabarti Mala Medal
 * The Boy Scout Citation Medal - 1st Class (Thailand) ribbon.svg The Boy Scout Citation Medal, First Class
 * King Rama VI Royal Cypher Medal (Thailand) ribbon.svg King Prajadhipok's Royal Cypher Medal, Third class
 * King Rama VIII Royal Cypher Medal (Thailand) ribbon.svg King Ananda Mahidol's Royal Cypher Medal, First class
 * King Rama IX Royal Cypher Medal (Thailand) ribbon.svg King Bhumibol Adulyadej's Royal Cypher Medal, First class

Foreign honours

 * 🇯🇵 Japan :
 * JPN Zuiho-sho (WW2) 1Class BAR.svg Grand Cordon of the Order of the Sacred Treasure (1925)
 * JPN Kyokujitsu-sho 1Class BAR.svg Grand Cordon of the Order of the Rising Sun (1939)
 * 🇩🇰 Denmark :
 * Order of the Dannebrog S.K.svg Grand Cross of the Order of the Dannebrog (1926)
 * Kingdom of Spain :
 * ESP Isabella Catholic Order GC.svg Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Isabella the Catholic (1927)
 * Kingdom of Italy :
 * Cavaliere di Gran Croce OCI Kingdom BAR.svg Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Crown of Italy (1927)
 * 🇳🇴 Norway :
 * St Olavs Orden storkors stripe.svg Grand Cross of the Royal Norwegian Order of Saint Olav (1927)
 * 🇧🇪 Belgium :
 * BEL Kroonorde Grootkruis BAR.svg Grand Cross of the Order of the Crown (1927)
 * BEL - Order of Leopold - Grand Cordon bar.svg Grand Cross of the Order of Leopold (1939)
 * 🇵🇹 Portugal :
 * PRT Order of Christ - Grand Cross BAR.svg Grand Cross of the Military Order of Christ (1928)
 * Nazi Germany :
 * DEU Deutsche Adlerorden 1 BAR.svg Grand Cross of the Order of the German Eagle (1938)
 * 🇫🇷 France :
 * Legion of Honour - Grand Cross (France).png Grand Cross of the Legion of Honour (1940)
 * 🇹🇼 Taiwan :
 * TWN Order of Brilliant Star 1Class BAR.svg Special Grand Cordon of the Order of Brilliant Star (1949)
 * 🇪🇸 Spain :
 * ESP Order of Civil Merit GC.svg Grand Cross Star of the Order of Civil Merit (1953)
 * 🇰🇭 Cambodia :
 * KHM Ordre Royal du Cambodge - Grand Croix BAR.svg Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Order of Cambodia (1955)
 * Kingdom of Laos :
 * LAO Order of the a Million Elephants and the White Parasol - Grand Cross BAR.svg Grand Cross of the Order of the Million Elephants and the White Parasol (1955)
 * Burma :
 * Order of the Union of Burma (Military Division).jpg Grand Commander of the Order of the Union of Burma (1956)
 * Kingdom of Greece :
 * GRE Order of the Phoenix - Grand Cross BAR.png Grand Cross of the Order of the Phoenix (1956)
 * 🇨🇺 Cuba :
 * Order of Carlos Manuel de Céspedes - Grand Cross (Cuba) - ribbon bar v. 1926.png Grand Cross of the Order of Carlos Manuel de Cespedes (1957)
 * South Vietnam :
 * VPD National Order of Vietnam - Grand Cross BAR.svg Grand Cross of the National Order of Vietnam (1957)
 * 🇺🇸 USA :
 * US Legion of Merit Commander ribbon.png Commander of the Legion of Merit (1958)
 * 🇦🇷 Argentina :
 * ARG Order of the Liberator San Martin - Grand Cross BAR.svg Grand Cross of the Order of the Liberator General San Martín (1962)
 * Federal Republic of Germany :
 * GER Bundesverdienstkreuz 8 Grosskreuz bes Ausf.svg Grand Cross 1st Class, Special Issue of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany (1963)
 * 🇳🇱 Netherlands :
 * NLD Order of Orange-Nassau - Knight Grand Cross BAR.png Grand Cross of the Order of Orange-Nassau (1967)
 * 🇲🇾 Malaysia :
 * MY Darjah Yang Mulia Pangkuan Negara (Defender of the Realm) - SMN.svg Honorary Grand Commander of the Order of the Defender of the Realm (1964)
 * 🇦🇹 Austria :
 * AUT Honour for Services to the Republic of Austria - 1st Class BAR.png Grand Star of the Decoration of Honour for Services to the Republic of Austria (1967)
 * 🇵🇪 Peru :
 * PER Order of the Sun of Peru - Grand Cross BAR.png Grand Cross of the Order of the Sun of Peru
 * 🇵🇭 Philippines :
 * PHI Order of Sikatuna 2003 Grand Cross BAR.svg Grand Cross of the Order of Sikatuna

Academic rank

 * Professor of Chulalongkorn University