Devahastin family


The Devahastin or Thephasadin family is a Thai family of royal descent, tracing its origins back to Princess Sri Sudarak their father was Thongdi
Its best-known members were Prince Thepharirak, a nephew of King Rama I., Sanan Devahastin na Ayudhya, better known by his noble title Chaophraya Thammasakmontri, who served as a senior government official of the 1920s–1930s. Phraya Thephatsadin leads the Thai military ambassador that participated in World War I in Europe.

History

The family traces its descent from Phraya Ratchaphakdi, described in various sources as either a grandson or a son of Prince Thepharirak, a nephew of King Rama I.
The family name was granted by King Vajiravudh to Phraya Phaisansinlapasat in 1913 when he decreed the use of surnames. The romanized spelling Devahastin, which does not reflect the exact Thai pronunciation, is derived from the Sanskrit root words deva and hastin, which roughly mean 'god' and 'elephant'. The name is suffixed with na Ayudhya, indicating royal descent.

People

Notable members of the family include:
In 2010, a member of the family, identified by the nickname Praewa, was involved in a on the Don Mueang Tollway, which resulted in the deaths of nine van passengers. She was driving underage without a licence, and the case sparked a huge amount of online public outrage. The case resurfaced in 2019, when it was revealed that the victims' families had not yet received their court-ordered financial compensation, prompting the Devahastin family to hold a press conference where, among other things, it pointed out that the clan comprised over 200 individual families and should not be blamed for the actions of one individual.