26
HM King Rama IV, after the royal practice of appointing public officials by giving them noble titles engraved upon golden cards, silver cards, or commissions was established, the royal seals for the offices of secretaries of state were passed by predecessors to successors themselves, not royally given together with the titles every time. Due to the seals having been passed on by the secretaries themselves, when a secretary died, there was no one to return his seal to the monarch, whilst the seal clerk, who was in charge of the seal by virtue of his office, was not authorised to attend court. As a result of such requirement, a royal decree was then enacted by King Rama VI declaring that if any secretary of state has been removed from any ministry because of transfer or any other reason, that secretary of state has to bring his official seal to the monarch in order that the monarch would further give it to his successor, and if a minister who has been so removed is seriously ill or has died or is prevented by any cause from bringing the seal to the monarch, it shall be the duty of the Secretary of State for Seals to recall the seal for such office and bring it to the monarch (Royal Decree on Positions of Secretaries of State, 2457 BE).
The seals presently serving as emblems of ministries are as follows:
