by the Cabinet Secretariat (a department within the Office of the Prime Minister) and are affixed to documents by its officers in different combinations, depending on the purpose of those documents. Four great royal seals Garuda emblem Royal symbol Thai kings recruited Brahmins from India and adopted Hindu court rituals. The national and royal symbol of Thailand is Garuda, the mount of Lord Vishnu. Thailand uses the Garuda () as its national symbol, known as the Phra Khrut Pha, meaning "Garuda, the vehicle (of Vishnu)," also used as the symbol of royalty. It adorns the banknote of thai currency - the Baht - as well. These seals were used until 1873, when a European inspired coat of arms was designated by King Chulalongkorn (Rama V) as the national emblem of Siam. However, the creation of the coat of arms did not entirely replace the old royal seals, for a law promulgated in 1890, stated that the Khrut Pha and the Airaphot seals would continue to be used. In 1893 the King changed his mind and decided that the heraldic arms was too foreign, and ordered his brother the Prince Narisara Nuvadtivongs to design a new seal featuring the Garuda. The Garuda as a symbol has been depicted in royal seals since the times of Ayutthaya. The Prince drew a new seal, which was based on the old design, featuring the god Narayana mounted on the Garuda's back. This version of the seal was used only briefly, as the King was not satisfied with this rendition. Soon after he asked the Prince to redesign the seal depicting the Garuda alone. In 1910, King Vajiravudh (Rama VI) decided to abandon the coat of arms altogether and use the Garuda as his primary device. The King asked Phra Dhevabhinimit (a famous artist at the time) to design a new seal, using Prince Naris' drawing of the Garuda, but with an addition of an encirclement of the King's ceremonial name on the outer edge. In 1911 an Act on the Seals of State was passed establishing the Garuda seal as the principal seal "To be impressed for authentication of the King's signature on all important deeds and documents." From then on the Garuda seal named Phra Khrut Pha became the country's official emblem. King Prajadhipok (Rama VII) continued the use of the seal by replacing his predecessor's name with his own. As King Ananda