The Chao Phraya (Thai: แม่น้ำเจ้าพระยา) is a major river in Thailand, with its low alluvial river plain marking the mainland of the country.On old maps the river is named as Menam or Mae Nam, the Thai word for river. The name Chao Phraya is also a Thai feudal title, which can be translated as General. In the English-language media in Thailand the name is often translated as 'river of kings'.